Reefer or groupage: choosing by volume
Break-even points, real transit times and quality risk by mode of transport.
Youssef Amrani
Logistics manager · 13 September 2026 · 1 min read
Below ten pallets, refrigerated groupage remains cheaper than a dedicated container. Above that, the calculation quickly reverses.
The tipping point
A 40' HC reefer takes 20 to 24 pallets of 100 × 120. The cost per kilo becomes competitive from 14 pallets on the Agadir – Perpignan route. On a weekly vine tomato programme, the dedicated container wins from the second week of the season; for seedless watermelon, loaded in bulk, the calculation is made by weight rather than by pallet.
The quality risk
Groupage means extra handling: every transshipment is a point where the temperature range can be broken. The on-board temperature record remains the only evidence that holds up.
