Moving reefer freight presents the most significant risks to cargo of all forms of trucking. An exception could lead to a considerable loss of temperature-sensitive cargo or a delivery refusal by the receiver. Many things can go wrong with reefer shipping, moving many shippers to use technology to improve efficiencies and prevent financially devastating exceptions.

As the refrigerated market grows tremendously, refrigerated cargo visibility software adoption will keep accelerating. To give you an idea of the market’s growth, Global News Wire has stated,

"Refrigerated Transport Market size is estimated to be valued at $113.4 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $160.7 billion by 2027, recording a CAGR of 7.2% during the forecast period in terms of value.”

Refrigerated transport market growth means shippers are searching for competitive advantages to put themselves ahead of the competition. They now seek to provide stand-out service in an increasingly competitive refrigerated cargo marketplace using reefer visibility software.

The Common Headaches of Reefer Logistics

To best understand how to implement refrigerated cargo visibility, shippers need to understand the common challenges faced by reefer logistics.

Temperature Control

Temperature-sensitive cargo requires highly sophisticated temperature control systems as part of the cold chain infrastructure to ensure shipped goods remain at their optimal temperature. These sophisticated systems add to the overall cost and complexity of the logistics process.

Regulatory Compliance

The shipping of goods that require temperature control commonly means additional regulatory compliance and documentation due to the nature of the goods being shipped. Produce holds the potential for salmonella outbreaks, hazardous materials can be dangerous at higher temperatures, and recent COVID-19 vaccines have necessitated very low shipping temperatures to remain viable.

Compliance adds cost, complexity, and risk to the reefer logistics process.

High-Stakes Exceptions

Often, goods being reefer shipped are highly valued, requiring vigilant monitoring and maintaining of temperature-control systems to ensure the goods are not compromised. This vigilance requires additional security and visibility measures, potentially adding more to the cost and complexity of the shipping process.

How Refrigerated Visibility Software Brings Innovation to Reefer Trucking

Innovation has come to reefer trucking with the advent of refrigerated visibility software. The logistics game is transformed when shippers have real-time access to tracking information, exception notifications, and planning analytics. Visibility enables agile cold storage.

Real-Time Tracking Through Refrigerated Visibility Software

Real-time tracking means continuous access to the location of refrigerated cargo containers across all modes and loads, resulting in new and transformative cost controls. This up-to-the-minute access helps shippers plan and prevent the unexpected, avoiding disruption that compounds on itself and creates longer and longer delays. Customer service is tremendously improved while profitability is improved.

Along with knowing where cargo is, shippers gain the ability to keep tabs on container data. Internet of Things (IoT) technology provides critical alerts on exceptions that could impact the cargo. An immediate warning of a temperature change offers the ability to rectify the problem before it is too late.

With real-time tracking, shippers assume more control over their supply chains instead of being controlled by them.

Refrigerated Visibility Software Uses Actionable Analytics to Optimize Efficiency

A clear idea of what has happened and how the data applies to the organization opens up new supply chain efficiencies and the ability to make predictions. Robust analytics, as part of refrigerated visibility software, evaluates the performance of carrier partners, identifies weaknesses, and positively impacts current shipper actions.

The software builds a carrier scorecard using the key permanence indicators (KPIs) that pertain to the shipper, which serves to better manage and negotiate carrier relationships. Carrier partners are held accountable when shippers have informed KPIs, and the negotiation of better rates is improved.

KPIs inform real-time visibility, alerting shippers to potential exceptions and providing the data needed to mitigate or prevent them. The overall health of a shipper’s supply chain is always available for analysis when required.

Automated Notifications Through Refrigerated Visibility Software Bring Unprecedented Visibility to Shippers

Communications between shippers and their stakeholders improve tremendously from automated push notifications that alert them to critical events and milestones throughout the supply chain. Standardized status reports or communications alerting of potential disruptions and delays sent via automatic push notifications keep all stakeholders in the loop.

Exceptions afflict modern supply chains and become their managers. The identification of anomalies is challenging when attempted manually. An exception alert API notifies shippers when and where exceptions to their refrigerated cargo container happen and their causes and then provides an updated ETA.

This unprecedented level of visibility helps with planning and mitigating exceptions throughout the freight’s journey and helps customers better plan their own actions contingent on the cargo’s reception timeline.

The elimination of surprises due to automated push notifications keeps customers informed and gives shippers the ability to better navigate and control their supply chains.

VIZION API Integrates the Latest In Refrigerated Cargo Visibility Into a Streamlined Visibility Platform

Adopting innovative tech becomes increasingly crucial for shippers with each passing day. In no market is it more beneficial to have an integrated tech stack that brings shippers visibility, automation, and analysis than the refrigerated transport market.

Shippers have entire containers of cargo on the line. When a temperature change or delay has the potential to turn a whole shipment into waste, visibility is an absolute necessity. Shippers informed by real-time visibility and analytics can pivot when circumstances change and analyze past events to inform the present and future, resulting in cost savings and new efficiencies.

Most importantly, the shipper's customers are delighted by more on-time shipments and outstanding communication of freight events and statuses that allow them to react and plan.

VIZION API gives shippers the power of visibility in a streamlined platform that eliminates manual data collection, provides strategic agility, and seamlessly shares data. Customers are informed and updated automatically throughout the process from visibility technology that works globally and is easily integrated into their existing tech stack.

VIZION API users take supply chain control back from exceptions with the ability to easily track their containers' status and location. They save money, improve efficiency, and delight their customers. 

A demo booked with VIZION API today will show you how refrigerated cargo visibility software will transform your supply chains.