Physically yes, with a multi-temperature trailer and movable bulkheads. Commercially it is usually a bad trade for the frozen consignment. A shared load means shared delivery stops, and every stop for the chilled compartment is an opening event that appears on your temperature record even when your own compartment stays closed.
What a multi-temperature trailer actually is
A trailer divided into two or three compartments by insulated movable bulkheads, each served by its own evaporator or by a diverted air supply, each with its own set point and its own recorder. The equipment is standard and it works. The issues are operational rather than technical.
The real objections
- Compartment integrity depends on the bulkhead being correctly positioned and sealed. Bulkheads get moved to fit awkward pallets.
- Chilled goods are usually multi-drop. Frozen goods usually are not. A shared load inherits the chilled schedule.
- A defrost cycle or a door opening on the warm side raises the load on the unit and can push the frozen compartment above its set point during recovery.
- Cross-contamination and allergen questions arise when the chilled cargo is raw animal product and the frozen cargo is ready-to-eat fruit. Segregation has to be demonstrable, not assumed.
- If your goods are organic, segregation and identification have to be maintained and documented across the whole chain.
When it is reasonable
- Both consignments belong to the same consignee and are delivered together.
- The frozen compartment is the front compartment, closest to the unit, and is not opened en route.
- Both compartments have independent calibrated recorders and you receive both traces.
- The bulkhead position is recorded on the consignment note.
If you accept a mixed load, ask for the trace of the other compartment as well. It explains anomalies in yours.