Frozen Food LTL: What You Need To Know

Why choose a third party logistics provider for your frozen ltl transportation needs?

Lots of companies are turning to 3PL providers during these times of freight market volatility. A 3PL will manage as little or as much of a company’s logistics requirements as needed. A good 3PL with years of expertise will provide a variety of transportation options,as well as, consolidation, warehousing, and transparency and visibility from pickup to delivery. These services are never more important than in the frozen ltl business where consistency and honesty are paramount. When frozen food companies find the right 3PL, they reap the benefits in cost reduction and time and find themselves free to grow their business.

Frozen LTL vs. FAK (Freight of all Kinds)

Frozen food companies understand the necessity and burden of getting their product to the market on-time and in excellent condition. And excellent condition doesn’t just mean undamaged. There is a real science to shipping frozen food, and if you work with the wrong provider your product and your bottom line will suffer.

 All 3PLs and carriers are not, after all, created equally! First of all, they must have experience and knowledge of the vast array of rules in frozen food shipping. Specific equipment is required because the temperatures in trailers can’t dip below or above a specific and often very narrow range. The Food Safety Modernization Act signed into law in 2011 created detailed instructions that shippers must follow in order to prevent rather than respond to contamination. And if that isn’t enough, there are also very specific shipping windows for pickup and delivery so food is received, stays at, and is delivered at the correct temperature.

 LTL shipments are even more tenuous to manage. While a truckload frozen shipment is picked up and delivered by the same driver, an LTL shipment is almost always transported by two or more drivers and often warehoused, loaded and unloaded more than once as it makes its way through the cold chain.

 A shipper using the wrong carrier or the wrong 3PL will experience nothing but headaches.

Do you remember our good friend, Sal?

Several months ago, Sal gave Pyramid Transport a call. Sal was exhausted and distracted frozen seafood executive working for a small, but growing business. He was spending an inordinate amount of time worrying about logistics. He was having trouble finding quality frozen ltl providers, not to mention providers who were efficient at temperature control. He’d worked with some shady carriers and a few less-than honest 3PLs in his quest to move his frozen seafood through the cold chain without a hiccup.

 If you talk to Sal today, you will find that he’s been promoted. Partnering with Pyramid Transport for his frozen ltl needs gave Sal the time he needed to focus on production process and efficiency while growing business, and guess what--he has! Sal is a hero around the office because he found a 3PL with 25 years of experience.

 Here at Pyramid Transport, frozen ltl is what we do best! We have the experience, relationships, and tools to create the right transportation solutions for your unique needs. In fact, we help the best frozen food companies in the world avoid distractions and stay focused by making the delivery process clear--every time. Just ask Sal!