What temperature range is right for your reefer container? The short answer is, it depends on what’s being shipped. Different foods will be kept safest at different temperatures. It’s a lot more complicated than the “keep perishables under 40F or over 140F” rule for restaurants. Each food you transport has specific needs. You can’t expect to freeze fruits and then let them melt to mush when they finally reach the grocery store. If you are shipping a variety of different goods, you need to employ reefer trucks with broad temperature ranges. Most importantly, you need to have the right equipment to make sure your temperature range stays where it needs to be.
Meat and dairy
Different types of meat and dairy may require different temperatures. For example, butter can be transported at higher temperatures than poultry. The supplier, shipper, and receiver should all agree upon the temperatures for items in advance, so there’s no disputes later on if items become spoiled.
Fruits and vegetables
In general, fruits and vegetables can be kept at warmer temperatures than meat and dairy. Humidity should also be taken into account when shipping produce, as it can dramatically affect their state. This list has some helpful guidelines, but again, make sure you and everyone else involved agrees on the temperature.
Make sure food remains at the same temperature
Once you have researched the temperature for the specific food you need transferred, you want to make sure it stays there. This can be done easily with the right temperature monitoring system. At Cargo Data, we provide a variety of systems for different types of reefer truck shipments, including our Lightning NFC monitor. If you use the device, you can also download your temperature data to our free app, where it can be reviewed at any time.
If you’d like more advice on this topic, Cargo Data offers free consultations on temperature monitoring. Feel free to give us a call at (800) 338-8134.