With summer road temperatures above 50°C, refrigerated FTL is essential for food, pharma and cosmetics moving across the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia's climate makes temperature-controlled transport a necessity rather than a luxury. Road surface temperatures regularly exceed 50°C in summer, and a standard dry trailer can turn into an oven within minutes. Refrigerated full truck load (reefer FTL) transport keeps perishable and sensitive cargo within its required range from loading dock to delivery.
Temperature ranges
Reefer trailers in the Kingdom typically operate in three bands: frozen (-18°C to -25°C) for meat, seafood and ice cream; chilled (0°C to +8°C) for dairy, fresh produce and many vaccines; and ambient-controlled (+15°C to +25°C) for chocolate, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals that must not overheat. Dual-chamber trailers can carry two bands in one trip.
Best practice for a reefer FTL
- Pre-cool the trailer for at least 30 to 60 minutes before loading.
- Load only pre-chilled product — a reefer maintains temperature; it is not designed to cool warm cargo.
- Leave airflow gaps around and above pallets so cold air circulates.
- Keep door openings short and use strip curtains at the dock.
Monitoring and compliance
Modern reefers carry data loggers and telematics that record temperature every few minutes and alert the operations team if the set point drifts. This log is provided with the proof of delivery and supports SFDA and customer audit requirements for food and pharmaceutical shipments.
Choosing the right vehicle
Match the trailer size to the load: 3-tonne Dyna reefers suit city distribution, while 40-ft reefer trailers handle inter-city FTL. For mixed loads, ask for a dual-chamber unit rather than compromising on one temperature.
TQM International's cold chain fleet covers Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and cross-border GCC lanes with continuous temperature logging on every trip.
