What is the typical lead time for a same day booking?

For most major UK cities like Birmingham and London, we can typically have a vehicle on site within 60 minutes of booking confirmation.

Do you provide tracking for B2B shipments?

Yes, we utilize advanced tracking systems and proactive communication to ensure you are informed of your package's status from pickup to delivery.

What types of temperature sensitive freight do you handle?

We handle chilled food products, frozen cargo, pharmaceutical grade refrigeration, ambient sensitive goods and medical supplies. Each cargo type has different parameters and handling requirements, and we apply the right approach for each.

What is the difference between chilled and frozen transport?

Chilled transport keeps goods cold but not frozen, typically between 0°C and +5°C for fresh food. Frozen transport holds goods at minus 18°C or colder so they stay solid throughout. The vehicle, pre cooling and loading plan differ for each, so tell us the required range when you book.

How do you ensure the cold chain is not broken during transit?

The vehicle is cooled before loading, the load is arranged to maintain airflow and temperature consistency, and conditions are monitored throughout transit. Planning happens before the driver leaves, not on the road.

Can you provide temperature logs and compliance documentation?

Yes. Temperature records and chain of custody documentation are maintained throughout every journey and provided as part of the standard service. When you need to demonstrate compliance, the evidence is there.

Do you cover temperature controlled transport in Liverpool?

Yes. We run regular services into Liverpool and the wider North West, including Manchester, Warrington and Preston distribution centres. Liverpool to Birmingham is a short run on the M6, so chilled and frozen loads can be delivered the same day.

Do you carry pharmaceutical and medical supplies?

Yes. We work with clients in hospital and pharmacy supply chains and understand the regulatory expectations that come with that freight. Talk to us about your specific compliance requirements and we will confirm whether we can meet them.

Sonic Transport temperature controlled refrigerated van at loading bay

Temperature Controlled Transport You Can Trust With Your Most Sensitive Loads

Item: Sonic Transport
Rating: 5
Author: Maria

Sonic Transport runs temperature controlled transport from our Birmingham base to anywhere in the UK, moving chilled, frozen and pharmaceutical loads in refrigerated vans, rigids and artics with the temperature logged for the whole journey.

Sonic Transport is a Birmingham based temperature controlled transport company, moving chilled, frozen and pharma cold chain freight anywhere in the UK. Refrigerated vans carry one to four pallets, with 7.5 and 18 tonne refrigerated rigids and refrigerated artics for up to 26 pallets, covering minus 18°C frozen, 0 to 5°C chilled and 2 to 8°C pharma ranges, monitored during the journey. Urgent loads are collected within 60 minutes. Get a quote in 5 minutes.

Temperature Controlled Freight Requires More Than a Refrigerated Vehicle

It is a common misconception that temperature controlled transport begins and ends with having the right vehicle. In reality, maintaining the integrity of a temperature sensitive load requires careful planning at every stage of the journey. That means understanding the specific temperature requirements of your cargo before collection, ensuring the vehicle is correctly cooled before loading, loading in a way that does not compromise airflow or temperature consistency and monitoring conditions throughout transit. Our team understands those requirements and applies them methodically on every temperature controlled job we handle, because with this type of freight, the margin for error is simply not there.

The Consequences of Getting It Wrong Are Too High to Risk

Temperature sensitive freight is not forgiving. Whether you are moving food products, pharmaceuticals, medical supplies or biological materials, a break in the cold chain does not just damage the goods. It can trigger compliance failures, regulatory consequences and significant financial loss, not to mention the impact on the end recipient when time critical or life critical supplies fail to arrive in usable condition. Our clients who trust us with temperature controlled loads do so because they know we understand what is at stake. We do not treat this as a standard delivery with a cold van. We treat it as a specialist operation that demands specialist handling from start to finish.

Temperature ranges we transport at

Tell us the range on your product specification and we set the unit to it before loading. These are the bands most of our Birmingham and UK customers book.

Chilled food products, frozen cargo, pharmaceutical grade refrigeration, ambient sensitive goods and medical supplies all have different parameters, different compliance considerations and different handling requirements. We have experience across that full range, which means we can advise on the right approach for your specific cargo rather than applying a one size fits all solution. When you brief us on a temperature controlled job, we ask the right questions, apply the right methods and ensure your freight arrives within the required parameters every time.

Temperature controlled transport ranges
Band	Range	Typical goods
Frozen	minus 18°C or colder	Frozen food, ice cream, frozen ingredients and samples
Chilled	0°C to +5°C	Fresh meat, dairy, ready meals, produce and flowers
Pharma cold chain	+2°C to +8°C	Vaccines, insulin, biologics and clinical trial stock
Controlled ambient	+15°C to +25°C	Medicines, chocolate, cosmetics, adhesives and electronics

Chilled vs frozen: what changes

Chilled goods are the less forgiving of the two. A few degrees too warm shortens shelf life, and a few degrees too cold can freeze produce and ruin it, so the unit holds a narrow band and the doors stay shut between drops. Frozen goods need the body pulled down to temperature before loading, because a refrigeration unit is built to hold cold, not to freeze warm stock.

In both cases the goods must arrive at the right temperature from the warehouse. We check product temperature at collection and record it, and if it is already outside the range we tell you before we load rather than carry a problem to your customer.

Refrigerated vehicles for every size of load

Refrigerated haulage from Birmingham, sized to the load so a single pallet never pays for a full trailer.

Refrigerated vans
For one to four pallets or urgent single drops, such as pharmacy stock, lab samples or a restaurant top up. Fast through Birmingham city centre and Liverpool docklands where a lorry cannot stop.
Refrigerated rigids
7.5 tonne and 18 tonne fridge bodies for multi drop chilled and frozen distribution, with tail lifts available for shops and kitchens without a dock.
Refrigerated artic trailers
Full loads of up to 26 pallets for DC to DC trunking between Birmingham, the North West, London and Scotland, held at one temperature for the whole run.

Monitoring during the journey

Every refrigerated vehicle records the body temperature throughout the journey, and the vehicle itself is tracked live by GPS so you can see where your load is. The driver checks the unit display at each stop. At delivery you receive photo, signature and timestamp proof of delivery, and the temperature record for the journey is available for your files.

Compliance for food and pharma

For many businesses moving temperature controlled freight, compliance is as important as the delivery itself. Audit trails, temperature logs and chain of custody documentation are not optional extras in regulated industries. They are requirements that your business depends on meeting, and we maintain the necessary records throughout the journey so that when you need to demonstrate compliance, the evidence is there. That attention to documentation is part of how we operate, not something you have to chase us for.

Food businesses need transport records that support their food safety plan, and pharmaceutical wholesalers need evidence that medicines stayed inside the labelled range. Our temperature logs and chain of custody records are built for that audit trail. For medical consignments see our medical courier service, and for chilled goods that also count as dangerous goods, such as some dry ice shipments, see ADR haulage.

Birmingham, Liverpool and UK coverage

Temperature controlled logistics in Birmingham is where we start, with the M6, M5 and M42 putting the West Midlands food and pharma corridor on our doorstep. We run regular services into Liverpool and the North West, and deliver across the UK and Ireland the same day. Urgent loads are collected within 60 minutes, and each job is priced on the vehicle, distance and timing, agreed before dispatch. Regular chilled runs can move to contract logistics with fixed days and agreed rates.

Ready to Move Your Temperature Sensitive Freight With Confidence?

Tell us about your cargo and compliance requirements and our team will respond within 5 minutes during business hours.

Get a quote in 5 mins 0330 236 8313

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. We are based in Birmingham and run chilled, frozen and pharmaceutical temperature controlled transport from the city to anywhere across the UK and Ireland, with collection within 60 minutes for urgent loads and refrigerated vans, rigids and artics available.