5 Mistakes to Avoid in Cold Chain Shipping

An unbroken cold chain is necessary to protect the integrity of temperature-sensitive products, comply with regulations and keep customers satisfied. Even the smallest error, like forgetting to perform a temperature check, can lead to a damaged shipment and significant financial loss.

Still, avoiding mistakes in cold chain logistics can be challenging due to the complexity of shipping perishable goods. Being aware of common cold chain mistakes can be a step toward minimizing losses and improving recovery efforts. Mistakes to avoid include:

1. Inadequate Temperature Monitoring

Continual temperature monitoring is needed to ensure cold chain products, like pharmaceutical and seafood shipments, are held within strict temperature ranges and are suitable for consumption.

For example, fresh seafood should be kept at around 32 F to prevent pathogen growth. Meanwhile, many refrigerated vaccines require storage at 36 to 40 F to remain safe and effective. Some shipments have a very small tolerance. For instance, fresh produce should be stored at 36 to 39 F to prevent deterioration.

Despite the importance of temperature control in cold chain shipping, many businesses rely on outdated tools, like historical data loggers, to discover an excursion — and by then, it’s too late to save a shipment. According to a 2024 publication in the Journal of Packaging Technology and Research, temperature monitoring and data exchange systems have not yet been optimized in food supply chains, leading to misinterpretation of data, disruption and waste.

Although historical data loggers may seem like the most cost-effective solution upfront, they may not be the best choice in the long run. Because historical data loggers don’t capture real-time temperature information, they can’t alert drivers or other stakeholders immediately when an excursion occurs. A temperature deviation can lead to noncompliance penalties or product loss. Real-time monitoring devices help prevent these issues.

2. Poor Packaging

Packaging protects products from ambient temperatures, humidity, light and impact. Proper packaging can also be an energy-efficient way to keep products within their required temperature ranges throughout the cold chain. Depending on a product’s size, shape and temperature requirements, packaging might include an insulating material and a phase change solution, such as shipping gel packs.

It’s essential to choose packaging solutions that are durable and validated for specific temperature ranges. Selecting low-quality options can cause temperature control failures and potentially compromise an entire shipment.

It’s also important to equip employees with clear, detailed guidelines for packing products based on specific temperature requirements. Employees should avoid assuming all products have the same temperature range and treat each shipment as a unique case.

3. Lack of Trained Personnel

Many businesses struggle to attract and retain skilled workers, particularly in the manufacturing and warehousing industries. For example, approximately 20% of manufacturers could not produce at their full capacity due to a lack of labor or skills in 2024. In other words, employees may not have the skills to properly fill their roles in the cold chain.

Untrained personnel in the cold chain can lead to issues like labeling packages incorrectly or not documenting temperature excursions properly. By contrast, well-trained employees are prepared to follow best practices efficiently to ensure compliance while staying on schedule. Overall, it’s generally worth investing in employee training to prevent costly mistakes and keep customers satisfied.

4. Absence of a Contingency Plan

Creating contingency plans can be a time-consuming, complex process. Nevertheless, they help teams quickly respond to issues like equipment failure or traffic delays, so they are critical for mitigating the impact of problems in the cold chain and preserving shipment quality.

Developing contingency plans begins with identifying and assessing risks, including all potential disruptions for specific products, routes and situations. After conducting a risk assessment, determine which risks would have the greatest impact and prioritize developing contingency plans for those.

Each plan should be a simple document describing the actions needed and who’s responsible for taking those actions. You may not need to create a separate contingency plan for each possible event. For instance, if some incidents have a similar outcome or impact, you can combine them in a single plan.

5. Not Considering Sustainable Packaging Solutions

Although the federal government does not mandate sustainable packaging, businesses face increasing pressure to use more eco-friendly solutions. This is partly due to global initiatives and state-level extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws, which aim to reduce packaging waste and promote recyclability. In November 2024, five states had EPR laws, while several others began the process of passing EPR bills.

Another reason why businesses are pressured to embrace sustainability is consumer preferences. According to a 2024 PDI Technologies survey, 80% of consumers say they would pay more for sustainable products.

Low-impact solutions, like recyclable or biodegradable gel packs, can help cold chain shippers comply with EPR laws, build brand reputation and appeal to sustainability-conscious consumers. These solutions give businesses a competitive edge as they decrease their carbon footprint.

Best Practices in Cold Chain Logistics

Many cold chain mistakes are avoidable with proactive strategies. Consider the following best practices to keep your cold chain intact:

1. Monitor Temperature at Every Step

Use real-time temperature monitoring devices to track and log temperatures at every point in the cold chain. Devices like IoT sensors can capture and record temperatures automatically, and then transmit that data to a cloud-based platform to notify relevant stakeholders of an excursion. Stakeholders can then act promptly to correct the cause of a deviation.

2. Plan Backward

Rather than plan logistics based on when you can ship to a receiver, plan the delivery based on when they can receive it. For example, if you plan to ship vaccines to India in October, consider Diwali — a widely celebrated holiday — that could disrupt customs and transportation services.

Starting with the customer’s desired delivery date and planning from there can help ensure timely delivery of temperature-sensitive goods, minimizing the risk of products sitting unrefrigerated for hours or days.

3. Train Staff Annually at a Minimum

Your staff is key to preventing temperature deviations and ensuring compliance with Food and Drug Administration regulations, good distribution practices and other guidelines. Although your training needs are unique to your business, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vaccine and Storage Handling Toolkit recommends training all staff annually as a refresher.

Additionally, it’s best to train employees when there is a regulatory update or change to standard operating procedures (SOPs). Make sure someone is appointed to review and update SOPs regularly and ensure employees receive proper training on those updates.

4. Choose Reliable Partners

With the many challenges cold chain shippers face, including navigating new traceability regulations, reliable partnerships have become essential.

Whether you work with third-party logistics providers, packaging suppliers or others, look for businesses that offer the following:

• Willingness to collaborate and understand your conditions
• Expertise in handling temperature-sensitive products
• Technology and procedures to track and document shipments
• Temperature monitoring capabilities
• Clear communication and transparency

Avoid Potential Cold Chain Mistakes With Pelton Shepherd

Any disruption to the cold chain can set a delivery back, lead to temperature deviations, and cause product damage and loss. The best way to avoid mistakes is to plan for them.

Let us help you prepare for successful temperature control at every point in your cold chain. At Pelton Shepherd, we offer various solutions to help businesses prevent temperature excursions, including cold chain logistics support and custom-sized gel packs.

Whatever your cold chain needs are, we’d love to listen and see what we can do. Let’s start a partnership and overcome your cold chain challenges together. Contact us today to learn more about our solutions and how we can support you!