4 Important Tips for Shipping Perishable Items in Hot Climates

In our interconnected, fast-paced world, the need for shipping items is higher than ever. However, we still can’t control the weather. Sometimes it is necessary to ship items in tropical climates or during hot months. Though you likely know better than to pay the shipping rates Dominican Republic shippers demand, and though you may resist the urge to send a chocolatey care package to your student abroad, sometimes, shipping perishables in hot weather is unavoidable. Some common heat-sensitive perishable include:

• Chocolate

• Candy

• Wine

• Medicines and vaccines

• Meat and Fish

If you’re a small business or just a regular citizen who can’t avoid shipping sensitive items in a hot environment, follow these three tips to protect your packages:

1. 1. Choose a shipping company that has refrigeration optionsIf you have especially valuable perishable goods, or if you’re shipping very heat-sensitive items, then pay a little more for frozen and refrigerated shipping. Inquire with different shipping companies to ensure that they offer full cold-chain shipping, and check reviews before selecting a door to door delivery service. Make sure that the company won’t leave a cold item on a hot doorstep.
   2. Choose one-day shipping Limiting the amount of time a package is exposed to heat will reduce the likelihood of your items being destroyed by high temperatures. If you’re shipping an item that is only somewhat heat sensitive, such as wine, then rapid shipping (rather than refrigerated shipping) might be a good solution. Freight forwarders BVI (British Virgin Island) residents, Venezuela residents, and other Caribbean dwellers can trust will work hard to ensure timely delivery.
   3. Use ice packs and insulation Research different ways to package items to ensure they stay as cool as possible. A combination of insulated packaging and dry ice will preserve food for about 24 to 48 hours. Be sure to look up forbidden items before sending– for example, despite somewhat high shipping rates Dominican Republic may residents pay, the country still forbids insulating Styrofoam packaging.
   4. Don’t ship before the weekend Finally, don’t ship items right before the end of the workweek. Even selecting one-day shipping may not prevent your packages from sitting in a hot warehouse from Friday until Monday.

By following these four steps, you can keep your coolest goods cool. Delivery services and freight forwarders DVI residents, Dominican Republic residents, and others living in the Caribbean can depend on will make sure your package reaches its tropical destination safely.