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Delivering Cold-Chain Reliability and 8–12% Below-Market Freight Rates

Reefer Truck

The Challenge

Scaling Cold-Chain Capacity During Peak Season

A large, family-owned frozen fruit harvest and packaging company based in the Pacific Northwest partnered with OpenRoad during one of its most critical production periods. Operating within the food and beverage industry, the company specializes in premium, flash-frozen fruit harvested at peak ripeness and distributed to major retail centers nationwide. Their operation depends on precise coordination across harvesting, freezing, storage, and outbound transportation to keep product moving without disruption.

 

During peak strawberry season, they needed consistent, reliable truckload capacity to support a high-volume, time-sensitive program with strict temperature compliance and tight delivery windows. At the same time, tightening reefer capacity and volatile market conditions created additional pressure. While existing asset partners supported portions of their network, they required flexible supplemental capacity and real-time market expertise to maintain production flow and meet customer commitments.

The Solution

OpenRoad implemented a scalable, execution-focused transportation strategy designed to align with the customer’s production cycles and evolving capacity needs. The approach prioritized reliability, proactive communication, and flexibility to keep freight moving despite market pressures.

 

  • Scalable Daily Capacity Plan: Built a repeatable execution model that supported daily volume fluctuations and allowed shipments to scale from 5 to 10 loads per day as production increased.
  • Consistent Reefer & Dry Van Coverage: Secured dependable temperature-controlled and dry van equipment to support high-volume movements while maintaining production continuity.
  • Market Intelligence & Shipment Visibility: Leveraged DAT insights and hands-on tracking to stay ahead of pricing shifts, equipment shortages, and capacity constraints.
  • Operational Flexibility Strategies: Implemented dry van replenishment solutions when strawberry racks were depleted, ensuring uninterrupted production flow.
  • Proactive Communication Framework: Provided daily updates, rapid issue resolution, and transparent pricing discussions to maintain alignment between all stakeholders.

 

Highlight: Delivering Reliability During Peak Season Cycles

Throughout peak produce season, OpenRoad demonstrated its ability to deliver dependable execution under pressure. The partnership proved especially valuable during sudden volume spikes and tightening market conditions.

 

  • Last-Minute Surge Coverage: Consistently secured capacity during unexpected demand increases, preventing production disruptions.
  • Reliable Capacity in Tight Markets: Maintained steady coverage even as reefer availability tightened across the produce sector.
  • Vetted Carrier Network Advantage: Leveraged an established network of trusted carriers built through long-term relationships and a rigorous vetting process.
  • Real-Time Operational Adaptability: Adjusted equipment strategies and execution plans as conditions changed throughout the season.
  • True Logistics Partnership: Delivered responsive communication and dependable execution that reinforced OpenRoad’s role as a trusted extension of the customer’s team.
Reefer Truck

Key Facts

  • Industry

    Food & Beverage, Grocery

  • Solutions Leveraged

    Reefer and Dry Van Truckload

Results

OpenRoad’s approach delivered measurable operational and financial outcomes for the customer. By combining reliable capacity, proactive execution, and vetted carrier partnerships, the customer was able to maintain production flow, uphold food safety standards, and control costs throughout peak season and beyond. These results reflect the impact of treating freight as a strategic part of the supply chain rather than a transactional service.

  • Zero Major Service Disruptions: Maintained consistent execution and reliable coverage during critical shipping windows.
  • Strict Cold-Chain & Food Safety Compliance: Ensured product integrity through temperature-controlled transportation and careful handling.
  • High-Volume Execution at Scale: Successfully moved hundreds of loads to support daily production and fulfillment needs.
  • 8-12% Below Market Pricing: Offered extremely competitive rates while maintaining uninterrupted service and on-time delivery.

Interested in Logistics That Work as Hard as You Do?

If your business is looking for a logistics partner that blends strategic insight with hands-on execution, OpenRoad Global can help. Whether you’re managing imports, multi-location distribution, or complex inventory moves, we specialize in bringing order to complexity—with results that speak for themselves.

Hear from our Customer

What stood out about OpenRoad wasn’t just their ability to move freight—it was how invested they were in our success. They understood our operation, communicated transparently, and showed up when capacity was tight. Their proactive approach made a real difference in keeping our operation running smoothly. That level of partnership is hard to find.

Operations Lead in the Frozen Fruit Harvest and Packaging Industry

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