Marketing terminology emphasizing complete temperature control from origin facility through final customer handoff, distinguishing professional cold chain logistics from operators using passive cooling or ambient delivery with ice packs. True door-to-door cold chain means mechanical refrigeration maintains target temperatures throughout the entire journey—not just during the “easy” segments.
What Door-to-Door Actually Means
Genuine cold chain door-to-door service provides:
- Temperature-controlled pickup: Product transfers directly from supplier’s cold storage into refrigerated vehicle
- Active refrigeration throughout transit: Transport refrigeration unit maintains -18°C to -20°C regardless of ambient conditions
- Multi-stop capability: Temperature maintained through 15-40 door openings per route
- Documented chain of custody: Temperature records proving continuous compliance
- Controlled handoff: Product delivered to customer’s freezer, not abandoned at doorstep
The Marketing vs Reality Gap
Many operators claim “door-to-door cold chain” while actually providing:
- Ice pack cooling that depletes within hours
- Ambient vehicles with insulated boxes
- No temperature monitoring or documentation
- Doorstep abandonment hoping customer retrieves quickly
The term has been diluted by operators exploiting customer assumptions. When a service advertises “cold chain delivery,” customers assume continuous refrigeration—but the industry lacks standardized definitions enforcing this expectation.
South African Context
At R75-120 per delivery, ice pack services cannot afford the equipment, fuel, and operational discipline that genuine cold chain requires. Our rate schedules at R216-450 reflect actual cold chain economics: mechanical refrigeration, R638 compliance, temperature monitoring, and professional handling throughout—not marketing terminology masking marginal practices.
Related Terms: Last-Mile Cold Chain Delivery, Cold Chain Integrity, Temperature-Controlled Transport