• In April 2025, UPS agreed to buy Andlauer Healthcare Group for $1.6 billion, integrating nine distribution centers and 22 branches to enhance its cold chain logistics across Canada.

• In April 2025, Lineage Logistics boosted its cold chain network by acquiring MTC Logistics, adding key port-centric capacity on the East and Gulf Coasts and strengthening its role in temperature-controlled freight.

In this report, the Cold Chain Logistics Market has been segmented by Service, Temperature, Application, Business Type, and Geography.

Cold Chain Logistics Market, Segmentation by Service

The Cold Chain Logistics Market has been segmented by Service into Storage, Transportation and Value-Added Services

Storage
The storage segment of the cold chain logistics market is essential for preserving the quality and shelf life of perishable goods. This includes pharmaceuticals, dairy, and frozen food items that require consistent temperature control. With growing demand across healthcare and food sectors, storage accounts for about 38% of the total market.

Transportation
The transportation component is pivotal for delivering chilled or frozen products across long distances without compromising their integrity. It includes refrigerated trucks, containers, and air cargo solutions. As global perishables trade increases, transportation dominates the market, representing nearly 45% of total cold chain logistics services.

Value-Added Services
Value-added services in cold chain logistics include specialized offerings such as temperature monitoring, packaging, customs support, and reverse logistics. These services enhance the safety and regulatory compliance of goods in transit. They contribute to roughly 17% of the market and are gaining traction with evolving client needs.

Cold Chain Logistics Market, Segmentation by Temperature

The Cold Chain Logistics Market has been segmented by Temperature into Chilled and Frozen.

Chilled
The chilled temperature segment handles goods that require moderate cooling, typically between 0°C and 10°C. It serves sectors like fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, and bakery. With the surge in demand for fresh and minimally processed foods, chilled logistics represents nearly 55% of the overall market.

Frozen
Frozen logistics ensures strict temperature maintenance below 0°C for goods like frozen meat, seafood, processed meals, and temperature-sensitive vaccines. As the demand for long-term preservation and global distribution of frozen items increases, this segment holds about 45% of the cold chain logistics market.

Cold Chain Logistics Market, Segmentation by Application

The Cold Chain Logistics Market has been segmented by Application into Fruits & Vegetables, Dairy Products, Fish, Meat, Seafood, Processed Food, Pharmaceuticals, Bakery & Confectionary, and Others

Fruits & Vegetables
Efficient cold chain logistics ensures extended freshness and reduced spoilage for fruits and vegetables. This segment benefits from rising demand for organic and seasonal produce and holds around 22% of the global market share.

Dairy Products
Dairy logistics require strict temperature control from production to retail. Products like milk, cheese, and yogurt must be transported under controlled conditions, making up nearly 18% of the cold chain market.

Fish, Meat, and Seafood
Handling fish, meat, and seafood involves rigorous cold chain operations to maintain quality and safety. With increasing global exports, this segment contributes about 20% to the market value.

Processed Food
Cold chain systems for processed foods support the storage and delivery of frozen meals and packaged goods. As demand rises in urban regions, this application segment captures around 15% of the market.

Pharmaceuticals
The pharmaceutical segment, including vaccines and biologics, demands precise thermal monitoring and secure transport. This critical vertical holds an estimated 12% of the total cold chain logistics market.

Bakery & Confectionery
Temperature-sensitive bakery and confectionery products like chocolates and cakes require controlled storage to avoid melting or spoilage. This category accounts for approximately 8% of the market.

Others
The others segment comprises less traditional cold chain goods such as cosmetics and specialty chemicals. Though currently smaller, it shows potential for growth with rising product sensitivity trends.

Cold Chain Logistics Market, Segmentation by Business Type

The Cold Chain Logistics Market has been segmented by Business Type into Warehousing and Transportation.

Warehousing
Cold chain warehousing is essential for storing perishable products under regulated temperature and humidity levels. It serves industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology, helping to preserve product quality and ensure compliance. With advanced cold storage infrastructure and automation, warehousing accounts for nearly 40% of the market share.

Transportation
Cold chain transportation ensures that goods like vaccines, meat, and dairy are delivered across regions without temperature deviations. It uses specialized vehicles such as refrigerated trucks, reefers, and air cargo units. With expanding e-commerce and cross-border supply chains, transportation dominates the market with a share of about 60%.

Cold Chain Logistics Market, Segmentation by Geography

In this report, the Cold Chain Logistics Market has been segmented by Geography into five regions; North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America.

Cold Chain Logistics Market Share (%), by Geographical Region

North America
The North American cold chain logistics market is well-established, with strong demand from the pharmaceutical, dairy, and processed food industries. Backed by advanced infrastructure and stringent regulatory standards, this region holds approximately 30% of the global market.

Europe
In Europe, the cold chain sector is supported by robust food safety laws and seamless logistics across EU countries. The rising demand for temperature-sensitive products like dairy, meat, and baked goods gives Europe a market share of nearly 25%.

Asia Pacific
Asia Pacific leads in growth rate, driven by increasing urbanization, rising incomes, and growing consumption of perishable foods and medicines. Countries like China, India, and Japan push the region to capture about 28% of the global market.

Middle East and Africa
The Middle East and Africa cold chain sector is growing steadily, supported by the pharmaceutical sector and reliance on food imports. Despite ongoing infrastructure development, this region contributes nearly 9% to the market.

Latin America
Latin America’s cold chain logistics is expanding through improved retail networks and rising frozen food trade. With countries like Brazil and Mexico making investments in temperature-controlled systems, the region holds an estimated 8% share of the global market.

This report provides an in depth analysis of various factors that impact the dynamics of Cold Chain Logistics Market. These factors include; Market Drivers, Restraints, and Opportunities Analysis.

Drivers, Restraints and Opportunity Analysis

Drivers

• Increasing Demand for Perishable Goods
• Growth of E-commerce and Online Grocery Shopping
• Expansion of e-commerce in frozen food delivery

• Advancements in cold chain tracking technologies - Adoption of real-time temperature and location monitors is transforming how shippers protect vaccines, seafood, and fresh produce. Networks of IoT sensors, RFID tags, and GPS now stream conditions to cloud dashboards, allowing instant corrective action before spoilage occurs.

  Logistics teams can reroute loads, adjust reefer settings remotely, or authorize rapid trans-shipments when deviations arise, cutting waste and strengthening quality-control compliance. This visibility reassures pharmaceutical companies and grocery chains that products arrive potent and fresh.

  Detailed data trails simplify regulatory audits and support tighter service-level agreements, making advanced tracking a decisive differentiator for cold-chain providers competing on reliability.

  Continued innovation in sensor accuracy, battery life, and cloud analytics will keep pushing the market forward as clients demand ever-greater transparency and accountability.

Restraints

• Complex Regulatory Environment
• Energy consumption and carbon footprint concerns
• Lack of skilled workforce in cold logistics

• Fragmented regulatory compliance across regions - Cold-chain operators face a maze of region-specific rules on storage ranges, documentation, and labeling. A vaccine shipped at -20 °C in one country may require a different threshold—or extra paperwork—in the next, adding cost and uncertainty.

  Some jurisdictions demand 24/7 electronic logs; others accept manual charts. This lack of harmony forces providers to customize equipment settings and processes for each border crossing, slowing transit and raising risk of non-compliance fines.

  Smaller carriers struggle with the administrative burden and certification fees, limiting their ability to scale internationally. Even large multinationals must maintain region-specific SOPs, audit trails, and training programs.

  Until global bodies align on unified cold-chain standards, regulatory fragmentation will continue to constrain efficiency and expansion for the industry.

Opportunities

• Adoption of IoT and Real-Time Monitoring
• Innovation in energy-efficient refrigeration solutions
• Blockchain integration for real-time shipment monitoring

• Development of AI-based route optimization systems - Artificial intelligence is emerging as a game-changer for route planning, demand forecasting, and fleet utilization in temperature-controlled logistics. Algorithms ingest live traffic, weather, and order data to chart the most fuel-efficient, time-sensitive paths.

  By minimizing delays and dwell times, AI cuts the window during which perishables face temperature excursions, boosting on-time delivery rates and reducing energy consumption.

  Machine-learning models also flag compressor anomalies or door-open events, enabling predictive maintenance that prevents costly breakdowns and product loss.

  Providers that integrate AI-powered dispatch, load balancing, and demand sensing stand to lower costs, shrink emissions, and win contracts from shippers prioritizing speed and sustainability.

Key players in Cold Chain Logistics Market include:

• AmeriCold Logistics LLC
• Lineage Logistics Holdings, LLC
• Nichirei Corporation
• Swire Group
• Burris Logistics
• United Parcel Service, Inc.
• DHL International GmbH
• FedEx Corporation
• AGRO Merchants Group
• Kloosterboer
• Americold Realty Trust
• XPO Logistics, Inc.
• Preferred Freezer Services, LLC
• VersaCold Logistics Services

In this report, the profile of each market player provides following information:

• Company Overview and Product Portfolio
• Market Share Analysis
• Key Developments
• Financial Overview
• Strategies
• Company SWOT Analysis