Portugal: Thermal Liner solution as an option to reefer
Thermal blankets protect against extreme temperature variations inside container.
With the new own Thermal Liner Service provided by a. hartrodt Portugal, customers can save 38 percent compared to other local suppliers. This service is tailored to sensitive goods that cannot be exposed to extreme temperature variations in sea or air freight transports. "This is mandatory for most food and beverages," says Carlos Ferreira, Managing Director at a. hartrodt Portugal in Maia near Porto. For the Thermal Liner Service, a. hartrodt insulates conventional containers inside with a thermal blanket. "In this way, we ensure an average temperature of between 15 and 27 degrees Celsius," explains Carlos Ferreira. In terms of short or long transit time, “there are no limitations in the use of this solution", according to him.
More environmentally friendly than reefer containers
Also in Portugal, more and more customers appreciate environmentally friendly products – this is where the Thermal Liner can do better than reefer containers. According to Ferreira, the thermal blanket can be "reused multiple times". Conventional containers lined with it consume no energy during transport compared to the reefer product. "This way we save energy for a more sustainable, healthy environment," summarizes the manager.
Warehouses offer in Lisbon and Porto
The Thermal Liner Service does not only offer multiple cost and environmental advantages, but also easier handling: One person can fit and remove the thermal blanket in a 20- or 40-foot container in less than 20 minutes. Ferreira points out other benefits: "The container remains clean, we prevent dirt and eventual odors from entering or leaving the cargo. The thermal blankets are provided by a. hartrodt in its two bonded warehouses, close to the main ports and airports of Lisbon and Porto.
Previously, a. hartrodt had to rely in Portugal on high-priced service providers for thermal blankets. Now, with its own service, the freight forwarder has created a new opportunity to promote the product in its network of wine, distilled drinks, fruit juices as well as chemicals or cosmetics producers.