Third-party logistics (3PL) companies provide on-site and off-site cold storage solutions to business that require refrigeration facilities in their supply chain. Read the extract below to learn the various considerations to make when choosing a 3PL cold storage facility. 

Company

Choose a company interested in creating long-term relationships with its customers. Preferably, the 3PL should have sufficient experience in handling similar products. For example, if you would want cold storage for fish, work with a company that handles sea products. The firm must be financially stable. 

Customisation

Can the 3PL customise the cold storage facility to suit your needs? There are strict cold storage regulations that make it impossible to put different products in the same storage.  In some cases, similar products have different temperature ranges. For example, meat requires lower temperatures than farm produce. For instance, fish should be stored at -18℃, at least. Therefore, the company should provide you with a dedicated cold storage facility that will fit the requirements of your product. 

Cold Storage Considerations

Some considerations for your cold storage options include the following: 

Mobile refrigerated containers range from small refrigerators to reefers. They are suitable for businesses with small to moderate volume of products.

Blast freezers are freezers that quickly cool products (mainly foods) before they arrive at their destination. Blast freezing prevents foods from losing flavour, colour and nutrients.

A cold room is a refrigeration facility designed to store a large number of products. It comes with shelves and cabinets to store your items.

Businesses in the pharmaceutical industry require pharma-grade cold storage facilities that are equipped with sophisticated systems to prevent drugs, vaccines and blood samples from going bad.

Range of Services

The 3PL should add value to your supply chain. Other than cold storage facilities, you need a company that provides refrigerated transport to your various customers. Therefore, you may be interested in the company's technological, human and transportation resources. For example, the company should have a 24-hour customer support system to ensure that you can track your products at any time. Besides, the 3PL should use logistics technology such as transport and freight management systems. Inspect the company's trucks to ascertain that they can transport your products. 

3PL cold storage smoothens your business operations since you no longer have to worry about product spoilage. Work with a reputable company that provides customised cold storage solutions and various logistics services to streamline your business operations.