Summer deliveries are a challenge for Makers, especially wineries who are shipping across the country.
Here’s several options to consider for summer shipments:
- FedEx Cold Chain via LibShip
LibShip is our flat rate shipping program that saves you time and money. FedEx customers can use Cold Chain services. Packages are picked up by FedEx Custom Critical Transportation, arranged by zip code, and placed on custom, temperature-controlled, line haul trucks. Deliveries are made via FedEx Express and typically arrive by 10:30am local time to beat the heat. Keep in mind that this is more expensive than ground service but can be worth the cost to protect your wines.
More information on FedEx Cold Chain shipping can be found here.
- Ice Pack Shippers & Dry Ice
Ice pack shipping is the most common way for wineries to protect a package’s temperature during the delivery process. There are a variety of ice packs to choose from. It really depends on your specific product temperature needs combined with how long/hot the journey is going to be. A bonus is that Ice packs can be placed in packages from any shipping location (i.e. shipping directly from a winery) and they stay with the product up through the last mile. Uline offers a solid selection of ice packs at a reasonable price.
Shop online for ice packs here.
For those who want to use Dry Ice to ship the dry ice the shipment must be prepared by one of your employees that are trained in Dangerous Goods regulations. Find FedEx guidelines for Dry Ice shipments here.
- Warehousing Inventory at Multiple Locations
Another option is using a LibDib partner warehouse to store temperature controlled products in your markets. The upside of this option is that products spend fewer hours in potentially hot trucks, but the downside is warehousing products and sitting inventory. If you’re shipping a significant amount of product to a market like Florida, this might be worth your while.
A list of LibDib’s warehouse partners can be found here.
- FedEx Hold at Location (HAL) Services
The final mile of delivery can present yet another problem for Makers. Adult signature requirements can cause delivery failures at the first, second or third time around. These multiple delivery attempts in a hot truck can be just as damaging to wine as a single shipment across the country.
In some LibDib markets, FedEx offers ‘Hold-at-Location’ (HAL) services. These services allow the buyer to pick up the delivery at a location that works for them (some of these are FedEx offices and some are third-party locations). Your products will sit in an air-conditioned location until the recipient comes to get it and they will hold the packages for up to five days. While this is a great solution for consumer shipments, Makers should evaluate any Trade Buyer’s receiving process before going this route as it may not be the most convenient.