Freight railway networks are an effective way to transport cold chain items due to their sustainability, reliability and efficiency. Transform your shipping strategies with temperature-controlled freight cars, real-time monitoring and innovative cold packaging solutions.
The Business Case for Cold Chain Rail Transport
Railway transport offers the following advantages for cold chain shippers.
- Sustainability: Freight trains can move products at scale with fewer emissions, offering a low-carbon solution. Decreasing emissions reduces your company’s environmental impact, protecting the planet and improving your brand image.
- Predictability: Freight trains are free from highway traffic and service hour limits, ensuring shipments consistently reach their destinations on time.
- Greater efficiency and higher profits: Railway transport also reduces labor needs, moving goods despite driver shortages. One freight train can transport more items than hundreds of trucks, reducing fuel and labor costs so you can bring in higher profits.
- Product integrity: Railway transport maintains sensitive shipments’ temperature by maintaining consistent conditions and requiring fewer transfers. Switching to rail for your cold chain shipments protects temperature-sensitive products’ efficacy, potency and taste.
- Compliance: Some regulations mandate strict temperature standards. Shipping via rail can help you stay compliant.
Shipping Cold Goods via Rail
Use this guide to cold chain shipping by rail to ensure reliable temperature control and product protection.
Identify Temperature Requirements
Temperature-sensitive items typically fall into one of these categories.
- Food: Identifying specific temperature ranges for perishable food items is the first step in your shipping strategy. For example, fresh produce and raw meat require different temperatures to maintain safety and freshness. Check Food and Drug Administration guidance to find each food category’s ideal temperature.
- Medical supplies and pharmaceuticals: Medical supplies and pharmaceuticals typically have narrow temperature ranges and are highly sensitive to temperature deviations. For example, Moderna and Pfizer rely on dependable cold chain shipping practices when transporting COVID-19 vaccines.
- Cosmetics: Cosmetics typically have a broader temperature tolerance than food and pharmaceuticals, but they can expand or melt in extreme temperatures. Determine what range cosmetic products can handle before their composition starts to change or break down.
- Electronics: Maintaining the ideal temperatures for different electronic products prevents battery degradation, component expansion and cracked casings.
Consult reputable sources such as the FDA, your products’ manufacturer guidelines and specific retailer requirements to determine exact temperature ranges. Also consider factors such as climates and changing seasons, paying close attention to which locations railways run through.
Use Reliable Temperature-Controlled Railcars
Temperature-controlled railcars, aka “reefers,” are vital for cold chain railway shipping. Reefers feature advanced insulation and diesel or electric refrigeration units to keep shipments cold during transit. They also feature temperature monitoring systems that alert operators to fluctuations.
Before choosing a rail company, third-party logistics provider or freight forwarder, ask if they can provide the temperature-controlled environment and monitoring your goods require.
Deploy Real-Time Temperature Monitoring
While reefers typically have real-time temperature monitoring, it never hurts to have a backup. Data loggers and Internet of Things sensors track conditions in real time, and you can opt for disposable trackers if necessary to provide continuous supply chain visibility and reduce risks.
Protect Products With Dependable Cold Packaging
Cold packaging is an essential part of cold chain shipping, even in temperature-controlled freight cars. Ice packs provide backup temperature control amid unexpected fluctuations or delays. Innovative cold packaging solutions are cost-effective, sustainable and safer alternatives to traditional dry ice.
Cold Packaging Solutions for Railway Cold Chain Shipping
Gel ice packs for shipping are compact and reusable, reducing costs and augmenting your company’s sustainability efforts. They are also safer to handle than dry ice, and they are available in various shapes, sizes and thawing temperatures to meet your needs.
Glacier Ice™
Meal kit delivery and pharmaceutical companies have trusted Glacier Ice™ gel packs for decades. These puncture-resistant packs feature a slow-to-thaw water-based gel and are ideal for one-way shipping.
Glacier Moisture Guard
Glacier Moisture Guard packs feature a sweat-proof exterior, absorbing condensation to protect items and packing materials from moisture. Choose these if you need to ship moisture-sensitive goods such as fresh produce or confections.
Glacier Temp Bricks
Glacier Temp bricks retain their shapes throughout the freeze-thaw cycle for optimal space efficiency. Choose these to achieve tight pack-outs in your shipments. Their exceptional energy absorption capabilities allow them to efficiently dissipate heat and protect perishables from temperature fluctuations.
TerraTemp Packs
TerraTemp packs are compostable and recyclable pouches filled with Terra Ice™, Nutri Ice™ or Vortec Ice™ nontoxic, drain-safe water-based gel. These options further augment your company’s sustainability efforts and reduce your environmental impact.
- Terra Ice™: Terra Ice™ is the world’s only 100% compostable gel pack. You can easily dispose of it in your household compost or trash can. There’s no need to cut the pouch, separate the gel, rinse the pack or recycle the film.
- Vortec Ice™: Reusable Vortec Ice™ gel packs are drain- and septic-safe.
- Nutri Ice™: The Nutri Ice™ formula doubles as plant food. Upcycle your gel packs after you receive a package and use its gentle, balanced fertilizer to grow healthier plants or flowers. It’s also drain- and septic-safe, so you can put it down the drain without worrying about clogging your plumbing or damaging your septic system.
EcoGel™
EcoGel™ ice packs offer additional leak protection with a highly durable, puncture-resistant exterior surrounding a specialized gel. The gel’s dough-like consistency prevents leaks from punctures, thus enabling tight pack-outs. Like Glacier Foam bricks, EcoGel™ ice packs are an excellent option for maximizing space efficiency in your shipments.
CuraTemp
CuraTemp gel packs feature a self-insulating composition to reduce heat transfer from the environment for precise temperature control. Eutectic points range from minus 10 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit, and the formulation keeps your items frozen during transport. CuraTemp gel packs are the ideal option if you need to ship goods with strict temperature requirements, such as seafood, insulin and vaccines.
Protect Your Cold Chain Shipments With Dependable Gel Ice Pack Solutions
Reliable cold packaging is vital for effective railway cold chain shipping. Pelton Shepherd Industries offers safe, eco-friendly and cost-effective gel packs to ensure temperature consistency throughout railway transport.
Innovative, nontoxic formulas protect goods and improve your company’s environmental impact, enhancing your brand image. Durable external pouch materials also prevent leaks, making it easier to transport moisture-sensitive items. Whether you need to ship perishable food items or pharmaceuticals with strict temperature requirements, Pelton Shepherd Industries can help you choose the perfect gel ice pack solution for every application. Contact us to learn more about how you can augment the railway cold chain shipping process with cutting-edge gel ice packs.
