The cold chain is under more pressure than ever. As demand for temperature-sensitive medicines continues to surge and healthcare logistics networks race to keep pace, the facilities that store and move these products are being asked to do more with less space, fewer errors, and tighter compliance windows.
Major logistics providers have responded with significant investments in temperature-controlled infrastructure. UPS, for example, has invested $48 million across 27 temperature-controlled freight cross-dock facilities around the globe, citing explosive growth in biologics, GLP-1 injectables, mRNA therapies, and other medicines that require strict, unbroken temperature control from manufacturer to patient. Industry analysts project the market for temperature-sensitive biologics alone will reach $39.1 billion by 2033, growing at an 8.3% compound annual rate. Cold-chain failures already cost the industry an estimated $35 billion per year, and according to the World Health Organization, contribute to up to 50% of global vaccine waste.
The macro story is clear: cold chain infrastructure is being built and upgraded at scale. But large network investments only pay off if the storage systems inside those facilities are working just as hard. That is where UNEX solutions like SpanTrack carton flow come in.
The Cold Chain Problem Starts Inside the Warehouse
It is easy to focus on transportation when thinking about cold chain integrity. But a significant share of temperature excursions, spoilage events, and compliance failures happen inside the four walls, in the refrigerators, freezers, and controlled-temperature pick areas where workers are pulling orders.
The challenges are predictable: limited space, energy costs that spike every time a cooler door stays open too long, FIFO compliance that breaks down under pick pressure, and products that have zero margin for error. For healthcare logistics operations in particular, the stakes extend beyond spoiled inventory. A missed temperature window on a biologic or a mispick on a clinical drug can have patient safety consequences.
What these operations need is not just cold-capable storage equipment. They need systems that actively improve workflow, reduce dwell time inside temperature-controlled zones, and support the kind of inventory discipline that regulated industries demand.
How SpanTrack Carton Flow Solves the Toughest Cold Storage Challenges
UNEX SpanTrack carton flow solutions, including SpanTrack Lane and SpanTrack Wheel Bed, are engineered to perform in exactly these environments. Both systems carry a freezer/cooler rating that allows them to operate reliably at temperatures well below 0°F, making them genuinely suitable for the full spectrum of cold storage environments, from refrigerated pharmaceutical areas to deep-freeze food storage.
Here is what sets SpanTrack apart for temperature-controlled operations:
Gravity-Driven FIFO Without Mechanical Complexity
SpanTrack uses angled roller tracks to automatically move product from the replenishment side to the pick face, without motors, conveyors, or power. For operations managing perishable goods or time-sensitive medications, this gravity-driven FIFO is critical. Older products are always presented first, eliminating inventory management errors that lead to waste and compliance issues.
In a healthcare logistics context, FIFO is not just a best practice. For pharmaceuticals with expiration-sensitive lot control, it is a requirement. SpanTrack enforces it by design.
Faster Picks Mean Less Time in the Cold
Every second a worker spends searching for a product inside a cooler or freezer is a second the door stays open, energy escapes, and the temperature in adjacent zones fluctuates. SpanTrack eliminates dead zones in racking, presents product at the pick face, and gives operators quick, ergonomic access to every SKU in the system.
SpanTrack enables simultaneous restocking from the rear and picking from the front, so workers are never blocking each other and the time the cold storage area is disturbed is minimized. For high-velocity healthcare and food distribution operations, this is a meaningful operational advantage.
Some operations take this concept even further. Thermo Fisher Scientific, a world leader in serving science, redesigned its cooler and freezer areas using SpanTrack carton flow paired with deli doors, allowing workers to pick product through the doors without ever entering the cold zone. The result was a 45% increase in pick efficiency, along with greater slotting flexibility across SKUs of different sizes and improved picking accuracy. Read the full Thermo Fisher Scientific case study to see how it was done.
Learn how ThermoFisher Scientific used SpanTrack to redesign their cooler and freezer picking areas and increase pick efficiency by 45%.
DOWNLOAD THE CASE STUDYCold Storage Space Is Expensive — SpanTrack Makes the Most of It
Cold storage space is among the most expensive square footage in any distribution network. It costs more to build, more to operate, and more to expand. Static shelving wastes a significant portion of that by leaving vertical space unused and creating dead zones where product sits inaccessible.
SpanTrack solutions maximize usable cube by fully utilizing vertical rack space and converting static storage into dense, gravity-fed picking lanes. More product stored in a smaller footprint means fewer square feet of cooler or freezer to maintain, and a direct reduction in energy consumption. For operations managing a large SKU count across refrigerated and frozen zones, this density advantage reduces both the capital cost of storage infrastructure and the ongoing cost of keeping it cold.
SpanTrack also helps minimize the time workers spend inside cold areas by keeping inventory accessible and pick-ready at all times. Fewer trips into the cooler, shorter time at the pick face, and faster replenishment all contribute to lower energy consumption and better cold chain integrity.
Flexibility Across a Wide Range of SKUs
Healthcare logistics operations rarely deal with a uniform product mix. A single facility may handle vaccines, medical devices, dietary supplements, clinical trial materials, and specialty drugs, each in different packaging formats, weights, and temperature ranges.
SpanTrack accommodates varying carton sizes and shapes without requiring custom track configurations for every SKU. SpanTrack Lane is well suited for high-volume, uniform cartons where speed and precision are the priority, while SpanTrack Wheel Bed handles a broader range of carton sizes and weights, making it a strong fit for operations with a more varied product mix. This flexibility is equally valuable in food and beverage cold chain environments, where product mix shifts seasonally and promotional SKUs cycle in and out frequently.
Freezer-Rated Construction, Built to Last
One of the most underappreciated risks in cold storage is equipment degradation. Components that perform well at room temperature can warp, seize, or lose load capacity when subjected to sustained sub-zero conditions. For a cold chain operation, that kind of failure is not just a maintenance issue. It is a product integrity issue.
SpanTrack is specifically engineered for freezer and cooler environments. The wheels, rollers, and channels are constructed with materials that handle thermal stress without deteriorating, maintaining smooth carton flow and consistent load capacity whether the system is installed in a pharmaceutical cooler at 34°F or a deep-freeze storage area well below 0°F. This kind of durable, purpose-built construction is what separates a long-term performance asset from a piece of equipment that requires constant attention.
The system's performance on day one is its performance in year five. For operations where downtime is not an option, that kind of reliability matters.
SpanTrack Lane and SpanTrack Wheel Bed: Choosing the Right Solution for Your Cold Chain Operation
Both SpanTrack Lane and SpanTrack Wheel Bed are freezer/cooler rated and built for demanding temperature-controlled environments. The right choice depends on your product mix, pick volume, and slotting requirements.
SpanTrack Lane
SpanTrack Lane is a gravity-driven carton flow roller system that uses angled steel roller tracks to smoothly and consistently move product from the replenishment aisle to the pick face. It is designed for high-volume operations handling uniform cartons with consistent dimensions, where speed, reliability, and controlled flow are critical.
Key benefits for temperature-controlled operations:
- Gravity-driven FIFO ensures older product is always picked first, a requirement for pharmaceutical lot control and perishable goods management
- Eliminates dead zones and deep-reach areas that slow picks and increase time spent inside cold zones
- Maximizes vertical storage density within existing rack structures, reducing the refrigerated or frozen footprint required
- Low-profile and high-profile configurations allow SpanTrack Lane to be integrated into virtually any existing pallet rack system
- Freezer/cooler rated well below 0°F with rollers and channels built to resist warping, cracking, and performance loss in sustained cold environments
SpanTrack Lane is the right choice for operations with predictable, high-velocity SKUs where dedicated lanes and consistent carton dimensions are the norm. Think pharmaceutical distribution centers managing large quantities of the same product, or food distribution facilities running high-volume case picks across frozen and refrigerated zones.
SpanTrack Wheel Bed
SpanTrack Wheel Bed is a universal carton flow bed that drops into existing rack structures to create a fully flexible flow system. Its skate-wheel design supports cartons at multiple contact points across the full width of the bed, allowing it to handle a wide variety of carton sizes and weights within the same lane configuration.
Key benefits for temperature-controlled operations:
- Universal wheel bed design accommodates varying carton sizes and weights without requiring reconfiguration, making it ideal for diverse SKU environments
- Simultaneous rear replenishment and front picking reduce the time workers spend in cold zones and eliminate congestion at the pick face
- High load capacity supports heavier items common in pharmaceutical and medical device distribution
- Infeed guides and wheel bed guide rails can be added to maintain organized lane separation even when product sizes vary
- Freezer/cooler rated below 0°F with durable wheel construction designed to maintain smooth flow in extreme cold
SpanTrack Wheel Bed is the right choice for operations managing a broad, dynamic product mix, including facilities handling vaccines alongside medical devices, or food and beverage operations where seasonal SKU variation requires a system that can adapt without complex reconfigurations.
Both solutions can be configured with options and accessories including impact zones, slow-down strips, lane guard rails, and knuckled end treatments that further tailor carton flow performance to the specific demands of cold chain picking environments.
Cold Chain Logistics Is Growing More Complex. Can Your Storage Keep Up?
Temperature-controlled logistics is becoming more complex. As therapies like cell and gene treatments reach the market and GLP-1 medications continue their rapid adoption, products moving through cold chain networks will demand increasingly precise handling. Healthcare logistics providers, 3PLs, pharmaceutical distributors, and food and beverage operators are all being asked to do more within the same four walls.
The growth in temperature-sensitive products is reshaping logistics infrastructure at every level, from large global distribution networks down to the individual pick module inside a regional distribution center. Investments in transport capacity and facility footprint are the visible response. But the efficiency of those investments ultimately depends on what is happening at the rack level, including how quickly pickers can locate product, how well inventory rotation is enforced, and how much energy is consumed in the process.
UNEX SpanTrack carton flow solutions are purpose-built for that operational reality. Whether you are managing refrigerated pharmaceuticals, frozen food, or any other temperature-sensitive product category, SpanTrack delivers the FIFO discipline, pick efficiency, space utilization, and cold-rated durability your operation needs to perform consistently and compliantly.
Contact UNEX today to learn how SpanTrack can strengthen your temperature-controlled storage operation, or build a solution using our free product design tool!
