Strategically located in the Indian Ocean along some of the world’s busiest shipping routes, Sri Lanka plays a pivotal role in global trade. With its well-connected ports and airports facilitating seamless movement of goods across continents, the country has established itself as a key international logistics hub. This, combined with its expanding pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and seafood export sectors, has fueled a rising internal and external demand for reliable cold chain solutions that meet global standards.
But what does temperature-controlled logistics entail, and why is it a critical, recommended shipping solution for businesses?
What is temperature-controlled logistics?
As the name suggests, temperature-controlled logistics involves managing the storage, transportation, and distribution of goods that require specific temperature conditions. This process ensures that the temperature remains consistently regulated throughout the supply chain, from the initial packaging of the cargo to maintaining the cold chain until it is delivered.
For businesses that deal with temperature-sensitive products, cold chain shipping solutions are vital. In the case of perishables like food and flowers, temperature control is crucial for preserving product quality and preventing bacterial growth to extend the shelf life of goods and boost customer satisfaction.
For pharmaceuticals, even a slight deviation from the required temperature can compromise the efficacy of the drugspotentially leading to serious health risks for consumers. Similarly, biological samples that require temperature control packaging may spoil if not handled properly.Companies may also face compliance risks when shipping to popular export destinations like the USA,1 which mandates in the Code of Federal Regulations that distributors and manufacturers maintain stable conditions for pharmaceuticals2.
Standards and regulations for temperature-controlled courier services
Beyond the requirements of specific export destinations, there are several other local regulations, and general global standards cold chain manufacturers and distributors must comply with to ensure the safe delivery of temperature-controlled goods. Some of these include:
Regulations by Sri Lanka’s National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA): The regulations oversee manufacturing, importation, storage, distribution, transportation, pricing, sale, advertising and disposal of medicines, medical devices, and borderline products imported and domestically produced3.
Good Distribution Practices (GDP): GDP is essential for companies shipping goods to international markets. It establishes the minimum standards wholesale distributors must comply with to maintain the integrity and quality of medicines throughout the supply chain.
Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI): The GFSI offers a framework for manufacturers to benchmark their food safety management systems against internationally recognized standards.
Types of temperature-controlled transportation
Besides understanding the type of regulations applicable to your class of goods, it is equally important to pick the right temperature-controlled logistics solutions for your business. To that end, DHL Express offers various temperature-controlled shipping solutions to cater to the market’s diverse needs.
1. Refrigerated vehicles
Refrigerated vehicles are purpose-built with temperature-controlled cargo compartments to ensure the safe transportation of goods that require specific storage conditions. Typically available as vans or trucks, these vehicles are equipped with refrigeration units powered by the vehicle's engine or an independent power source.
Beyond the refrigeration units, DHL Express also leverages advanced liquid nitrogen technology for items that must be stored at ultra-low temperatures. This ensures that your products are kept fresh throughout the last-mile delivery process and reach your end consumers in optimal condition. For businesses such as pharmaceutical manufacturers, retailers, or supermarkets, these vehicles offer an ideal logistics solution for urban deliveries and domestic shipping of perishable goods like seafood, fruits, and vegetables or temperature-sensitive drugs.
2. Passive shipping container
Passive shipping containers create a temperature-controlled environment within an insulated enclosure using pre-conditioned coolants. While these enclosures are designed to maintain the desired temperature for a short period, they can be used alongside other temperature-controlled logistics solutions, such as refrigerated vehicles, to provide additional protection for sensitive shipments.
With their simpler design and absence of additional equipment, passive containers are lighter, which reduces shipping costs and offers a more cost-effective option ideal for SMEs. Another advantage of passive containers is their ability to maximize cargo space while maintaining reliable insulation. This feature makes them particularly well-suited for transporting smaller shipments of perishables like fresh spices and herbs.
3. Active shipping container
Active shipping containers feature built-in cooling and heating systems powered by external sources such as generators, batteries, or the onboard power supply of ships or planes. Their robust design makes them larger than passive containers and well-suited for air and sea freight involving large-scale shipments. With their ability to maintain precise temperature control throughout transit, DHL Express recommends using these containers for highly temperature-sensitive products, such as vaccines and biologics.
4. Temperature-controlled air freight
Temperature-controlled air freight is one of the most popular logistics solutions for delivering temperature-sensitive products, thanks to its shorter transit times and ability to overcome geographical barriers. This makes it ideal for time-critical exports such as seafood, flowers, and radiopharmaceuticals for medical diagnosis, which have very short shelf lives.
With certified life sciences and healthcare experts across more than 150 global destinations, DHL Express offers customized solutions for transporting temperature-sensitive shipments worldwide. Our services are designed to maintain the integrity of your products, with specialized packaging options available for pharmaceuticals, perishables, and other high-value items, including through our Medical Express (WMX) Service.
DHL Express’s temperature-controlled logistics services in Sri Lanka
With extensive industry experience and a global delivery network, you can also rely on DHL Express Sri Lanka to ship your products to locations worldwide. Meanwhile, our real-time tracking and monitoring system provides complete visibility and control throughout transit, enabling immediate action to be taken if a shipment deviates from its intended route or temperature conditions. This gives you peace of mind knowing your goods are stored in their ideal condition for a seamless international shipping experience.
Beyond our expertise in offering temperature-controlled logistics solutions, we value-add to our partners by providing specialized packaging for pharmaceuticals, perishables and other high-value items. Open a business account today to explore our temperature-controlled international shipping solutions and enjoy competitive, reliable courier services.
