Cold Chain 3PL & Full-Service Freight Brokerage

Coldstream Logistics provides cold chain 3PL and freight brokerage services that go far beyond capacity sourcing. Our team actively manages every shipment — applying the same cold chain discipline, carrier standards, and communication protocols to brokered loads as we do to our own asset-based fleet.

Cold Chain 3PL

Flexible Trans portation Solutions, Managed End-to-End

Coldstream Logistics offers cold chain 3PL and brokerage solutions for truckload and LTL shipments across frozen, refrigerated, and dry freight. Our services provide flexible capacity and broader coverage while maintaining the same level of oversight, communication, and accountability our customers expect from an asset-based partner.

For customers shipping frozen freight, our cold chain 3PL capabilities play a key supporting role — supplementing our frozen LTL, retail consolidation, and distribution programs when additional capacity, lane coverage, or shipment flexibility is needed. Whether you’re scaling volume, expanding distribution lanes, or managing seasonal surges, our team keeps your freight moving without sacrificing service quality.

Designed to Support Your Logistics Strategy

Brokerage is most valuable when integrated into a broader logistics strategy — not used as a reactive spot-market fallback. Coldstream incorporates cold chain 3PL and brokerage solutions when:
  • Additional capacity is needed beyond asset availability
  • Shipments fall outside core consolidation programs
  • Lane coverage or timing requires added flexibility
  • Frozen distribution programs need supplemental support during peak periods

Vetted Carrier Network

We work with a trusted network of carriers qualified to handle truckload and LTL shipments across commodity types. For frozen freight, we prioritize carriers with the equipment, handling standards, and cold chain experience required to maintain product integrity.

Carrier selection is based on equipment standards and temperature capabilities, performance history and reliability record, compliance and safety record, and alignment with specific customer program requirements.

Active Shipment Management, Not Transactional Brokerage

The difference between Coldstream’s cold chain 3PL services and a transactional freight broker is active management. Our team doesn’t hand off the load and wait for a check call. We remain actively involved throughout the shipment lifecycle — tracking freight, communicating proactively, and addressing issues before they become problems.

Our services include carrier sourcing and coordination, real-time shipment tracking and visibility, proactive issue management, and a single point of contact for all movements. For frozen freight, active management means staying ahead of temperature exceptions, delivery appointment windows, and retail compliance requirements — not just confirming the load picked up

What Is Cold Chain 3PL? Third - Party Logistics for Temperature-Sensitive Freight

A cold chain 3PL — or third-party logistics provider specializing in temperature-controlled freight — manages transportation, warehousing, and logistics services for companies shipping frozen, refrigerated, or perishable goods. Rather than building and operating their own logistics infrastructure, companies outsource cold chain logistics to a 3PL to access specialized expertise, reduce overhead, and scale their supply chain more flexibly.

Cold chain 3PL is distinct from general 3PL because it requires specialized knowledge of temperature compliance requirements, food safety regulations, retailer inbound logistics standards, and the operational discipline required to maintain product integrity across a distributed network. Not all 3PL companies have this expertise — which is why choosing a 3PL with deep cold-chain specialization is critical for frozen-food brands and food manufacturers.

Coldstream Logistics is a cold chain 3PL specializing in frozen and refrigerated food supply chains — providing asset-based trucking, frozen LTL, retail consolidation, and brokerage services for food manufacturers, grocery suppliers, and CPG brands. As both an asset-based carrier and a freight brokerage company, we offer a more integrated and accountable logistics partnership than a broker-only model. 

3PL & Freight Brokerage FAQs

A 3PL, or third-party logistics provider, is a company that manages logistics and supply chain functions on behalf of another business — including transportation, warehousing, fulfillment, and coordination. Companies use 3PLs to access specialized logistics expertise, reduce the cost and complexity of managing their own transportation operations, and scale their supply chain more flexibly. In the frozen food industry, cold chain 3PL providers bring additional expertise in temperature compliance, food safety, and retailer inbound requirements.

A freight broker is a logistics intermediary that connects shippers (companies with freight to move) with carriers (companies with trucks to move it), facilitating the transaction without owning transportation assets. Freight brokerage companies access carrier networks and arrange capacity on behalf of shippers. The best freight brokers actively manage shipments rather than simply sourcing a carrier and stepping back

A freight broker is a specific type of 3PL service focused on capacity sourcing and transportation arrangement. Full-service 3PL companies typically offer a broader range of services — including transportation management, warehousing, and supply chain coordination — and may own assets (trucks, facilities) as part of their offering. Coldstream is an asset-based cold chain 3PL that also provides freight brokerage: we offer both the direct accountability of owned assets and the flexibility of a managed carrier network.

Managed transportation is a logistics model in which a 3PL takes over the planning, execution, and optimization of a shipper’s transportation program — rather than simply providing transactional capacity. In a managed transportation model, the 3PL proactively manages carrier selection, routing, scheduling, compliance, and performance monitoring on the shipper’s behalf. Coldstream’s active shipment management approach reflects a managed transportation philosophy: we manage programs, not just individual loads.

Frozen 3PL is third-party logistics services specifically designed for frozen food products and frozen supply chains. A frozen 3PL must maintain frozen temperatures throughout the transportation and distribution process, understand frozen food safety and regulatory requirements, and have operational processes built around the specific challenges of frozen freight — including cold chain compliance, food-safe handling, and retailer inbound requirements. Coldstream is a frozen 3PL and cold chain 3PL specializing in frozen food manufacturers and CPG brand distribution.

One Cold Chain 3PL for Your Full Freight Program

From frozen consolidation to truckload brokerage, Coldstream Logistics provides actively managed cold chain 3PL services that give you the flexibility of a brokerage and the accountability of an asset-based carrier.

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