Moving temperature-sensitive cargo — fresh produce, frozen goods, flowers, seafood, pharmaceuticals — means keeping an unbroken cold chain from origin to destination. These FAQs cover how perishable logistics works, what PPECB and the paperwork involve, and how Atrax keeps your cargo at temperature the whole way. Use the jump links below, or get a cold-chain quote.

The cold chain is the unbroken sequence of temperature-controlled storage and transport that keeps perishable cargo at the right temperature from origin all the way to destination. Every link — cold storage, the loading dock, the vehicle or container, and the delivery — has to hold temperature, because a gap at any point can spoil the whole shipment. Managing that continuity end to end is the heart of perishable logistics.

A reefer is a refrigerated shipping container or vehicle with its own powered cooling unit that holds a set temperature throughout the journey. Reefers come in full-container (FCL) and shared (LCL) options for sea freight, and as refrigerated vehicles for road. They’re the workhorses of the cold chain, able to keep cargo chilled or frozen across long international transits.

Perishable cargo is anything that degrades over time or when exposed to the wrong temperature or humidity — fresh produce, frozen goods, dairy, seafood, cut flowers, and many pharmaceuticals. Atrax handles the full range, and each product has its own temperature window and shelf life that the cold chain is built around.

It depends on the product, the distance and the shelf life. Refrigerated air freight is fastest and suits high-value or short-shelf-life goods like seafood and cut flowers; reefer sea freight, in FCL or LCL, is the most economical for larger volumes such as fruit; and temperature-controlled road freight moves cargo domestically and into the SADC region. Often the answer is a combination, with Atrax managing the cold chain across each leg.

Temperature is tracked throughout the journey using the reefer’s own controls and, where needed, data loggers or sensors that record conditions over time. Continuous monitoring means a deviation can be spotted and acted on rather than discovered on arrival, which is what protects the cargo and gives you an auditable record of the cold chain.

A break in the cold chain — a reefer failure, a long wait on a hot apron, a door left open — can shorten shelf life or spoil the cargo outright, and the damage isn’t always visible straight away. That’s why prevention matters more than cure: pre-cooling, continuous monitoring, prompt handling and proper documentation all exist to keep the chain intact from end to end.

On top of the usual export paperwork, regulated perishables typically need PPECB certification and often a phytosanitary certificate confirming the goods are pest- and disease-free, plus a certificate of origin and any destination-specific permits. The exact set depends on the product and the market. You’ll find the customs documents explained on our customs documents and terms page.

Good packing supports the cold chain rather than fighting it: ventilated cartons for produce that needs airflow, insulation and coolants such as gel packs or dry ice for smaller or air-freighted consignments, and packaging robust enough to survive handling. The aim is to help the reefer hold temperature evenly and to protect the goods through every transfer.

Atrax manages the full cold chain from origin to destination — refrigerated air freight, reefer sea containers and temperature-controlled road freight — for fresh produce, frozen goods, flowers and seafood. That means one team coordinating pre-cooling, the right mode and equipment, PPECB and documentation, monitoring in transit, and delivery, so your cargo stays at temperature the whole way.