Refrigerated Transport in California
Marvin Transportation runs temperature-controlled freight across California from four branch offices. We hold anything from deep frozen at -20F to cool chain at +65F, dispatch answers 24/7/365, and STAT jobs are picked up and delivered inside 90 minutes. Cargo is insured to $1,000,000 with a further $100,000 specifically for refrigeration breakdown.
Temperature ranges we actually hold
Most carriers quote a single setpoint and hope. We run to a band and log it. The reefer units on our trucks hold from -20F through +65F, which covers frozen, chilled, controlled ambient and cool chain on the same fleet. That matters when one run carries frozen product and controlled room temperature pharma on the same manifest, because the alternative is two vehicles and two invoices.
Same-day refrigerated work runs dedicated
This is the part worth reading carefully, because it is where we differ from most refrigerated carriers in California. When you book a same-day refrigerated run with us, one vehicle takes your freight and nothing else. It goes from your dock to the delivery point directly. Your pallets are not consolidated with another shipper load, they are not cross docked at a terminal overnight, and they do not wait for a truck to fill.
The industry norm for refrigerated LTL is consolidation, because consolidation is how a carrier makes the economics work. It also means your product sits on a dock while the load builds, doors open and close at every other stop, and the temperature log gets interesting. For frozen or 2C to 8C product that is a real risk, not a theoretical one.
We price dedicated same-day as standard rather than as a premium exception. If you have been paying expedite rates to avoid consolidation, that is worth a conversation.
Service windows
Refrigerated fleet and capacity
Refrigerated work is quoted against the vehicle, so here is what is available. Small cold chain moves do not need a reefer truck and we do not charge you for one. A validated cooler with logged phase change packs in a cargo van is the correct tool for a 20 lb vaccine case, and it is a fraction of the cost.
| Vehicle | Capacity | Typical refrigerated use |
|---|---|---|
| Sedan or SUV | Up to 100 lbs | Specimens, blood, small pharma in validated coolers |
| Cargo van | Up to 2,000 lbs, 200 cu ft | Vaccine cases, floral, multi-stop pharmacy and lab routes |
| Refrigerated truck | -20F to +65F, pallet capable | Frozen and chilled pallets, food service, produce, bulk pharma |
| Box truck, 16 to 26 ft | Up to 10,000 lbs, liftgate available | Ambient and controlled ambient freight, liftgate delivery sites |
| Tractor and 53 ft trailer | Up to 48,000 lbs | Full truckload frozen and chilled, interstate reefer lanes |
Where we run from
Four branch offices, not four addresses on a contact page. Each one holds vehicles and staff, which is why a Bay Area STAT and a Los Angeles STAT can both be met in 90 minutes.
Insurance and driver clearance
Shippers filter carriers on limits before they read anything else, so the numbers are here rather than buried in an onboarding packet. Certificates are issued on request and we can name additional insureds.
| Auto liability | $1,000,000 |
| General liability | $1,000,000, $2,000,000 aggregate |
| Cargo liability | $1,000,000 |
| Refrigeration breakdown | $100,000 |
| Workers compensation | $1,000,000 |
Refrigeration breakdown cover is worth singling out. A standard cargo policy pays for freight lost to an accident or theft. It frequently will not pay when a reefer unit fails and a trailer of product warms up, which is the failure mode that actually happens in this business. We carry $100,000 specifically for it. Ask any carrier you are comparing us against whether they do. All Marvin drivers are TSA approved and hold a Security Threat Assessment, which covers cargo pickup and delivery at airport freight facilities.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature range can you actually hold?
Minus 20F through plus 65F on our refrigerated trucks. That spans frozen, cold chain at 2C to 8C, chilled fresh product and controlled room temperature. For small cold chain consignments we use validated coolers with phase change packs rather than a reefer truck, which keeps the cost proportionate to the shipment.
How fast is a STAT refrigerated pickup?
Ninety minutes from the call to the delivery being complete, covering both collection and drop. STAT is used for tissue, blood products, urgent reagents and anything where a delay ruins the shipment. Dispatch is staffed 24 hours a day, every day of the year, so a STAT booked at 2am on a Sunday is handled the same way as one booked at 2pm on a Tuesday.
Do you consolidate refrigerated loads with other shippers?
Not on same-day work. A same-day refrigerated booking gets a dedicated vehicle carrying your freight only, direct from origin to destination. No terminal cross dock, no waiting for the load to fill, no repeated door openings for other stops. Scheduled multi-stop routes are different by design, and on those the stop sequence is agreed with you up front.
Which parts of California do you cover?
All of it, worked from four branch offices. Fremont covers the East Bay, Silicon Valley and the Tri-Valley. The SFO branch in South San Francisco covers San Francisco, the Peninsula and SFO air cargo. The LAX branch in Inglewood covers the Los Angeles basin, the South Bay and LAX air cargo. Our DFW branch in Euless handles Dallas and Fort Worth plus interstate reefer lanes running out of California.
What happens if the refrigeration unit fails in transit?
Drivers monitor unit performance during the run and dispatch is reachable at any hour to arrange a swap or a recovery vehicle. Beyond the operational response, we carry $100,000 of refrigeration breakdown cover on top of $1,000,000 cargo liability. Most cargo policies exclude temperature excursion caused by mechanical failure, so it is worth checking that specific line on any carrier certificate you receive.
Can you handle pharmaceutical and clinical cold chain?
Yes. We move vaccines, biologics, blood products, diagnostic specimens and clinical trial material at 2C to 8C, with chain of custody and signature capture. Our drivers are TSA approved and hold a Security Threat Assessment, which allows collection from and delivery to airport cargo facilities at SFO and LAX.
Do you run recurring refrigerated routes?
Yes, and it is a large part of what we do. Scheduled daily or weekly lanes run with a fixed driver and a fixed window, which matters when a receiving dock only accepts deliveries in a set slot. Lab courier rounds, pharmacy replenishment and food service distribution are the common patterns.
What are your insurance limits?
Auto liability $1,000,000. General liability $1,000,000 with a $2,000,000 aggregate. Cargo liability $1,000,000. Refrigeration breakdown $100,000. Workers compensation $1,000,000. Certificates are issued on request and additional insureds can be named.
Need refrigerated freight moved in California?
Tell dispatch the pickup and delivery ZIP codes, the temperature you need held, the weight and the date. You get a price on the call rather than a form response the next morning.
Call +1 (323) 673-7397Request a quoteRelated services
- Bay Area refrigerated transport, the same fleet worked from Fremont and South San Francisco
- Temperature controlled delivery, smaller cold chain consignments in validated coolers
- Medical courier services, specimens, blood products and pharmacy routes
- Vaccine cold chain logistics, 2C to 8C immunisation programme delivery
- Warehousing and distribution, storage and outbound distribution across California
- Same-day courier service, ambient same-day work across the state