Fresh food, meal kits, and last-mile delivery
Select between gel packs, insulated bags, box liners, and carton-based cold media systems for fresh distribution and grocery delivery programs.
Packaging Route Finder
Packaging Selector for Cold Chain Shipping
Not sure whether your shipment should start with an insulated bag, box liner, EPP cooler box, VIP medical cool box, pallet cover, gel ice pack, ice brick, PCM pack, or dry-ice-style packout? Use this selector to match cargo type, temperature range, transit time, shipment format, and route risk with a practical packaging path.
Cold chain packaging is not one-size-fits-all. Fresh food, seafood, frozen meals, vaccines, medicines, lab samples, and palletized freight all require different combinations of insulation, cooling media, packaging structure, and handling control. This selector helps you narrow the options before requesting samples, custom sizes, OEM support, or a bulk quotation.
What this selector recommends
A product-family starting point based on your shipment profile, not a final validated packout. The result may point you toward gel ice packs with liners, insulated delivery bags, EPP or VIP boxes, dry ice packouts, pallet covers, or a custom review path.
Food, seafood & grocery deliveryPharma, vaccines & lab samples0°C to 10°C, 2°C to 8°C, CRT & frozen lanesParcel, cooler box & pallet freightBulk, OEM & custom-size support
Best use cases
Use this selector when the packaging family is still unclear
Many buyers know the cargo, temperature band, and route pressure before they know the packaging type. This page turns that shipment profile into a practical packaging direction.
2°C to 8°C, medical, vaccine, and lab-sample lanes
Identify whether the lane should move toward EPP boxes, VIP systems, logger-aware packaging, or a validation and compliance review path.
Seafood, frozen food, air freight, and customs dwell
Check whether standard cold media is enough or whether dry ice, EPP, VIP, or route-risk review should come before quotation.
Selector
Enter your shipment profile
Use the fields below to describe the shipment. The selector gives a packaging-family recommendation so you can prepare for a quote, sample request, or packaging discussion. Final packaging should still be confirmed with real payloads, route conditions, and any validation requirements.
Planning note: This selector gives a product-family recommendation. For final packaging approval, confirm payload sensitivity, route time, cold-source mass, liner or box size, logger placement, carrier requirements, and validation needs where applicable.
Enter the shipment context below. The selector returns a product-family recommendation and a quote-ready summary, not a validated thermal design.
Selector input
Build a packaging shortlist
Custom packaging support
Need this recommended path adapted to your shipment?
Share the selector result, cargo type, target temperature, transit time, package dimensions, route risk, and expected volume. Tempk can turn the starting direction into a sample and testing plan.
How to use it
Use the result to choose the next step
Use these steps when filling in the selector. The more accurately the inputs reflect the cargo, route, payload, and temperature target, the more useful the recommendation will be for the next tool or product path.
| Step | What to enter | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Define the shipment profile | Use case, target temperature band, transit time, route complexity, and package level. | These inputs separate last-mile delivery, parcel cartons, medical coolers, pallet freight, frozen export, and regulated lanes. |
| 2. Add payload and performance needs | Payload weight, insulation preference, reuse preference, validation need, data logger requirement, and preferred product family. | Reusable, high-performance, regulated, or heavy-payload lanes often need stronger systems than a simple bag or liner. |
| 3. Review guardrail warnings | Check freeze-sensitive, dry ice, air, customs dwell, pallet, and pharma/lab alerts in the result. | Some conditions should override a normal product preference, especially frozen, pharma, ultra-cold, or air/export scenarios. |
| 4. Open the next tool or product path | Follow the result into Ice Pack, Dry Ice, Sizing, Route Risk, Compliance, or the relevant product category. | The selector helps reduce wrong product paths before you request samples, sizing support, or pricing. |
Decision guide
Which packaging family fits your lane
The selector is designed to point buyers to a starting family. Use the matrix below to understand common outcomes before you run the tool.
| Shipment profile | Likely product path | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Short chilled food delivery or grocery last-mile route | Gel ice pack + insulated bag or liner | Open Ice Pack Calculator, compare coolant options if needed, or review insulated bag options. |
| Chilled parcel carton, 2°C to 8°C or 0°C to 10°C, moderate route risk | Gel pack or ice brick + insulated box liner | Estimate cooling media, compare insulation material choices, and size the liner before a quote request. |
| Pharma, lab, vaccine, high-value, or validated 2°C to 8°C program | EPP or VIP medical cooler path | Review coolant or PCM fit, monitoring, SOP, validation, and compliance checklist needs. |
| Frozen food, seafood export, or dry-ice-compatible lane | Dry ice packout + EPP/VIP or liner support | Open Dry Ice Calculator and Route Risk Checker. |
| Palletized freight, air transfer, warehouse dwell, or bulk cargo | Thermal pallet cover + route-risk review | Use the sizing tool, compare insulation material options, and check exposure risk before quotation. |
| Controlled ambient, moderate temperature protection, lower cold-source need | Insulated liner, pallet cover, or protected ambient system | Confirm route exposure, material thickness, packaging structure, and monitoring requirements. |
Result meaning
What each recommendation means
These summaries help you interpret the result and choose the next step: a calculator, reference table, product page, route-risk review, or shipment checklist.
Ice pack or dry ice path
If the main issue is cooling power, the result will usually point to the Ice Pack Calculator, Dry Ice Calculator, or Coolant & PCM Reference before product selection is finalized.
Bag, liner, EPP, VIP, or material path
If the main issue is maintaining a stable environment, the result may point to a thermal bag, insulated box liner, EPP cooler box, VIP medical cooler, or a material comparison before custom sizing.
Pallet cover or validation review path
If the shipment is palletized, export-focused, high-value, or route-complex, the result may recommend pallet cover sizing, route-risk review, or compliance checklist preparation.
Next steps
Continue to products, solutions, and review tools
Once you have a packaging direction from the selector, use these paths to compare formats, review shipment use cases, size the package, and prepare clearer details before contacting Tempk.
FAQ
Cold chain packaging FAQs
Common questions from buyers comparing cold chain packaging formats before requesting samples, custom sizes, or bulk quotation.
What cold chain packaging is right for chilled food delivery?
For 0°C to 10°C food delivery, such as fresh produce, dairy, ready meals, or grocery last-mile, a thermal bag paired with gel ice packs or ice bricks is usually the starting point. Insulated box liners work well for carton-based parcel programs with moderate route times. See the thermal bag range, review prepared foods cold-chain solutions, or use the Ice Pack Calculator to estimate cooling media before your quote request.
Which packaging is best for 2°C to 8°C pharmaceutical shipping?
For regulated 2°C to 8°C pharma, vaccine, or laboratory shipments, the recommended path is usually an EPP cooler box or VIP medical cool box combined with a calibrated cold source and data logger. Use the Coolant & PCM Reference when you need to compare phase-change options before testing, and review the vaccines solution path before specifying a packaging system.
Should I use an insulated bag, box liner, EPP box, or VIP cooler?
Insulated bags suit last-mile food delivery and grocery distribution. Box liners fit carton shipments with short-to-medium chilled routes. EPP cooler boxes are best for reusable chilled food or seafood distribution. VIP medical cool boxes are designed for pharma, lab, and high-value validated 2°C to 8°C or CRT programs. The selector narrows the path based on your use case before you request samples or a quote. If wall thickness, thermal conductivity, or handling durability is the main question, continue to the insulation material reference tools.
How should I compare insulation materials after using the selector?
If the selector points to a liner, EPP box, VIP cooler, pallet cover, or custom insulated structure, use the Insulation Material Reference to compare thermal conductivity and typical thickness ranges. If the shipment may face drops, compression, repeated handling, or fragile payload risk, use the Insulation Material Drop Resistance table before finalizing structure.
When should I choose dry ice packaging instead of gel packs?
Dry ice packaging is typically needed for frozen food, seafood export, ice cream, or any shipment that must stay below 0°C throughout the route. Gel packs and ice bricks are suitable for chilled lanes – 0°C to 10°C or 2°C to 8°C – where product must stay cold but not frozen. For frozen lanes, use the Dry Ice Calculator to estimate quantity before specifying your packout.
Does this selector replace a thermal validation study?
No. The selector gives a product-family shortlist to help you start planning and prepare for a quote. Final packaging must be confirmed with real payload, route conditions, data loggers, and where required, formal qualification testing. See the Compliance Checklist Generator for documentation and validation preparation.
Can this selector help with pallet-level shipments and export freight?
Yes. Palletized freight, air cargo, warehouse dwell, and export scenarios are included in the selector inputs. Results may route toward thermal pallet covers, the Box Liner & Pallet Cover Sizing tool, or a Route Risk Checker review. Pallet-level programs with complex transit conditions should also consider route risk before finalizing packaging.
What information should I have before running the selector?
Prepare: cargo type (food, pharma, seafood, vaccine, frozen, etc.), target temperature range, transit time, package level (parcel, cooler box, pallet), payload weight, route risk level, whether the shipment is freeze-sensitive, and whether validation or compliance documentation is required. The more detail you have, the more useful the selector result will be for your quote request.
How do I use the selector result to request a quote from Tempk?
Copy the selector result and include it in your inquiry with: cargo type, target temperature, quantity per month, transit time, carton or pallet size, and preferred product family. Tempk will review packaging path, cold source options, insulation structure, custom sizing, OEM availability, and quotation based on your shipment profile. For regulated programs, also reference vaccine and pharma cold chain guidance where applicable.
Need help choosing the right pack-out
Ready to request packaging advice or a bulk quote?
Once you have a direction from the selector, contact Tempk to discuss packaging path, cold source, insulation structure, custom sizing, OEM options, and sample availability for your shipment type.
Include these details in your quote request
Cargo typeTarget temperatureTransit hoursPackage levelPayload weightRoute risk
Share your selector result when you reach out. Tempk will review product family, cold source, insulation structure, custom size, and quotation path based on your shipment details.