If you baked some special treats and want to send them to a friend across the country or need to ship medicine in a hurry, then FedEx’s refrigerated shipping services can come in handy.
FedEx makes sure that your perishable goods arrive in top condition through cold packaging, refrigerated trucks, and overnight shipping. Check out this article if you want to learn how these services work!
FedEx Refrigerated Shipping In [currentyear]
FedEx provides a number of options for refrigerated shipping that keep items between 35°F to 46°F for 48 hours or more in [currentyear]. In addition to special cold packaging, the company also has refrigerated vans, trucks, and tractor-trailers. FedEx recommends using an overnight shipping service like Priority Overnight when shipping refrigerated items.
There’s a lot more to know when it comes to shipping refrigerated items through FedEx, so make sure you keep reading!
Does FedEx Deliver Refrigerated Items?
FedEx has a reliable refrigerated shipping service that can be used when shipping perishables, breast milk, and pharmaceuticals.
Also, such items are kept at a controlled temperature using various tools, including cold packs, chilled boxes, and other specialized containers.
That said, this packaging keeps temperatures stable and helps keep products in top condition. What’s more, it meets cold shipping regulations.
What Temperature Are FedEx’s Refrigerated Items Kept At?
When using FedEx’s refrigerated shipping services, your items are kept between 35° to 46°F (Fahrenheit).
What Types Of Refrigerated Packaging Does FedEx Offer?
FedEx offers a variety of refrigerated packaging options depending on what you’re shipping, which temperature items need to be kept at, and how long your items need to stay cold.
So, let’s take a closer look at the products available:
Cold Shipping Package
This shipping option is individual boxes that keep temperature-sensitive shipments between 35°F and 46°F (2°C and 8°C) for 48 to 96 hours without dry ice or gel packs.
Also, these packages come in small, medium, and large sizes lasting 48 hours or medium and large lasting 96 hours.
Va-Q-Tainer
These freight containers come in multiple sizes and allow customers to send large shipments of clinical and pharmaceutical goods.
Also, they are reusable and can help reduce costs while keeping products in a safe environment.
PharmaTherm By Intelsius
These boxes are developed explicitly for pharmaceutical shipments and can maintain cold temperatures for up to 120 hours.
Softbox
This is a single-pallet passive packaging solution that allows customers to maintain temperature ranges between 35°F to 46°F (2˚C to 8˚C) or 59°F to 77°F (15˚C to 25˚C) for up to 120 hours.
How Should I Pack Refrigerated Items For Shipping With FedEx?
Aside from using FedEx’s specially-designed refrigerated packaging, you can also pack your own containers for refrigerated shipping. That said, here are the steps to follow:
- Use a refrigerant (such as gel packs) to keep products within the temperature range (usually 34ºF to 50ºF).
- Choose an insulated foam container with walls at least 1.5 inches thick. Line the inside of the container with a waterproof plastic liner if your item can melt or thaw.
- Double-bag perishable products that can melt or thaw in watertight plastic bags.
- Place the insulated foam container inside a sturdy outer container, like a corrugated box.
- Attach your shipping label on top of the box to increase the chances of your shipment staying in the preferred orientation.
- Provide the address and a 24-hour phone number on the shipping label for both the shipper and the recipient. Mark your package “perishable.”
Does FedEx Have Refrigerated Trucks?
FedEx has several refrigerated vehicles, including cargo vans, trucks, and tractor-trailers, which can accommodate shipments of all sizes.
Further, these vehicles are used exclusively for refrigerated shipments and are driven by specially-trained agents.
That said, this provides customers with regulatory compliance support for temperature-sensitive shipments.
Also, they operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including nights, weekends, and holidays. In addition, they’re capable of a wide range of temperatures from -4ºF to 70ºF.
Which FedEx Service Should I Use When Shipping Refrigerated Items?
When shipping items that are perishable or that could melt, time is of the essence. Therefore, using FedEx Express’ Overnight shipping services when transporting refrigerated items is best.
Further, FedEx’s overnight services include:
- First Overnight: Delivery by 9:30 AM the next business day to most areas.
- Priority Overnight: Delivery by 10:30 AM the next business day to businesses in the contiguous United States, by noon to residences, and 4:30 PM to some rural areas.
- Standard Overnight: Delivery by 4:30 PM to US businesses and by 8:00 PM to residences.
How Much Does FedEx’s Refrigerated Shipping Cost?
FedEx Overnight shipping times are determined by several factors, including the shipping service selected, the distance to the destination, and the package type/weight.
Let’s take a closer look at the factors that impact the cost of refrigerated shipping.
Shipping Service
There is a big difference in price between FedEx’s overnight shipping services. So, when you choose a service with a delivery time later in the day, the shipping cost is lower.
For example, shipping a five-pound package through FedEx First Overnight will typically cost between $145 and $155.
However, shipping a package of the same weight using FedEx Standard Overnight will typically cost between $85 to $95.
Distance To The Destination
In most cases, the farther a package is shipped, the more shipping will cost. That said, FedEx determines pricing based on zones laid out around the origin address like a bullseye.
Packaging Type And Weight
Usually, the heavier your shipment, the higher the shipping cost. That’s especially true when it comes to refrigerated shipping.
Further, that’s because FedEx’s cold-specific boxes are costly by themselves, but they’re quite heavy, which contributes to the shipping cost.
Let’s look at the pricing of some of FedEx’s cold shipping boxes and how much they weigh.
| Box type | Weight | Price |
| Small 48-hour box | 3.8 pounds | $46 |
| Medium 48-hour box | 7.5 pounds | $94 |
| Large 48-hour box | 12.1 pounds | $133 |
| Medium 96-hour box | 9.4 pounds | $117 |
| Large 96-hour box | 16.8 pounds | $155 |
To know more, you can also read our posts on FedEx shipping restrictions, shipping surfboards FedEx, and does FedEx ship to Puerto Rico.
Conclusion
From special refrigerated packaging to insulated trucks, FedEx has cold shipping down to a science.
So whether you need to send some homemade goodies or some essential medicine, you can feel confident using FedEx’s refrigerated shipping services.
