Segregation
Many goods require refrigeration whilst in transit. A truck would usually ship products that all belong to one temperature band. Where this is not possible, the products will need to be segregated into different temperature bands. This is much more common on ships where bulkheads can separate different storage temperatures.
There are two ways of coping with different temperature regimes on one vehicle:
- Bulkhead separation in conjunction with differing temperature output
- Insulation around small groups of products
Sometimes, both methods will be used together.
Grouping by Temperature Bands
When planning vehicle loading, temperature critical products must be grouped by temperature banding. Most vehicle planners will be informed of allowable temperature tolerances for any given product and will need to group products on that basis. In theory there will be no compromise on this principle, especially with regard to sensitive goods such as foods, drugs and blood plasma.
Consideration of Long Journeys
For long distance journeys load planners need to take into account that ambient temperatures in one region, where no refrigeration is required, may differ significantly from ambient temperatures in another region, where temperature control will be necessary.
Return Goods
Loading planners must also consider goods being returned will also need to be stored in their correct temperature regime, and space will need to be made for this, especially on multi-drops.