The Guide to Shipping Frozen or Refrigerated Products
Shipping frozen or refrigerated products is one of the most challenging (and expensive) corners of direct-to-consumer logistics. Having run supply chain at Weee!, an $800M ARR online grocery company, I oversaw 5,000+ frozen parcels shipped daily via UPS/FedEx and another 30,000 daily orders with refrigerated and frozen foods through our own delivery network. That experience taught me just how unforgiving the cold chain can be — but also how achievable it is with the right strategies.
At Operating Crew, we help brands with frozen or refrigerated products solve these same challenges — from sourcing the right insulation and cold media to negotiating parcel shipping rates that make cold-chain fulfillment sustainable and profitable.
1. Why Shipping Frozen or Refrigerated Products is Unique
Cold-chain logistics differ from standard DTC shipping because products must remain within a strict temperature range at every step.
Key challenges include:
Packaging Costs: Insulated liners, gel packs, and dry ice drive up costs.
Shipping Constraints: Limited carrier options for frozen goods, dry ice hazmat restrictions.
Delivery Speed: 1–2 day transit is often non-negotiable to preserve product integrity.
2. Packaging Essentials: Insulation & Cold Media
The packaging you choose is the only barrier to the heat outside. To keep your products safe, you must select both the right insulation (passive barrier) and the right cold media (cooling “battery”).
Insulation: The Passive Barrier
The thicker and better the insulation (measured by R-value), the slower heat penetrates the box. For DTC cold-chain shipping, the most practical insulation types are:
💡 Understanding R-Value in Plain English
R-value = insulation strength. Higher number = better at resisting heat.
Think of it like a blanket rating: R-10 keeps heat out better than R-5 at the same thickness.
Example: A 2-inch EPS wall (~R-4 per inch) = R-8. A 2-inch XPS wall (~R-5 per inch) = R-10 → about 25% better insulation, meaning you’ll need less ice.
For cold shipping, higher R-value can extend shipping range (more days in transit) or reduce cooling media required.
Cooling Media: The Cold Battery
Once you’ve insulated the box, you need a cooling source to hold product temperature.
Important Note: Certain fresh or delicate foods (like berries, leafy greens, or prepared meals) can be damaged by direct contact with dry ice. Use barriers (cardboard dividers, sleeves) or combine dry ice + gel packs for safer hybrid packouts.
Testing & Validation
No two products or seasons behave the same. The only way to know your packaging works is real-world thermal testing:
Use temperature loggers ($8–10 each on Amazon).
Tape the logger to the product (not the gel pack or box corner).
Test across different days, transit times, and climates.
Retest monthly as seasons shift — your packaging requirements change from December to July.
👉 Objective of testing: It’s not just to see if the product “feels cold” on arrival. The first priority is safety — ensuring the product has stayed outside of the “danger zone” (40 °F / 4.4 °C to 140 °F / 60 °C), where bacteria can multiply rapidly. Once you’ve confirmed the product remains safe, the second layer is quality — did it arrive in good enough condition that customers are happy (e.g. not overly thawed, stuck together, or freezer-burned)?
Pro Tip: As it gets colder, downgrade your packaging to save money. The smartest brands constantly adapt their cold chain by season and region.
3. Choosing the Right Shipping Partners
Major carriers (UPS/FedEx): Both handle cold shipments but restrict dry ice (≤5.5 lbs per package)
Regional carriers: Lower costs for local reach
3PLs with cold storage: Essential to scale nationwide. Multiple facilities let you cover 80–90% of U.S. customers with 1–2 day ground shipping instead of air
Pro tip: Platforms like Weee! or distributors like Pod Foods can plug you into existing frozen and refrigerated supply chains.
4. Balancing Costs and Customer Expectations
Margins are tight in cold-chain DTC. Tactics to manage them include:
Increase AOV: Bundles, “Buy More Save More” offers
Charge smart shipping fees: For example, free shipping $70+ but add a $9 flat fee
Negotiate inputs: Dry ice, gel packs, liners get cheaper with volume or regional sourcing
5. Expanding with Warehouses and 3PLs
If you are just starting out, the simplest approach is to ship from one location and restrict service to customers who are within one day of ground transit. This allows you to use affordable UPS Ground or USPS Ground Advantage labels and still deliver overnight. It’s the most economical way to launch without over-engineering your packaging.
As you grow, you’ll eventually hit limits with one warehouse. Shipping across the country means higher packaging costs, more dry ice, and expensive 2-day air services. This is where regional fulfillment comes in.
Regional warehouses: Placing inventory in multiple cold-chain 3PLs across the U.S. lets you cover 80–90% of customers within 1–2 day ground shipping.
Market testing: Before committing to new facilities, run small-scale test shipments into a new region to gauge demand and validate packouts.
Seasonal shifts: Certain regions (like Phoenix in summer) may be impossible to serve profitably year-round. Adjust shipping zones or insulate more heavily during extreme months.
Pro tip: Always adapt your warehouse strategy as your customer base grows. The brands that scale profitably are the ones that move from one-location fulfillment to multi-node networks at the right time.
6. Regulatory Compliance
Shipping frozen or refrigerated food means following FDA/USDA rules:
Labeling: “Keep Frozen” or “Keep Refrigerated” + dry ice hazard notices
Hazmat protocols: Dry ice requires vented packaging and proper labeling
Monitoring: Use temp loggers for traceability
7. Marketing Cold-Chain Products Effectively
Sampling: Retail tastings, trade shows
Transparent pricing: Explain shipping costs as “part of preserving quality”
Customer feedback: Early adopters help refine packaging and product
8. Retail & Wholesale as a Complement
Most cold-chain brands diversify into wholesale. Benefits:
Simpler packaging (bulk cold storage)
Higher volume sales
Brand visibility → drives DTC traffic
Pro tip: Platforms like Pod Foods connect emerging cold brands with grocers.
9. Case Studies: Lessons from Scaled Brands
Weee!: Optimized by restricting zip codes to 1–2 day ground delivery, reducing cost while increasing AOV with 2,000+ SKUs
Mila: Uses affordable pricing + flat shipping fees
Sobo Foods: Avoided DTC entirely, focusing on retail/wholesale
Conclusion
Shipping frozen or refrigerated products DTC is demanding but absolutely achievable. From insulation and cold media selection to 3PL partners and retail diversification, every decision impacts both customer satisfaction and profitability.
At Operating Crew, we help brands cut through these challenges by securing lower parcel shipping rates, sourcing insulated packaging and cold media at scale, and designing packouts that balance cost and safety. With the right strategy, you can deliver cold-chain products nationwide without burning through your margins.
Here are some examples of the coldchain packaging we’ve helped design and source:
