Transport of frozen fish from Scandinavia to Poland

Scandinavia is one of the world’s largest producers of fish and seafood. Every day, thousands of tonnes of frozen salmon, cod, herring, and mackerel are transported from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland to customers across Europe, including Poland. To preserve the highest quality of these food products, transport must maintain an uninterrupted cold chain. That is why refrigerated containers, known as reefer containers, are used for their transportation.

A reefer container (short for *refrigerated container*) is a specialized shipping container equipped with a refrigeration unit that maintains a specified temperature throughout the entire transport process—both during sea freight and road transportation.

Depending on the type of cargo, a reefer container can maintain temperatures ranging from approximately +30°C down to -30°C. For frozen fish, the cargo is typically transported at around -20°C, ensuring product freshness, quality, and food safety until it reaches its final destination.

Reefer containers are primarily used for transporting:

* frozen fish and seafood,
* meat and poultry,
* dairy products,
* fruit and vegetables,
* pharmaceuticals,
* other temperature-sensitive products.

During sea transport, a reefer container is connected to a power supply on board the vessel and at port terminals. Once it arrives at the port, it is transferred onto a specialized container chassis for onward road transport.

During road transport, the refrigeration unit continues to operate using an external generator (known as a GENSET), which provides uninterrupted power to the unit. This ensures that the temperature inside the container remains stable throughout the journey—from the port terminal to the consignee’s warehouse or production facility.

Maintaining an uninterrupted cold chain is one of the most critical aspects of transporting frozen products. Even a temporary increase in temperature can affect product quality, which is why transport planning must carefully consider the pickup time at the port, the transport route, and the scheduled delivery time.

Frozen fish is typically transported from production facilities to ports in Norway, Sweden, or Denmark, and then shipped by sea to terminals in Gdynia, Gdańsk, Hamburg, or Bremerhaven. From there, the reefer container is collected by a road carrier such as BFI and delivered directly to a cold storage facility, distribution center, or production plant in Poland.

Due to the high value of the cargo and the strict requirements of the food industry, on-time delivery, proper transport planning, and the carrier’s experience in handling reefer containers are essential.

One of the projects completed by BFI involved transporting a reefer container loaded with frozen fish from a terminal handling Scandinavian shipping connections to a consignee in Poland.

After the container was unloaded from the vessel, it was essential to position the vehicle quickly and organize the road transport efficiently. Thanks to careful pickup planning and the use of a trailer designed for reefer container transport, the cold chain was maintained without interruption throughout the entire journey.

For clients in the food industry, this means not only product safety, but also on-time deliveries, a reduced risk of claims, and compliance with the highest quality standards.

Transporting temperature-controlled products requires much more than simply positioning a truck at the terminal. It demands knowledge of port procedures, careful planning, experienced freight forwarders, and the ability to respond quickly to changes in vessel schedules.

BFI organizes road transport of sea containers, including reefer containers, providing comprehensive support for both import and export operations. We transport containers from the ports of Gdynia, Gdańsk, Hamburg, and Bremerhaven to destinations across Poland and Europe.

We specialize in the transportation of frozen fish, seafood, and other food products that require an uninterrupted cold chain.