Cold storage and freezer environments present one of the toughest labor challenges in the supply chain. The work is repetitive, physically demanding, and takes place in temperatures most people simply cannot tolerate for long periods of time. Because of that, turnover is high, absenteeism is common, and hiring is a constant battle. In a recent conversation with a leader who manages frozen distribution for a major regional grocery chain, he summarized the challenge clearly: “Entry-level in the freezer is going to be a problem anywhere. Even if you expand the search to thirty or forty miles, it’s harder to get people to drive that far to work in a freezer to begin with. Everybody’s using the same labor pool.” This dynamic of a limited labor supply, high turnover, specialized conditions, and more, is exactly why so many cold storage operations rely heavily on staffing agencies. But as this operator pointed out, adding more agencies doesn’t necessarily improve reliability.

When “More Agencies” Doesn’t Mean Better Labor

This warehouse manager had previously worked with four agencies and recently reduced down to two. He said “We retained four agencies, and we went down to two. We streamlined.” Why? Managing multiple agencies creates administrative complexity, without necessarily improving labor reliability. His reason for reducing was simple: “It’s a lot better for communication, data processing, the payroll, everything.” But even after consolidation, the main problem remains that most agencies are sourcing from the same worker pool, and much of that pool is already burned out in freezer environments. As he said: “Any new agency is going to pick up folks that have been discarded from another facility, fired for theft, attendance, and low productivity. Then we're just hiring someone else’s trash at that point.” The system doesn’t improve, it just churns.

The Real Issue: Workers Who Think They Can Handle the Freezer vs. Those Who Actually Can

A major driver of turnover is the gap between expectation and reality. Workers accept freezer assignments without fully understanding what the environment is like. Once the cold sets in and the pace becomes real, many leave quickly. That means most labor programs in cold storage aren’t actually selecting for capability, they’re selecting for willingness to try. The key isn’t increasing the size of the labor pool, it’s filtering for people who have succeeded in cold environments before. That’s where the approach has to fundamentally shift.

How Traba Addresses These Labor Challenges

Traba is not just another agency sourcing from the same list of general labor applicants. The platform is designed to surface and retain workers who have a proven track record in cold storage environments.

1. Worker Matching Based on Actual On-Site Performance

Traba tracks worker performance at the shift level, not just the assignment level. That means operators can filter for workers who have already:

• Worked in freezer environments

• Demonstrated high attendance reliability

• Maintained acceptable pick/pack or palletizing productivity

• Returned for repeat shifts without issue
  
  

As a result customers see an improvement in shift completion rates when they filter for freezer-experienced workers.

2. Cold-Environment Shift Pre-Qualification

Before accepting a cold storage shift, workers must:

• Convince the recruiter they can work in the temperature range (e.g., -10°F to +34°F zones) and not the other way around

• Confirm access to proper gear (gloves, thermal layers)

This eliminates workers who would otherwise no-show or walk off early.

3. Real-Time On-Shift Attendance & Support

The Traba team communicates who is checked in, who is late, and who is en route live. Meanwhile, Traba’s worker support team proactively:

• Confirms shift arrival

• Replaces late/no-show workers in minutes when needed

• Maintains direct SMS communication with workers

This way, supervisors spend less time communicating with agencies trying to backfill shifts

4. Labor Visibility and Reporting

Traba provides facility-level reporting on:

• Attendance

• No-show rates

• Worker performance in specific departments (Freezer, Cooler, Dry, Sortation, Dock, Packaging)

This allows teams to standardize which workers are consistently freezer-capable and build a stable recurring labor roster.

The Outcome

Instead of constantly re-sourcing new labor, cold storage facilities using Traba:

• Stabilize attendance in freezer zones

• Reduce retraining and onboarding waste

• Keep experienced workers coming back

• Lower supervisor stress
  
  

It’s not about finding more workers, it’s about finding the right workers who can actually do the job, and supporting them so they stay.