Produce, growers and the wholesale market
Field heat, the first hours after harvest and the trip to the wholesale market.
For fruit and vegetables the cold chain starts before any vehicle appears. Produce comes out of the field carrying its own heat, and everything that happens afterwards is either removing that heat or paying for it in shelf life.
The first hours decide the week
A crate loaded warm stays warm: the goods keep respiring, moisture moves, and the losses appear days later at the market or on the shelf. Removing field heat quickly and then holding the result is a cheaper strategy than trying to recover a warm load in transit.
The trip to the market
Journeys to a wholesale market are short but exposed: open loading, waiting in a queue, unloading in daylight. A closed container carries the goods through the wait, and because the vehicle stays standard the grower does not need a refrigerated truck for a seasonal run.
Not every product wants the same cold
Chilling injury is real: some produce is damaged below a certain temperature rather than above it. The plate regime is therefore chosen per crop, and a deep-freeze plate under a load of fresh produce is a mistake, not a safety margin.
Equipment
GEBHARDT Isotec TBX containers with plate regimes selected per crop, pallet-based sizes for bulk movement, EPP thermoboxes for sample and small deliveries, and freezing racks so the plates are ready for the next run. Tell us the crop, the route and the season and we will select the regime with you.
Frequently asked questions
Why does field heat matter so much?
Produce loaded warm keeps respiring and losing moisture, and the loss shows up not on the road but days later at the market or on the shelf. Removing field heat quickly is both cheaper and more effective than trying to recover a warm load in transit.
Do all fruit and vegetables travel at the same temperature?
No. Some produce suffers chilling injury below a certain temperature, so the plate regime is chosen per crop and a deep-freeze plate is never placed under a fresh load. Send us your crop group and we will set the regime with you.
Does investing make sense for a crop with a season of a few weeks?
A refrigerated vehicle books cost for twelve months, while a container produces no cost in the months it is not used and goes onto a rack out of season. For short-season crops the decision turns on that difference - send us your season length and daily volume and we will work the numbers out with you.