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Sending food – temperature-controlled transport from fresh produce to canned goods

You send food temperature-controlled and fully documented, because a broken cold chain, a missed slot or mixed loading can make a batch unsellable: the core factor is the closed cold chain from ramp to ramp in line with HACCP.

Pipelayer crawler – food

Food transports forgive no mistakes: a broken cold chain, a missed delivery slot at the retail warehouse or mixed loading with odour-intensive goods can make an entire batch unsellable. Speed Logistics transports food as direct transport with continuously documented temperature control – from fresh produce through dairy products and beverages to canned goods, dry ranges and frozen food.

You state the goods, temperature range, quantity and deadline – we provide the right vehicle from the refrigerated Sprinter to the refrigerated articulated lorry and deliver to the slot at central warehouses, production sites or catering. The fixed-price offer arrives within a few hours.

Temperature ranges and vehicle choice

Depending on the goods, we assign the right temperature class:

  • Frozen (−18 °C and colder): frozen goods in the refrigerated box body with load-space temperature recording
  • Fresh (2–8 °C): dairy products, meat and sausage products, delicatessen, convenience
  • Tempered (approx. 12–18 °C): chocolate, fruit and vegetable varieties, wine, sensitive dry ranges
  • Ambient: canned goods, beverages and robust dry goods in a curtainside or box-body vehicle

The vehicles are food-suitable and cleaned, and the temperature is recorded during the journey – on request you receive the temperature curve as proof with the shipment.

Hygiene and an unbroken cold chain

We work to the HACCP principles of food hygiene: clean, odour-neutral load spaces, no mixed loading with contaminating goods, a closed cold chain from ramp to ramp. For cross-border refrigerated transports we deploy vehicles that meet the requirements of the ATP agreement for perishable foodstuffs. Because your goods travel as direct transport without transhipment, the greatest risk of cold-chain logistics is eliminated: transhipment at the hub.

Slot-precise delivery to retail and production

Central warehouses of the food trade work with tight time windows – anyone who misses the slot is turned away. Our dispatch team books the delivery appointments, plans buffers and notifies the consignee; via GPS tracking you always see where the shipment is. Within Germany, deliveries are usually possible within 24 hours; European direct transports reach most destinations in one to three working days – at night and at the weekend too, when freshness demands it.

Exporting food including customs clearance

For deliveries to non-EU countries – for example Türkiye, North Africa or the Gulf region – Speed Logistics handles the complete customs clearance: export declaration, trade documents and import clearance in the destination country, including the accompanying documents required for food such as certificates of origin and health certificates in coordination with you. Costs depend on temperature class, quantity, lane and deadline – depending on lead time you receive a binding fixed price door to door.

Batches, best-before dates and traceability

Food logistics does not end at the ramp: on delivery, the trade checks remaining best-before shelf life, batch allocation and pallet quality. We therefore agree before the journey what requirements the consignee sets – such as single-variety pallets, batch separation or exchange pallets – and pass the necessary information to the driver. In the event of complaints or recalls, the unbroken documentation supports you: loading time, temperature curve and signed consignment note are traceable per shipment. This means you can prove to your customer at any time that the goods were correctly received, transported and handed over. For regular scheduled runs between production and trade we agree fixed departure days – this makes your fresh-food logistics plannable across the year.

Temperature ranges and product groups
RangeTemperature
Frozen−18 °C and colder
Fresh2–8 °C
Temperedapprox. 12–18 °C
Ambientunchilled (canned goods, beverages)

Frequently asked questions: Food

Which temperature ranges does Speed Logistics cover for food transport?

We move frozen goods at −18 °C and colder, fresh products at 2–8 °C, tempered goods such as chocolate or wine at around 12–18 °C, and robust dry ranges ambient. The load-space temperature is recorded and can be supplied as proof with the shipment. Multi-compartment vehicles for mixed temperature zones are also possible on request.

How is the cold chain documented during transport?

The temperature in the load space is recorded throughout the journey; on request you receive the temperature curve as a log with the shipment. As food travels with us as direct transport without transhipment, the cold chain stays closed from ramp to ramp. On handover, the temperature is checked together with the consignee on request.

What does ATP mean in cross-border food transport?

The ATP agreement governs the international transport of perishable foodstuffs and the requirements for insulated and refrigerated vehicles. For cross-border refrigerated transports, Speed Logistics deploys vehicles that meet these requirements. This concerns, for example, frozen food, dairy products, meat and other refrigeration-dependent goods on international lanes.

Can food be delivered to retail central warehouses slot-precisely?

Yes. Our dispatch team books the delivery time window at the central warehouse, plans travel time with a buffer and notifies the consignee. Via GPS tracking, arrival is traceable at all times – so rejections at the ramp and demurrage are avoided. If the journey is delayed, the dispatch team proactively informs the consignee and rebooks the slot.

How quickly can perishable food be delivered?

As direct transport, deliveries within Germany are usually possible within 24 hours, and across Europe usually in one to three working days. For very short shelf life we also drive at night or at the weekend – the dispatch team is available around the clock.

Does Speed Logistics handle food export to non-EU countries?

Yes. For destinations such as Türkiye, North Africa or the Gulf region we handle export declaration, import clearance and coordinate the necessary accompanying documents such as certificates of origin or health certificates with you. You commission a door-to-door transport at a fixed price. Temperature-controlled exports are also possible, provided the lane allows a closed cold chain.

Common mistakes when sending food – what should I watch out for?

Critical points are mixed loading with contaminating or odour-intensive goods, a missed delivery time window at the retail warehouse (then rejection looms), and unclarified consignee requirements on remaining best-before life, batch separation or single-variety pallets. Speed Logistics works to HACCP with a clean, odour-neutral load space, books the delivery slots and agrees the consignee requirements before the journey.

Why is unbroken documentation important for food?

Food logistics does not end at the ramp: in the event of complaints or recalls, loading time, temperature curve and signed consignment note are traceable per shipment. This means you can prove to your customer at any time that the goods were correctly received, transported and handed over – proof that only the continuous direct transport with a documented cold chain delivers cleanly.

Request food

Contact our dispatch team – fixed-price quote within hours, available 24/7.