Transporting goods from point A to point B is complicated. From arranging the right form of transport to ensuring all the necessary paperwork is filed, there’s a lot of ground to cover.
Storage is one aspect of logistics that’s more nuanced than many people — both within and outside of the industry — realize. It’s not just throwing the goods in a warehouse until they’re forwarded on. Many items need to be stored in carefully controlled environments to ensure they’re in optimal condition once they reach the buyer.
Temperature is one condition that often needs to be controlled, but knowing the precise storage temperatures for your goods can be more complex than it sounds. Additionally, once you confirm the temperature, you need to determine how exactly you’ll maintain it.
But before anything, you need to decide whether temperature control is necessary. This will dictate whether you need a temperature-controlled warehouse or an ambient warehouse.
This guide will compare temp-controlled and ambient warehouses to help you make the right decision.
What Are Temp-Controlled Warehouses?
Temp-controlled warehouses are storage facilities with carefully regulated temperatures. Sometimes known as cold storage facilities, these warehouses store goods that must consistently be kept in cooler conditions.
Some goods, such as fresh foods, need to be stored at particular temperatures to ensure they’re still of satisfactory quality by the time they reach the consumer. Other goods can present immediate hazards if they’re not stored correctly. For example, certain electronics or batteries can cause fires if they’re stored in warm warehouses.
Temp-controlled warehouses are kept at various temperatures, often ranging from a cool 57 degrees Fahrenheit to a frosty negative 22. Technologies used to keep warehouses at these temperatures include:
- HVAC: For goods stored at cool temperatures, HVAC is often sufficient to reach the desired temperatures.
- Industrial refrigeration system: This complex system uses coolant to absorb heat from the stored products.
- Monitoring alarms: Monitors will track the temperature of your warehouse to ensure it’s kept within the desired range. If the temperatures stray outside of the acceptable range, an alarm will activate so you can quickly take action.
- Data loggers: These tools will periodically record temperatures throughout your warehouse. You can review and prove the temperatures at which the goods were stored.
What Are Ambient Warehouses?
Ambient warehouses have little to no control over temperature. Instead, they store goods that can be safely kept at room temperature, which is typically between 58 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on where the facility is. While ambient warehouses may have HVAC that is commonly found in other buildings, there’s usually no specialized cooling equipment.
They may have some level of temperature monitoring in place, but this isn’t closely inspected often. Instead, logistics companies will rely on the monitors when it seems likely that the temperature could rise too far above what’s usual.
Similarities Between Ambient and Temp-Controlled Warehouses
Ambient and temp-controlled warehouses share several features. The primary one is their purpose, which is to safely store goods as they make their way through the supply chain. They’re also stored in similar types of buildings, which are usually large facilities designed to store a variety of goods.
However, there are more differences than similarities between the two.
Differences Between Ambient and Temp-Controlled Warehouses
Beyond the temperatures of each, temp-controlled warehouses and ambient warehouses differ in several ways, such as:
- Types of goods stored: The nature of the goods will dictate how they need to be stored. Goods commonly stored in ambient warehousing include room-temperature drinks, shelf-stable foods and textiles. On the other hand, temp-controlled warehouses commonly store perishable foods and drinks, pharmaceuticals and chemicals.
- Level of control: Since temp-controlled storage facilities naturally need to dictate temperature, they need far more precise temperature control than ambient warehouses.
- Technology: Temp-controlled facilities unsurprisingly require more advanced temperature-control technology, whereas ambient facilities need little to no technology.
- Amount of oversight: While ambient facilities can be a bit more lenient with storage temperatures, temp-controlled facilities should be monitored much more diligently. This requires a higher level of oversight from both the monitoring equipment and staff.
- Maintenance costs: Due to the additional staffing levels required, necessary technology and increased energy consumption, temp-controlled warehouses are more expensive to run.
What’s the Difference Between Temp-Controlled and Climate-Controlled?
While the terms “climate-controlled” and “temp-controlled” are often used synonymously, they’re actually slightly different. Temp-controlled warehouses only manage temperatures, while climate-controlled facilities also control humidity and light levels.
For many goods, it’s only necessary to store them at a certain temperature. However, goods that are liable to damage from moisture or light exposure, such as artwork, antiques and musical instruments, should be stored in climate-controlled facilities. Otherwise, they could suffer from mildew, sun exposure and other types of damage.
Which Warehouse Is Right for You?
Whether you need a temp-controlled warehouse or an ambient warehouse will depend on the goods you’re storing, your warehouse’s location and what regulations apply. Different governing bodies often have varying definitions on what freezer, refrigerator, cold and cool temperatures are. This affects how particular products need to be stored, depending on where they’re kept and their final destination.
Goods that aren’t sensitive to heat are typically stored in ambient warehouses. If you’re storing items such as machinery parts, board games and clothes, an ambient warehouse will be sufficient. However, if you store goods such as perishable foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics that must be kept at colder temperatures, you’ll need a temp-controlled warehouse.
Whether you’ll need to control the humidity or light exposure of your facility is another question. Even if certain goods don’t require temp-controlled storage, they may still be at risk of moisture or sun damage. Conversely, some items that do require temp-controlled storage facilities may be acceptable to store in more humid or sunlit locations.
Contact EMO Trans for Seamless Warehouse Services
Knowing whether you need temp-controlled storage for your goods can be complex. With different governing bodies setting their own standards, it’s important to know which regulations your items must meet before creating a storage solution. Once you’ve created your solution, you then need to successfully implement it.
With six decades of experience, EMO Trans is perfectly equipped to assist you with every aspect of your warehouse operations. From identifying the various regulations that affect your goods to finding the most efficient way to store them, we can help ensure your items reach their final destination on time and in great condition.
If you need expert support in managing your warehouse, find out about our warehouse services today. You can then request a customized quote based on your unique storage needs.