Best-in-class cold chains look ordinary from the outside: no drama, few surprises, predictable dwell times. Inside, they are highly instrumented systems where training, packaging, and telemetry decisions show up in stability and OTIF.
The reliability stack
- Right-size packaging for dwell and route
- Handler training beats gadget accumulation
- Telemetry mapped to a resolution playbook
- Short dwell buys stability
| KPI | Top quartile | Median | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stability (temp in range) | 99.8% | 99.5% | Packaging + training |
| Dwell time at borders | <24h | 24–48h | Pre-clear + paid slots |
| Exception closure time | <12h | 24–36h | Escalation paths |
| OTIF | 95–97% | 92–94% | Predictability over speed |
Plan by lane character
Export Performance by Region
1United States
$8.2B25% tariffHigh
2European Union
$6.8B0% tariffMedium
3Asia-Pacific
$4.5B5% tariffLow
4Middle East
$2.1B0% tariffMedium
5Africa
$1.8B0% tariffLow
EU lanes reward paperwork discipline. US lanes reward meticulous compliance. APAC and Middle East need thoughtful buffers and active monitoring.
Exception playbook (keep it simple)
- Temp alert → isolate, validate, document; ship buffer if needed
- Border hold → escalate, provide pre-clear docs; move to paid slot
- Carrier fail → switch to pre-approved alternate; EDI verified
Teams that drill their playbooks solve issues faster and keep programs on time.