Seafood Transport Brisbane and Queensland — Chilled and Frozen Seafood Freight

We transport chilled and frozen seafood across Brisbane and Queensland for wholesalers, processors, aquaculture producers, fishmongers and restaurants. Fresh seafood travels at +1°C to +4°C and frozen at −18°C or colder, in vehicles that are pre-cooled before loading.

Seafood loses quality faster than almost any other food. A few degrees or a few hours make a visible difference, so the plan for each load comes down to temperature, packing and time.

Seafood we carry: fresh, on ice and frozen

• Fresh fish, whole or filleted, in insulated tubs or lidded cartons.
• Prawns, fresh or frozen.
• Shellfish, chilled or frozen.
• Frozen seafood in cartons, by the pallet or part pallet.
• Mixed orders with fresh and frozen lines for the same customer.

Live seafood has its own requirements and is not something we list as a standard service. If that is what you need to move, phone us and we will tell you whether we can help.

Seafood transport temperatures

Under the Food Standards Code, seafood is a potentially hazardous food and must be transported at 5°C or below. In practice it is commonly held closer to 0°C. Frozen seafood must stay frozen in transit, and −18°C is the figure industry guidance uses. See our guide to chilled and frozen transport temperatures for the detail.

Packing seafood for the road: ice, tubs and drainage

A refrigerated vehicle maintains the temperature product is loaded at. It will not chill warm fish. Seafood needs to be at temperature, and iced if that is how you pack it, before the vehicle arrives.

Ice melts, and meltwater has to go somewhere. Insulated tubs with lids and proper drainage keep water contained and away from other freight. Leaking or open containers are the most common problem on a seafood load.

Short transit: metro seafood deliveries in Brisbane

Most metro seafood work is a morning multi-drop into fishmongers, retailers and restaurant kitchens around Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. The run is sequenced around receiving windows, and doors stay closed between drops.

A refrigerated van carries one pallet equivalent, up to 1 tonne, and suits kerbside drops. A small truck carries 2–4 pallets. The fleet page shows the larger classes. When stock is needed the same day, our urgent refrigerated transport service runs across South East Queensland, subject to vehicle availability.

Seafood freight from coastal and regional Queensland

Queensland’s coast is long. Bundaberg is about 360 km from Brisbane, Mackay about 965 km, Townsville about 1,360 km and Cairns about 1,700 km. Driver work and rest rules mean the longer runs take more than one driving shift.

For fresh seafood, that time has to be planned in from the start. Over long distances many producers choose to send product frozen. Regional linehaul runs on planned services, so talk to us early. Our article on Brisbane to Cairns refrigerated freight covers the route, and frozen goods delivery covers frozen loads.

Cleaning, odour and mixed loads

Seafood smell transfers easily. Vehicles are cleaned between sensitive-cargo loads on documented changeover routines. Where seafood shares a vehicle with other freight, sealed packaging is essential, so tell us exactly how yours is packed.

Queensland businesses that transport seafood may need an accreditation from Safe Food Production Queensland, depending on the product and activity. Check with Safe Food Queensland, and ask any carrier, including us, for current documents.

Temperature records and getting a quote

We take calibrated probe readings at pickup and delivery, keep them on file and supply them with the proof of delivery on request. Dispatch sends SMS or email updates at pickup, in transit and at delivery.

Ask your customers to check as well. A food business handling potentially hazardous food must have a thermometer accurate to ±1°C, so every fishmonger and kitchen should be able to probe a sample at the door and note the time and temperature.

To quote, we need the pickup and delivery suburbs, product, packing type, volume, temperature and timing. Price depends on distance, vehicle size and the number of drops. Contact us with those details.