Problems such as frozen freight being thawed or chilled cargo that had become frozen in transit.  Sometimes temperature abuse is more imagined than real when consignees use infrared temperature guns that display the higher temperatures of the packaging instead of probing the products to determine the actual temperature of the products.  Refusal of shipments because of real or imagined out-of-range temperatures present special problems for carriers in storing the cargo and determining if the cargo is actually damaged.

RSG will determine whether the temperature-controlled cargo has been damaged and, if so, why it was damaged. 

At your request RSG will immediately dispatch a qualified and experienced inspector to the location of the cargo anywhere in North America who will meet with your driver or the consignee in two hours or less.  We will interview the driver, arrange to dispatch a refrigeration technician (or review the technician’s findings if he is already on site), examine the settings of the refrigeration unit and make certain that it is operating properly.

We will then inspect the cargo and take random temperatures throughout the load using a calibrated digital temperature probe that will be inserted directly into the product for not less than five minutes.  We will also determine if the air chute in the vehicle has been positioned corrected and is not impeded, that the cargo has been elevated on skids or pallets, and is not stacked above the “red line” so that the chilled or warmed air can freely circulate throughout the entire semi-trailer or ocean container. 

If we confirm that the temperatures of the cargo are within range as stipulated on the Bill of Lading we will attempt to persuade the consignee to accept delivery of the shipment.  Failing that, we can assist you in finding a location where the vehicle can be safely parked and monitored, or arrange for the cargo to be offloaded into a nearby cold storage warehouse.

If you wish we can also procure random samples of the product and send them by overnight courier in a Cryopack to one of the independent food testing laboratories that we use to determine if temperature-sensitive products have become damaged. 

If you are faced with a problem involving temperature-sensitive cargo we encourage you to call RSG at 702.400.3196 any time of day or night so that we can assist you in successfully resolving the matter.

© 2014 RSG-ISoA, Inc. - last modified: November 21, 2009