Emergency Preparedness in Refrigerated Shipping: Lessons from the LA Fires 

The 2025 LA fires have caused almost incomprehensible damage, including destroying thousands of structures. The heightened risk of wildfires is affecting multiple industries, including shipping and logistics. Industries must adapt their systems and staff for better disaster preparedness in the future. Here’s more about emergency preparedness in refrigerated shipping and lessons we can learn from the devastating LA fires.

Emergency Preparedness in Refrigerated Shipping: Lessons from the LA Fires

Lessons from the LA Fires

The LA fires have caused vast amounts of destruction. The fires have forced over 200,000 people in Los Angeles County to evacuate. Many of LA’s familiar homes have been damaged beyond repair.

Shipping companies face more pressure during wildfires and emergency events. In emergency situations, demand increases for specific items such as:

• Medications
• First aid kits
• Emergency supplies

During disasters, people need refrigerated shipping carriers to fulfill critical, specific needs. Companies should prepare to continue their operations, even when faced with delays.

Another lesson from the LA fires tells refrigeration companies to prepare for route changes and closures. During emergencies, certain areas might be too congested to travel through.

Emergency management means authorities may block off some areas only for emergency services. Alternative routes and careful monitoring keep your company operational.

How Natural Disasters Change Demand

Natural disasters have a direct impact on supply and demand. Refrigerated shipping provides essential items, such as medication, which may need to be transported and delivered at optimal temperatures.

Companies prepared for this will thrive. Other companies might be lagging behind everyone else if they lack disaster preparedness plans!

Natural disasters like the LA fires might also affect third-party providers and suppliers. You must have alternatives in place. Switching suppliers in an emergency takes one phone call instead of hours researching from the ground up.

Can your company keep up when the pressure goes up?

Answering this tells you how prepared you are for a disaster event (or not).

Maintaining Your Fleet: Effective Refrigeration

Fleet maintenance should be something you approach at regular intervals. This should never be something you stop to think about in an emergency.

• Always maintain your fleet before disasters strike: this way, you can guarantee effective refrigeration and safe transport.
• Maintenance keeps your fleet strong enough to handle alternative routes and maintains cargo at optimal temperatures.

Delays and drive-around can lead to a negative impact on your refrigerated cargo without a properly maintained fleet.

As a bonus, companies that show regular maintenance may pay less for insurance. This is compared to companies that cannot.

Watching the Road: Local Apps and Channels

Switch to primary, local news sources in the event of an emergency. This means you and your drivers are thoroughly updated on immediate changes like road closures or delays.

International news channels often seem instant but might not be the immediate emergency news you’re looking for. Local apps and news channels are directly plugged into local happenings. You’ll have instant, reliable access to anything you should know during an emergency.

Watch for road closures, route changes, or potential accidents and no-go zones resulting from the emergency.

Staying Cool: Refrigeration and Natural Disasters

Refrigerated shipping requires top-shelf equipment. Your equipment should always be functional—emergencies are not the time for anyone to take repair breaks, which could cost you.

It’s not just about maintenance but also means that refrigerated shipping companies should upgrade their coolers and trucks. During emergencies, route changes, and other delays, your cargo cools down faster or spends longer on its intended journey.

Is your cargo as cold as it should be even during a disaster?

Preparing Carriers for Future Disasters

Past disasters and emergencies should mean better future preparedness. Companies looking at the LA fires from a glance should immediately realize that this could be the future anywhere in the world.

Be prepared before anything happens. Your refrigeration shipping company might thrive during disaster relief instead of the opposite.

Cannonball Express Transportation

Cannonball Express Shipping Company has been providing top-of-the-line service at a reasonable rate. Based in Omaha, Nebraska, we provide nationwide refrigerated LTL services, as well as, local delivery services. Contact us today!

Nationwide Shipping Company Services:

• Refrigerated LTL deliveries in the lower 48 states
• Refrigerated Cross dock

Local Shipping Company Services:

• Redelivery Services
• Truckload & LTL Capabilities
• PUP
• Cross dock
• Transload
• Warehouse and Distribution capabilities from multiple Omaha Locations

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