Pharmaceutical and medical device shipments look like ordinary containers from the outside. Operationally they are not, because the consequences of getting the drayage leg wrong are different in kind: a temperature excursion or a broken chain of custody can render a shipment unusable regardless of whether the box arrived on time and undamaged.
South Florida moves substantial volumes of healthcare product, both for domestic distribution and onward to Latin America and the Caribbean. Here is what makes the trucking leg different.
Temperature is a chain, and the drayage leg is a link
Many pharmaceutical products have defined storage ranges — controlled room temperature, refrigerated, or frozen — and those ranges apply continuously, not on average. A refrigerated container that loses power in a yard for six hours has not been “mostly compliant.”
What that means practically for drayage:
- Genset continuity. A reefer on the road needs a powered genset, and the handoffs — terminal plug to genset to yard plug — are where gaps occur.
- Yard power. If a container is staged, it needs a working reefer plug, not a parking space.
- Set point verification. Confirmed in writing at pickup, not assumed from the booking.
- Speed. Every hour reduces exposure. The fastest compliant route is the safest one.
Our post on reefer container drayage in Miami covers the cold chain mechanics in more depth.
Not all healthcare freight is refrigerated
A significant share of medical device and pharmaceutical freight ships at controlled room temperature, which people mistake for “no requirement.” It is still a requirement — and in South Florida, a dry container sitting in a yard in August is not at controlled room temperature. If your product has an upper limit, ambient exposure matters and staging decisions should reflect it.
Documentation and chain of custody
Healthcare supply chains are audited. That means the drayage leg needs to produce records, not just outcomes:
- Who had custody, when, and for how long
- Gate in and gate out timestamps
- Seal numbers, verified at each transfer and recorded
- Temperature data, where monitoring is in place
- Any deviation, reported promptly rather than discovered at audit
A carrier whose record-keeping is a driver’s memory is a carrier that will fail an audit. Systematic capture of interchange documents matters here for reasons well beyond damage claims — see our post on interchange receipts.
Security
Pharmaceutical freight carries theft risk disproportionate to its volume, because value density is extremely high. Reasonable expectations of a carrier handling it:
- Secured, fenced, lit, and monitored yard rather than street parking
- Seal verification and documentation at every custody transfer
- Minimal dwell — product sitting still is product at risk
- Vetted drivers
- Discretion about what is being moved and when
Go Drayage’s five-acre Miami yard is a secured 24/7 site with capacity for roughly 450 containers and trailers, which is a materially different proposition from a container left at an unattended lot overnight.
Regulatory holds are common
Healthcare imports draw regulatory attention. FDA-regulated products may be held for review, and a container can be customs-released while still under an agency hold. That distinction catches importers out regularly.
The drayage consequence is that timelines are less predictable, and demurrage exposure is higher than for ordinary freight. Plan buffer, and know your options for stopping the clock — our posts on customs exams and disputing demurrage charges are both relevant. Regulatory requirements change, so work with a licensed customs broker on entry strategy rather than general guidance.
Transloading: useful, but with conditions
Transloading works for healthcare freight and often makes sense — particularly for splitting a container between domestic distribution and onward export. But it adds a handling event, and handling events are where cold chain and chain of custody break.
If you transload temperature-sensitive product, the facility needs to be able to do it without extended ambient exposure, and the documentation has to capture the transfer. That is a capability question worth asking about specifically rather than assuming. Details of our facility are on the container freight station page.
What to ask a carrier
- Do you have powered reefer positions on your yard, and how many?
- How is genset continuity maintained between terminal, road, and yard?
- What temperature documentation do you provide?
- How are seals verified and recorded?
- What is your yard security, and is it staffed?
- What is your escalation process if a deviation occurs in transit?
Ask before the first shipment. A carrier who has handled pharmaceutical freight will have specific answers; one who has not will have general ones. If you are moving healthcare product through South Florida, get in touch and we can walk through the specifics.
Frequently asked questions
Do pharmaceutical containers need refrigerated drayage?
Only if the product requires refrigeration — but many products that ship in dry containers still have controlled room temperature limits, which matters in a South Florida summer. Confirm the storage range for each shipment rather than assuming dry means unrestricted.
What happens if a reefer loses power in transit?
It is a temperature excursion and must be documented and reported immediately, because the consignee and the product owner have to assess whether the goods remain usable. Do not wait to see whether the reading recovers — the record of the gap is what matters at audit.
Can a container be under a regulatory hold after customs release?
Yes. Customs release and other agency releases are separate. A container can clear CBP and remain held pending another agency’s review, and free time generally continues to run in the meantime.