Circle Logistics Expands Reefer LTL Shipping to Meet Rising Demand from Food and Beverage Companies
Refrigerated less-than-truckload service gives smaller frozen food shippers cost-efficient access to vetted capacity
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FORT WAYNE, Ind., Sept. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Circle Logistics (“Circle”), a freight brokerage and third-party logistics (“3PL”) provider specializing in temperature-controlled and dry van transportation, is expanding its refrigerated less-than-truckload (“LTL”) service for food and beverage shippers. By consolidating multiple pallet shipments onto a single temperature-controlled trailer, reefer LTL enables smaller producers to move partial loads without paying for an entire truck, delivering cold chain reliability, accurate documentation, and strict compliance at a lower shipping volume. To support this demand, Circle Logistics is building a referral network of qualified frozen food producers and connecting them directly with available reefer LTL capacity.
A Cold Chain Insights Survey reported by FreightWaves, found that roughly seven in ten organizations are seeing rising demand for refrigerated and frozen foods, even as tariff pressure and tighter cold storage capacity near borders and ports push more shippers to lean on 3PL providers to manage the added complexity. That backdrop is fueling interest in flexible, lower-volume options like reefer LTL among the small and mid-sized producers who can least absorb the cost of an underfilled truckload.
“Reefer LTL has quickly become a cornerstone of our service offering because it fundamentally changes the logistics math for growing brands,” said Rick Lefler, Director of Business Development at Circle Logistics. “We’re enabling emerging frozen food producers and grocery retailers to access the same enterprise-grade cold chain reliability and real-time tracking as our largest truckload partners, while giving them the agile, scalable logistics foundation they need to grow with confidence.”
The reefer LTL expansion builds on Circle’s broader food and beverage logistics program. Every load, whether full truckload or reefer LTL, moves through the company’s E3 carrier vetting process, which verifies the driver’s commercial driver’s license (CDL), the vehicle identification number (VIN) of the truck and trailer, and equipment photos before dispatch. Circle also confirms carrier identity directly with the shipper and provides continuous tracking links for every shipment, a level of transparency the company says helps prevent cargo theft and temperature-related claims, two of the most common risks in food and beverage freight.
Circle Logistics transports produce, grocery products, seafood, poultry, and high-value meats for food and beverage shippers, along with licensed beer and liquor shipments. Food and beverage freight typically moves in refrigerated or dry van trailers, with drop-trailer storage available at shipper locations for temporary cold storage and around-the-clock tracking on every load. The expansion follows Circle’s recognition on Food Logistics’ 2025 Top 3PL & Cold Storage Providers list, which credited the company for its cold chain reliability and fraud-prevention practices. To learn more about Circle Logistics’ LTL capabilities, visit www.circledelivers.com.
About Circle Logistics
Founded in Fort Wayne, Ind. in 2011, Circle Logistics is one of the fastest-growing transportation companies in the nation, servicing over $700 million in freight spend. As a Top 50 Freight Brokerage Firm, Circle combines the dedication of a privately owned asset-based 3PL with the coverage of a public large-scale provider to create a superior modern freight experience. Circle is committed to delivering on three core promises to our customers: No Fail Service, Personalized Communication, and Innovative Solutions and provides coverage across all modes of transportation in the continental United States and Mexico, including Dry Van, Flatbed, Reefer, LTL, Expedite, Oversize and Air. For more information, visit www.circledelivers.com.
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