Shipping perishable goods is far from straightforward. These products are extremely temperature and time-sensitive, so ensuring they are packaged and transported effectively is a must.

Here are ISS’ 4 best practices for shipping perishables and frozen foods.

1. Establish Specific Shipping Rules in Your Business

Creating and enforcing rules surrounding the maximum time in transit, product weight, origin, destination, etc, will help you get your food and beverages to your customers quickly and damage-free.

2. Use Dimensional Packing

Instead of getting shipping rates based on the weight of your packages, use dimensional packing to determine the dimensional weight of them for more accurate rates. Be sure to account for product and material weight for the most accurate dimensional weight measurements.

3. Let Your Customers Choose the Delivery Date and Time

Give customers the choice to select when their package gets delivered, right down to the hour of the day. With this feature, you can automatically account for factors like lead times and cut off dates, showing customers accurate delivery dates to eliminate confusion.

4. Employ Multi-Origin Shipping

If you’ve got inventory in more than one location, it’s vital that you ship from the closest store, warehouse, fulfilment centre, or drop shipper to your customer. Automate the process to ensure that every order comes from the most efficient location possible, even if it requires split shipping.

The process of shipping perishables is complex and requires a well-thought-out shipping strategy. These tips can help prevent product damage and melting, however it is strongly advised that you seek the assistance of a shipping services provider prior to exporting your cargo.

For more information, call ISS today.