Temperature Protection / Protect from Freeze

Temperature protection – often listed as "protect from freeze" on carrier tariffs – is an accessorial service for shipments that must not be exposed to freezing temperatures during transit. Unlike full refrigerated (reefer) service, which actively maintains a set temperature range, protect-from-freeze is typically a defensive measure: the carrier uses heated trailers, thermal blankets, heated warehouse storage, or simply avoids leaving the freight on an unheated dock or trailer overnight during cold months. The charge varies by carrier and method, ranging from $50 to $300 per shipment.

This accessorial is seasonal and geography-dependent, most commonly applied from October through April in northern and central U.S. lanes. Products vulnerable to freeze damage include beverages, liquid foods, sauces, dairy, produce, pharmaceuticals, paints, adhesives, and cleaning chemicals. The damage from a single freeze event can be total – a pallet of frozen beverages that expands and ruptures is a complete loss, not a partial claim. For this reason, shippers of freeze-sensitive products treat temperature protection as non-negotiable during cold months, not optional.

The challenge for shippers is ensuring that protect-from-freeze requirements are communicated consistently to every carrier on every applicable shipment. When the requirement is missed – because it wasn't flagged on the BOL, wasn't included in the tender, or wasn't part of the carrier's service agreement – and the product freezes in transit, the resulting claim dispute can be contentious. Carriers may argue the service wasn't requested; shippers may argue the carrier should have known. Clear documentation at the point of tendering eliminates this ambiguity.

Best practice is to flag freeze-sensitive SKUs in the product master, automatically apply protect-from-freeze service requirements during cold-weather months based on origin and destination geography, and verify that carriers confirm the service before pickup. This turns a seasonal risk into a systematic process rather than relying on individual planners to remember which products need protection.