As a logistics professional, you’re responsible for managing costs, maximizing efficiency, and ensuring high levels of product integrity. Refrigerated trailers, better known as reefers, come in two varieties to help you reach these goals.
Single-temperature reefers maintain a consistent temperature throughout the entire trailer, while multi-temperature reefers allow you to control the temperature in individual trailer compartments. We’ve evaluated the advantages, disadvantages, and use cases for each one to help you choose the right solution for your business.
What’s the Difference Between Single-Temperature and Multi-Temperature Reefers?
Reefers maintain consistent temperatures, making them critical for transporting perishable goods. As noted above, a single-temperature reefer has the same temperature throughout. Multi-temperature reefers have individual compartments, allowing you to ship goods with varying temperature needs. For example, you can use a multi-temperature reefer to ship chilled goods and frozen goods at the same time.
Due to their advanced capabilities, multi-temperature reefers are more complex than their single-temperature counterparts. A multi-temperature reefer typically has multi-zone systems, insulated partitions, or other features that give you precise control over the temperature of the goods you’re transporting.
Pharmaceutical companies, grocers, chemical manufacturers, and cosmetics companies use reefers to transport goods to wholesalers, retail centers, and end users. Single-temperature reefers are ideal for companies with a single category of products, such as agricultural firms that only ship produce. Multi-temperature reefers are best suited for firms with multiple product lines, such as pharmaceutical companies that produce liquids, capsules, and tablets.
Benefits and Limitations of Single-Temperature Reefers
Single-temperature reefers are used for high-volume shipments of uniform cargo. For example, a dairy farm might use a single-temperature reefer to transport whole and skim milk and cheeses. A primary benefit of single-temperature reefers is their lower upfront cost than multi-temperature units.
Single-temp reefers aren’t as complex as multi-temp reefers, making them easier to maintain. The lack of individual temperature zones reduces the risk of leaks and limits the amount of preventive maintenance required. Due to the lack of complex features, a single-temperature reefer offers better fuel efficiency than a multi-temperature reefer.
Despite these benefits, not every company can use single-temperature reefers effectively. If your business transports various perishable goods, you may need multiple single-temperature reefers, which can increase costs.
Benefits and Limitations of Multi-Temperature Reefers
Multi-temperature reefers can transport multiple perishable goods with varying temperature requirements in a single load, maximizing efficiency. Business benefits include route optimization, reduced operational costs, and improved service quality.
However, they come with some drawbacks. A multi-temp reefer needs a multi-zone system or multiple refrigeration units to meet varying temperature needs. Multi-temperature reefers also have advanced thermostats, evaporators, sensors, and other components to help them maintain the desired temperature in each compartment. These extra components increase the total cost of a multi-temp reefer.
The complexity of multi-temperature reefers also makes maintenance a priority. Sensors, thermostats, and other components can wear out over time, increasing the need for routine maintenance. Additionally, if one of these components breaks, you can experience unexpected downtime.
Finally, multi-temperature reefers tend to use more fuel than single-temperature reefers. Because multi-temp reefers have additional components, they tend to weigh more, making fuel efficiency a consideration. However, the growing demand for mixed-load distribution in the grocery and pharmaceutical industries means that the ability to transport multiple items at varying temperatures may outweigh the drawback of reduced fuel efficiency.
Compliance and Regulatory Considerations
Federal agencies participate in regulating the transportation of perishable goods. They include the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture. Depending on what type of product you transport, you may also have to follow the Food Safety Modernization Act, which regulates the transportation of foods for human consumption.
Using temperature-controlled reefers helps businesses comply with federal requirements, reduce the risk of product spoilage, and maximize consumer safety. Proper temperature control also helps logistics professionals meet diverse product handling requirements under the FMSA guidelines.
Failing to meet federal guidelines may result in fines, product spoilage, and other problems for shippers. For example, a food truck from Knoxville recently failed an inspection, prompting the inspector to throw away spoiled lettuce, tomatoes, and radishes. The inspector noted that the truck’s temperature was off, increasing the risk of foodborne illness.
How Fleet Managers Can Choose the Right Reefer
When choosing a reefer, consider cargo type and budget constraints. If you ship just one product, a single-temperature reefer should work. For companies that ship multiple products with different temperature requirements, a multi-temperature reefer makes more sense.
Single-temperature reefers cost less upfront but remember to factor in potential costs like failed inspections, product spoilage, and inefficient logistics. Investing in a multiple-temperature reefer now may help you save money in the long run. Also, consider how often you need to transport shipments with different temperature needs—if it’s only a few times a year, a single-temperature reefer may be the better choice.
Purchasing isn’t your only option, so don’t discount the idea of leasing a reefer. If you start with a single-temperature reefer and later find that a multi-temperature unit better suits your needs, you can always lease something different once your initial term ends.
Optimizing Cold Chain Logistics with the Right Reefer
Choosing the right refrigerated trailer is essential for maintaining cold chain integrity, optimizing operational costs, and complying with industry standards.
For additional information about choosing or leasing a refrigerated trailer, please see Contract Leasing Corp’s Essential Guide to Refrigerated Trailers: Types and Selection Tips.
Questions about your fleet, reach out to us at 732-463-7066 or email us. We’re here to help!
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