Case Study — Cold Chain — Ice Cream & Frozen
Case Study: Scaling Cold Chain for India’s Largest Ice Cream Brand — 3x Peak Season
How SSL eliminated ice cream cold chain excursions — 11 incidents to zero, ₹14Cr product destruction saved, 68% to 97% availability. SSL cold chain case study.
The Challenge
India’s largest ice cream brand was managing peak season logistics (March–June) through a combination of their primary cold chain provider (limited to metro cities) and spot market reefer bookings for non-metro markets. The spot market reefers had no temperature monitoring, no trained drivers, and no excursion protocol. In one peak season, 11 temperature excursion incidents resulted in product destruction worth ₹14 crore. In non-metro markets, the brand’s availability during peak season was 68% of target — losing significant share to regional competitors who had better local cold chain.
The SSL Solution
SSL was appointed as the brand’s primary cold chain logistics partner — replacing the spot market dependency with SSL’s 475-reefer owned fleet. SSL’s solution covered: dedicated reefer allocation by region with pre-season capacity commitment (January planning for March surge), pre-cooling protocol before every load, 15-minute temperature data logging on all vehicles, automated alert-and-response for any reading above -15°C, backup reefers pre-positioned in 8 high-volume markets, and daily MIS reporting to the brand’s supply chain team on vehicle status, temperature compliance, and delivery performance.
Outcome
Peak season excursion incidents fell from 11 to 0 in the first year of SSL management. Product destruction cost reduced from ₹14 crore to zero. Non-metro availability during peak season improved from 68% to 97% of target — the brand gained significant share in tier-2 and tier-3 markets. The brand’s supply chain team reduced peak season management time by 70% — SSL’s control tower absorbed the exception management that previously consumed 3 supply chain managers full-time through March–June.
Why SSL Won This Engagement
The brand’s problem was spot market dependency — the root cause of both their excursion incidents and their non-metro availability failure. SSL was the only provider able to make a pre-season capacity commitment backed by owned assets. Our 475-reefer owned fleet — not brokered, not spot market — allowed SSL to guarantee specific reefer counts on specific routes with specific temperature capability. The brand had evaluated two other cold chain providers. Both relied on market reefers for non-metro markets. SSL’s owned fleet depth was the differentiator.
Questions About This Case
How did SSL solve Cold Chain — Ice Cream & Frozen logistics challenges?
SSL was appointed as the brand’s primary cold chain logistics partner — replacing the spot market dependency with SSL’s 475-reefer owned fleet. SSL’s solution covered: dedicated reefer allocation by r… Contact SSL for a full case study discussion.
Can SSL do this for my company?
Yes. SSL has replicated similar solutions across 2,500+ enterprise customers. Contact corporatesales@sslpl.in or call +91-92978-78787 for a customised assessment within 48 hours.
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