MED FRIGO / CARGO MED: “The development of commercial networks is our business too"

The company, based in Patras, organized in 2 specialized departments, MED FRIGO and CARGOMED, has been active since 1991 to provide integrated services for the management, transport, and distribution of temperature-controlled goods and in particular seafood, food, raw materials, and medicines.

• For exports from Greece to Europe, MED FRIGO delivers reliably to more than 400 points directly every week. It ensures continuous and "always on time" support of the Greek export companies' activities in 14 European countries with scheduled departures and arrivals.
• CARGO MED, for imports from Europe to Greece, picks up, transports, and delivers goods 365 days a year. Specializing in groupage transport, every week, more than 70 refrigerator trucks reach 110 points daily in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Southern France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Northern Germany, bound for Greece.

The Vision

To be among the best in its field. Among the best in offering quality and integrated services in road transport and in managing temperature-controlled products. With a commitment to its customers, partners, and staff to operate consistently, ensuring continuity and duration through investment and continuous development.

Without complacency

• Participation in the e-CMR program. MED FRIGO, in the framework of the AEOLIX LL12 e-CMR program, led by the IRU (International Road Transport Union), coordinated in Greece by the Hellenic Federation of Road Transports (OFAE), in collaboration with Nestle Hellas, a long-term customer acquired through the know-how the company has developed to participate in international electronic tenders, completed on Friday, April 12, 2019, the first cross-border food shipment from Sevares, Spain to Aspropyrgos, using digital CMR.

Upon pick up and delivery, a digital signature was made with a timestamp and coordinates of the loading-unloading points. At the Nestle distribution center, the unloading was attended by the Director-General of Transport of the Ministry of Infrastructure & Transport, stressing thus the Ministry’s interest in the application.

And of course, MED FRIGO, as pioneer in the field, has already proceeded to the next step, using the application for its shipments, in full or in part, from Greece to Spain, thus implementing the first exports to a European destination. In a period of 3 months, with the training of 41 drivers, the company performed 85 missions in 4 different delivery points, both with full and partial loads.

The digitization of CMRs and consignment notes has shown that it can bring immediate and significant benefits, such as reduced operating costs, less bureaucracy, greater accuracy and transparency in the flow of information, real-time data exchange, and a significant reduction in paper volume. The company issues and manages over 100.000 CMRs every year (currently needing 5.000 kg or 1.000.000 A4 pages).

ΜΕD FRIGO, anticipating the needs of the international market, has been implementing procedures for completing and issuing CMR forms since 1999 and electronically through an accounting application since 2003. This participation aimed to acquire know-how and shape, together with the other stakeholders, the framework of its implementation at a pan-European level. With this pilot application, Greece (with MED FRIGO) achieved significant success at pan-European level and has become one of the first countries to reap the benefits of digitizing transport documents in cross-border transport.

Investments continue

In 2018, our group proceeded with two major investments:

• It created the new state-of-the-art Logistics center in Igoumenitsa, with 2,800 sq.m. covered refrigerated areas, and
• 16 trucks of EURO 6 technology refrigerators. This way, our privately-owned fleet has reached 55 modern vehicles.

In 2019, investments continued both regarding the replacement and addition of new vehicles, which means that now 95% of the capacity of our owned fleet is made up of EURO 6 trucks, and the expansion of the Igoumenitsa facility to 3,800 sq.m., thus increasing the freezer/deep freezer storage capacity.

Continuing to focus on new technology, MED FRIGO has completed investments in both infrastructure and systems and has been certified as an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) for Customs Simplification/Security and Protection, ensuring benefits such as:

• Less physical inspections and document inspections.
• Priority in handling loads, if selected for inspection.
• Selection of the place of inspection.
• Easier adjustment to customs simplifications.
• Reduced data set for summary declarations.
• Warning.
• Recognition as a secure business partner.
• Mutual recognition.

These investments also resulted in the certification of the company with ISO 27001, information systems security.