Fresh Strawberries Ready to be Transported

The Logistics of Summer’s Favourite Produce

From strawberries and raspberries to blueberries and blackberries, soft fruits are a summer staple for consumers across Ireland and the UK. But while demand peaks in warmer months, ensuring these delicate, perishable products arrive in peak condition takes more than just cold storage — it requires a responsive, specialist logistics network.

HANNON Transport provides temperature-controlled groupage and full load transport solutions that connect Europe’s berry-growing regions with Irish and UK retailers. Our services are purpose-built to handle short shelf lives, temperature sensitivity, and just-in-time delivery needs that define the soft fruit supply chain.

A High-Demand Product with a Fragile Profile

Berries are among the most sensitive fresh produce items on the market. Their thin skins and high moisture content make them especially vulnerable to spoilage and bruising — putting pressure on every part of the supply chain to preserve product quality and extend shelf life.

Key challenges for soft fruit logistics include:

• Temperature Control: Most berries require a strict range between 0°C and 2°C to prevent spoilage, preserve texture, and avoid over-ripening.
• Short Shelf Life: With a limited freshness window, berries must move quickly from grower to shelf, particularly during peak summer demand.
• Handling Sensitivity: Poor handling causes bruising and degradation. Transport solutions must account for soft packaging and careful loading/unloading.
• Market Timing: Supermarkets, foodservice buyers, and importers rely on timely availability for seasonal promotions and consumer expectations.

European Growing Regions Feeding UK & Irish Demand

While local supply from Ireland and the UK is strong from May to September, European imports are essential for variety, early-season availability, and supply chain continuity.

Spain & Portugal – Key early-season suppliers for strawberries and raspberries

Netherlands & Belgium – Greenhouse-grown berries offer consistency and premium quality

France & Italy – Known for flavourful blackberries and mixed soft fruit trays

Ireland & UK – Locally sourced berries during peak months help reduce food miles

This cross-border mix requires a dependable logistics partner with real-time visibility, temperature control, and efficient customs clearance.

HANNON’s Role: Trusted Partner for Perishable Berry Transport

HANNON Transport is already trusted by leading importers and wholesalers across Ireland, Northern Ireland, and mainland Europe for the reliable movement of high-risk, high-value soft fruit loads.

We offer:

Precision Temperature Control
Our dual-temperature trailers maintain berry-specific conditions between 0°C and 2°C, backed by real-time monitoring and active temperature logging.

Just-in-Time Groupage Services
With daily departures from Europe, we minimise lead times and reduce warehouse dwell. Our groupage model allows flexible consolidation for mixed loads, especially useful for smaller growers and distributors.

Expertise in Delicate Handling
Our planners and drivers are trained in the movement of soft packaged produce. Loading protocols are designed to reduce bruising and handling-related damage, preserving product integrity to the point of sale.

Seamless Cross-Border Logistics
We manage in-house customs clearance, including for EU–NI and EU–ROI shipments, and offer full support across the UK landbridge. Our door-to-door service reduces complexity and ensures full compliance.

Plan Ahead for Summer Peaks

Summer is peak season for soft fruit consumption — and poor logistics can cost importers and retailers valuable sales. Bank holidays, warm weekends, and promotional spikes all drive short-term demand, and missed deliveries often lead to waste, lost margin, and shelf gaps.

Now is the time to secure dependable transport solutions that can handle this seasonal surge with precision.

Talk to Us About Your Berry Supply Chain

Whether you’re importing greenhouse-grown Dutch blueberries or distributing Irish strawberries across supermarket networks, HANNON Transport has the infrastructure, expertise, and flexibility to keep your berries moving — fresh, on time, and protected.

Get in touch today to discuss your summer transport needs.

What HANNON Transport Delivers
HANNON Transport provides temperature-controlled groupage logistics between Ireland and Europe. We operate high-frequency groupage [LTL] and full load [FTL] services between Netherlands and Ireland [NL–IE], Belgium and Ireland [BE–IE], and across other key European lanes.

Our services are trusted by food and fresh produce importers, wholesalers, and distributors who require fast, reliable access to and from Europe—with full customs compliance, flexible collection options, and secure temperature control from first pallet to final delivery.

Transport & Handling

Routes: NL–IE, BE–IE, ES–IE, FR–IEHS Codes: 08102010 – Raspberries, fresh; 08104030 – Blueberries, fresh; 08102030 – Blackberries, fresh
Handling Conditions: 0°C to 2°C, 90–95% RH
Service Capabilities: Groupage [LTL], Full Load [FTL], Dual-Temperature Trailers, Chilled Transport, Cross-Docking, Customs Clearance [EU–NI] [EU–ROI] [NI–ROI], Temperature-Controlled Logistics, Own Fleet, Just-in-Time Delivery