Guidelines for truck and trailer temperature mapping for GDP
Pharma logistics companies need a clear process for mapping refrigerated trucks and trailers that satisfies GDP auditors. Here is how to do it right.
Table of contents
What is truck and trailer temperature mapping?
Truck and trailer mapping is the process of placing calibrated data loggers inside a refrigerated vehicle to verify that it can maintain the required pharmaceutical storage temperatures uniformly throughout its cargo space.
The study identifies hot spots and cold spots, tests how the vehicle responds to operational stress events like door openings and reefer unit failures, and produces the documented evidence needed for GDP qualification. The results determine where to place permanent monitoring sensors and whether the vehicle is fit for pharmaceutical transport.
If you are familiar with warehouse mapping, the concept is the same. The difference is that trucks introduce a set of variables that warehouses do not have: shorter study windows, vibration, route variability, ambient temperature swings during transit, and the practical constraint that every hour a truck is parked for mapping is an hour it is not earning revenue.
Also see: Temperature mapping: Tips, frameworks, and pitfalls
Is mapping required for trucks and trailers?
Yes. If you use refrigerated vehicles to transport pharmaceutical products, temperature mapping is a regulatory expectation under GDP.
The EU GDP guidelines (2013/C 343/01), Chapter 9.4, state that for temperature-sensitive products, qualified equipment should be used to maintain correct transport conditions. The guidelines further specify that temperature mapping under representative conditions should be carried out, taking into account seasonal variations, and that monitoring equipment must be calibrated at least annually.
The WHO Technical Report Series No. 961, Annex 9, Supplement 11 provides specific guidance on qualification of refrigerated road vehicles, including sensor placement, stress testing, and documentation requirements.
In the US, USP <1079> takes a risk-based approach, requiring documented evidence that temperature conditions are maintained during transportation. A proposed new chapter, USP <1079.5>, focuses specifically on transportation lane temperature mapping and qualification – a sign that expectations around transport validation are tightening.
For logistics companies working with pharma customers, a completed mapping study is often a prerequisite for contract approval. Without it, you may not be considered for pharmaceutical transport work at all. See how one US freight company approached this: How Eagle Air Freight built a GDP pharma logistics operation.
Download a GDP mapping protocol template
Save time and avoid deviations with a ready-to-use protocol template. Define objectives, acceptance criteria, sensor plans, and reporting in line with GDP expectations – all in one structured document.
Eagle Air Freight’s journey to GDP-ready temperature compliance
See how Eagle Air Freight conducts GDP-compliant truck temperature mappings and established compliance procedures fit for healthcare logistics.
