Cold chain and food transport
Temperature monitoring for refrigerated transport
A refrigerated load fails quietly. The temperature drifts, a door stays open at a delivery point, and nobody knows until the product is rejected. A sensor reporting continuously turns that into an alert while the load is still recoverable, and into a record afterwards when someone asks for proof.
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Who this is for
- Food distributors running chilled or frozen vehicles
- Pharmaceutical and laboratory transport
- Catering and hospitality supply operations
- Anyone who has to evidence temperature to an auditor or a customer
What the sensors report
A BLE sensor sits inside the compartment and reports temperature and humidity to the vehicle tracker, which forwards it to the platform. Wired probes are used where a fixed installation is preferred or where the compartment layout suits it. Door sensors report open and closed state, which is usually where the excursion started.
- Temperature and humidity from BLE sensors inside the compartment
- Wired probes where a fixed installation suits the vehicle
- Door open and closed state
- Light sensing where compartment access needs monitoring
- Multiple sensors per vehicle for multi-compartment loads
Alerts while it still matters
Thresholds are set per sensor. When a reading crosses one, the platform raises an alert. A driver who learns about a rising compartment temperature during a delivery round can act. A report produced the following week can only document the loss.
- Per-sensor high and low thresholds
- Alerts by app notification and email
- Door-open duration alerts at delivery points
- Webhook push into an existing operations system
The records afterwards
Every reading is retained, so the temperature history for a given vehicle, compartment and date range can be exported. Where a HACCP plan requires monitoring records for the transport step, this is the evidence for it. Yipii supplies the data and the export. Deciding what the plan requires, and signing it off, stays with the operator and their food safety adviser.
- Full reading history, retained for the contracted period
- Export by vehicle, compartment and date range
- Readings tied to the trip and the position they were taken at
Fitting a refrigerated vehicle
The vehicle tracker is normally hardwired, because a refrigerated body is a working environment and a plug-in device in the cab is exposed. The hardwired install also gives CAN bus engine data and the option of immobilisation. Sensors are placed after looking at the compartment, since a probe next to the evaporator and a probe by the door tell you different things.
- Hardwired vehicle tracker, fitted by our auto-electricians
- Sensor placement decided per compartment layout
- Battery-powered sensors for trailers and swap bodies with no supply
When Yipii is not the right fit
Cases where you should look at something else, or budget for a second system alongside this one.
- A certified calibration service is expected. Yipii supplies and monitors the sensors. Where a standard requires calibrated instruments with certificates, arrange calibration separately and factor it into the plan.
- The requirement is static cold room monitoring rather than transport. The sensors suit vehicles and mobile assets; a fixed building installation is a different job.
- Yipii is expected to author or certify a HACCP plan. We provide the monitoring data and the records. The plan and its sign-off belong to the operator and their food safety adviser.
Questions
- Can Yipii monitor temperature in a refrigerated vehicle?
- Yes. BLE sensors report temperature and humidity from inside the compartment to the vehicle tracker, and wired probes are available where a fixed installation suits the vehicle. Door sensors report open and closed state. Alerts fire on per-sensor thresholds.
- Can we monitor more than one compartment in the same vehicle?
- Yes. Multiple sensors can report from the same vehicle, which suits multi-compartment bodies carrying chilled and frozen product on the same run. Each sensor carries its own thresholds.
- Can we export temperature records for an audit?
- Yes. Readings are retained for the period set in your contract, typically around five years, and can be exported by vehicle, compartment and date range, with each reading tied to the trip and position it was recorded at.
- Does temperature monitoring work on an unpowered trailer?
- Yes. Battery-powered asset trackers and BLE sensors cover trailers and swap bodies that have no permanent power supply.
Sources
- Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs · EUR-Lex, European Union
- Food Safety Commission, Malta · Government of Malta
Ask about sensor placement
Yipii Ltd has provided vehicle tracking and fleet telematics in Malta since 2010, previously as Dazzle Panel and DP:Tracking. The platform, alerts and tracking run 24/7. Human support is available during business hours.
Written and maintained by the Yipii team, Malta.