[Question] Anyone else trying to import chilled or frozen goods in a part load container?

[dasher]

Hi All

I've recently started up an import company focused on shipping ambient, chilled and frozen food products from the UK (NOT CHINA!) to Cape Town. The shipping of ambient products LCL (part load) is easy enough to do but when it comes to trying to combine a shipment of chilled (o-8 degrees) or frozen (-18 degrees) no one is able to offer this service. Every shipping company I have spoken to (over 25) all claim that it's not done because of the risk of temperature fluctuations when loading and unloading the goods.

I'm posting this question here (and will do so on other forums I can find as well) in the hope that there are other businesses out there in the same position as us and are willing to share a container in order to bring the overall shipping cost per item down to a realistic level. Airfreight is just too expensive!

If this issue resonates with you PM me and we can discuss further.

Alternatively if there are any shipping companies out there who are looking for a point of differentiation over their competitors this is something you need to be thinking about!

Thanks
Dave

[Dave A]

Maybe try companies that provide cold room and freezer warehousing? Perhaps one of them might be interested in going into the cold / frozen goods breakbulk business.

Or you could use their facilities to turn the remaining challenge into a classic shipping one.

Obviously you'd need suitable facilities at both ends of the trip.