The best advice we can give you about moving frozen foods is “eat hearty”. Frozen food is highly perishable, and unless your shipment is to be transported under certain specific conditions, we recommend you use up those perishables in your freezer before you move. If you’ve just fully stocked your freezer, however, and want to have it delivered to your new home, let your Moving Consultant give you an estimate of packing, shipping and storage costs so that you can determine the practicality of moving the food. We can arrange for the safe shipment of your food to your new home and have it properly stored at a locker plant until you’ve settled in. Delivery can then be arranged at your convenience.
Moving Your Freezer
We prefer to move empty home freezers–and here’s why. Home freezers are not designed to be used as shipping containers, and can easily be damaged in transit. As you know, frozen food is highly perishable, and we prefer not to move full freezers because of the danger of spoilage. There is no electric power on vans to keep freezers running, and vans cannot stop along the way to plug in a freezer at a power source. Packing with dry ice offers little protection because of the many variables that can reduce its efficiency. Also, in case of spoilage, the lining and insulation of the home freezer may be permanently impregnated with bad odor which may make the unit unusable.
A Few Exceptions
These exceptions may permit us to move your home freezer and its contents. They are based on careful research and years of experience on our part:
- if the shipment is to be transported less than 240 km and delivered within 24 hours from loading time;
- if storage is not required;
- if the food is contained in a home freezer which is at normal frozen food temperature (-17C or below) at loading time (dry ice may be added);
- if the use of electricity is not required.
Once your freezer is moved to your new home, wait at least 4-6 hours before plugging it in. This allows the freon to settle; otherwise, you could experience problems with the motor and freezing mechanisms.
If you are moving long-distance (over 50 miles, and your goods will be delivered the following day or later. We recommend that frozen food be used up or disposed of before moving day.
