Archive For The “In-Transit Issues” Category
It has been nearly three decades since TransFresh Corporation’s Rich Macleod created the Fresh Produce Mixer & Loading Guide and he still receives requests for 100 or more of the guides each year.
The guide continues to be a useful tool in preventing the transporting of incompatible fruits and vegetables, which can result in the loss of product quality, and even lead to claims or rejected loads.
Over the years Macleod believes increased knowledge of what produce items mix well together during transit has contributed to reducing problems with refrigerated produce loads arriving at destination – particularly on longer hauls. As stated on the guide, “Some items may tolerate less than perfect conditions for short periods (less than two days). Produce mix and temperature becomes critical with longer transit times.”
However, despite all of the information available on the topic, problems with arrivals of product at destination due to incompatibility of the produce on board still occurs.
“They (shippers) know if there is a load that is 90 percent head lettuce and there is a pallet of apples in the trailer, that is not good,” Macleod says. But sometimes chances are taken with incompatible items, especially if the transit time is not very long.
“The sensitivity of what does and doesn’t go on a load has really improved in the last five years,” Macleod notes.
He adds there are more larger carriers hauling produce and they are becoming more sophisticated with what to put in the trailer on mixed loads. He laments there seems to be fewer independent owner operator than in the past doing long haul trucking.
Macleod sees more shippers using their own brand on many fruits and vegetables, and they have become more particular how these products are loaded and transported because their name or brand is on the box.
He points out when a produce hauler picks up product in a warmer climate, there usually is a lot of activity, because a lot of produce is being moved. This increases the chance the product may not have been pre-cooled. While Macleod does not see this as a huge problems, he notes it still does happen.
“The primary protection for the driver (and receiver) is they know the pulp temperature of the product going into the trailer,” Macleod says.
Since Macleod works a lot with strawberry shipments, particularly through TransFresh’s Techtrol program, he is seeing less resistance to the driver being provided pulp temperature information on product just being load. He isn’t sure if it is a major problem with other produce commodities.
‘In the packaged vegetable industry they (shippers) clearly don’t want the driver punching a hole in it, but there is a way to do it. But it’s incredibly important to what that (pulp) temperature is going into the trailer,” Macleod stresses. “It impacts how much demand is going to be put on your reefer unit, the quality of the product, and it can impact the chances of rejected loads.”
Even if the driver did not observe the loading, he can still alert the customer (receiver) while still at the dock, if he notices the product is three to four degrees warmer than it should be.
(This is the fourth in a five-part series featuring an interview with Rich Macleod, vice president, pallet division North America for TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA. He has been with the company since 1976, and has a masters degree in post harvest science from the University of California, Davis.)
Cross docking has become more popular, especially in the past 10 to 15 years, as shippers deal with shortages of drivers and equipment, and with the rising popularity of loads mixed with several different fresh produce commodities, possibly from several different growers or other entities. This increases the chances of quality problems from the heat or cold at open docks, depending upon the time of the year.
It is common for temperature recording devices to keep a record of how long that trailer door is open. It also will record the spike in temperature in the trailer due to warm weather, or the drop of temperature in colder environments.
“If you are a driver, there’s a full recording of how long that door is open and that can come back to haunt the driver at destination,” states Rich Macleod of TransFresh Corp. of Salinas, CA, whose career has been dedicated to improving in-transist issues associated with fresh produce, and how to improve upon delivering a fresh, quality product.
“If you are at an open loading dock, you need to turn your reefer unit off when the product is being loaded,” Macleod cautions.
Otherwise, a running refrigeration unit will be sucking warm air across the trailer floor and into the reefer unit. This puts exceptional demand on that reefer unit, he notes. If there is warm air coming across the unit’s coils, that results in a lot more condensation — and freezing.
“So the first thing that happens when you close the trailer doors is that unit goes into defrost So then you just further aggravate what ever break you have in the cold chain. So back up to the dock, shut off the reefer, load, and then close the trailer door and re-start the reefer unit. You will have colder loads,” Macleod relates.
One situation Macleod is noticing is when a partial load of strawberries is loaded at Watsonsville, CA and the driver proceeds to the Central San Joaquin Valley to fill out the trailer with stone fruit.
“The trucker backs up to the dock and sometimes that driver will leave the reefer unit running. then they (shipper) re-balance the load, perhaps placing the heavier commodities in the front of the trailer.. They pull the strawberries (off the truck), place them on the loading dock to move in the other product. Typically, those strawberries will start picking up temperature within 15 to 30 minutes,” Macleod says.
Of course, factors such as whether those strawberries on the dock are sitting in the shade, or sun, whether the wind is blowing, temperature, etc.
This has resulted in strawberry shippers insisting the strawberries being picked up and loaded last onto the trailer.
(This is the third in a five-part series featuring an interview with Rich Macleod, vice president, pallet division North America for TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA. He has been with the company since 1976, and has a masters degree in post harvest science from the University of California, Davis.)
(To see the TransFresh and Techtrol atmosphere checklist go to the Haulproduce.com post of April 10, 2014, or to: www.transfresh.com)
One of the most important functions to perform when loading a refrigerated trailer is to take not only the pulp temperature, but an adequate number of pulp temperatures. But how many is enough?
Rich Macleod of TransFresh Corp. in Salinas, CA states, “I would get two temperature readings per pallet from each lot going into the trailer. If you had a lot of peaches, nectarines and plums, you would want at least two pulp temperatures from each of those stone fruits – so about six pulp temperatures.”
TransFresh is well known in the produce industry and the refrigerated trucking industry for its Techtrol atmosphere process where carbon dioxide (CO2) is pumped into a plastic bag that covers and surrounds a pallet of strawberries and some other perishable fruits. Studies have shown Techtrol’s CO2 atmosphere extends the shelf life of some fruits.
It is critical to know whether produce items have been pre-cooled at shipping point and what the temperature of the product is when loaded. It could mean a big difference upon arrival at destination, especially if there is an issue with the quality and condition of the product.
This is of course in a perfect world, which often is non existant at shipping point. Macleod is well attuned to the “politics” and what goes on at loading docks. Too often, there may be resistance at the dock when a trucker wants to take his own pulp temperatures.
“In the strawberry trade we run into this (at the loading dock) because they don’t want the trucker punching holes in the techtrol bag. (At least) that is the excuse. We very carefully train our customers to let the drivers do that and just take a piece of tape and cover it (the hole in the bag) back up again. There are special stickers so you can cover the hole,” Macleod says.
He is aware the driver must contend with the policies of management at shipping point. The driver might even have to deal with a forklift driver, who on that particular day just doesn’t want to take the time to allow for the pulp reading. In reality, Macleod said it usually comes down to the “outlook” of the people where the loading is taking place.
“As important as it (taking pulp temperatures), I don’t think that is a real comfortable thing for drivers to do. What I see is maybe 10 to 15 percent of the loads get pulped by the driver,” Macleod observes. “The key is the driver should be aware of what the pulp temperature is. Some shippers, or people on the dock will take the pulp temperature for them (driver).”
From the shipper’s point of view and from a safety aspect, Macleod notes, when a shipper and the trucker take the pulp temperature together, that is okay. If the shipper is concerned about food safety issues, whose temperature probe do you want used?
(This is the second in a five-part series featuring an interview with Rich Macleod, vice president, pallet division North America for TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA. He has been with the company since 1976, and has a masters degree in post harvest science from the University of California, Davis.)
As technology creeps more and more into our daily lives it is becoming more invasive through monitoring and surveillance devices. Whether it is the collection of our buying habits or social media postings, we are being tracked. It certainly extends to professional drivers who deliver most of our nation’s freight.
“The electronic policing, or monitoring, has got to be incredibly irritating to the drivers,” states Rich Macleod (see photo) of TransFresh Corp. in Salinas, CA, who has spent nearly four decades studying in-transit issues that have resulted in valuable information for the refrigerated trucking industry. For example, his creation of the Fresh Produce Mixer & Loading Guide in the 1990s is still used as a reference, and has undoubtedly contributed to preventing countless number of claims and rejected loads.
Macleod laments during the past two generations of truckers, it has moved away from the independent owner operators, or the “cowboy” image, towards team drivers and relay teams.
He correctly views the long haul drivers as very independent individuals, but now those truckers are being asked (or told) to have electronic monitoring of their log books, not to mention deal with other modern day devices.
“I imagine there is a lot of grinding and gnarling of teeth (by drivers),” Macleod says. “How that relates to loading and check lists is just going to be a fact of life.”
It is noted there are trucks coming out of Mexico being ripped off by gangs and cartels, which is just something else contributing to the monitoring and surveillance of the physical location of loads, not to mention the in-transit temperature at any given time.
“We are just going to have to get over it and play in that Orson Wells world,” Macleod relates. “In some respects it is unfortunate, but it’s a fact of life.”
Continuing, Macleod adds, “The reality is, you can have all of this fancy technology and this ‘eye’ in the sky, but if that reefer unit is not maintained properly, if the bulkheads are not maintained properly, and if the load isn’t unloaded correctly, this monitoring is quite frankly blowin’ smoke.”
He reminds everyone the real goal in trucking is to deliver fresh perishables at the right temperature in a timely fashion.
“It still remains with the foot print of the driver to assure his load is protected and with the correct temperature.”
However, it also is important to have a good relationship between the buyer (receiver) and the shipper at loading point. Macleod gave a scenario where a driver may have a great checklist, know what he is doing, yet be forced to compromise, due to something like the number of pallets being put in the trailer.
“It is upon the driver to be vigilant,” he stresses. because one or both of the parties involved in the transaction may want to put two or four more pallets in that trailer that already has 26 or more pallets in it. The driver knows it could adversely affect anything from air circulation to being over weight. “That driver may lose the argument in such a case, but he’s really the last in the line of defense, to avoid unnecessary problems – and it helps if that driver is knowledgeable in these areas.”
This is where a check list….becomes a key component. Speaking of check lists, one can be found at www.transfresh.com.
“We are doing all of this monitoring, figuring out where the load is, and making sure the load is at the right temperature,” Macleod surmised. “Yet, the loading dock person can mess this whole thing up. If the goal is to maintain the product at the proper temperature, it can be at the wrong temperature even though you tracked it perfectly across country.”
(This is the first in a five-part series featuring an interview with Rich Macleod, vice president, pallet division North America for TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA. He has been with the company since 1976, and has a masters degree in post harvest science from the University of California, Davis.)
There are numerous factors that must be considered at all times to properly maintain the temperature sensitive products being transported. Successful cold chains require planning, communication, and the right technology at every step of the journey, according to an article in the online publication, Fresh Fruit Portal.com.
People are continuously searching for a better (and often more cost effective) way to safely transport temperature controlled items around the world.
This stems from a combination of globalization, increased safety regulations, and growing customer demands. Customers in northern regions are coming to expect the availability of fresh tropical fruit all year long. As the world shrinks, so too does the idea of “seasonal produce” and “regional products”.
This trend has led to increased maritime transportation of temperature sensitive products. Perhaps not the most recent invention, but certainly one of the most popular resources used in temperature controlled shipping are refrigerated containers. In fact, in 1980 only 33% of refrigerated capacity was containerized, whereas in 2010 this share was up to 90%, according to a study from Hofstra University.
Thanks to these containers, temperature controlled products can withstand longer transit times without spoiling and consumers around the world can experience exotic foods and goods – perhaps for the first time – without leaving their local grocery store.
For an industry that’s constantly improving, the question soon becomes: “What’s next? How can we improve refrigeration technology for the changing industry?” The answer is not necessarily in improved cooling abilities (although that certainly plays a role), but rather on the supervision and reporting capabilities of reefers.
Today’s technology offers a variety of tools to not only keep products at the right temperature, but to better monitor the load – from temperature sensors and GPS tracking to self-reporting alerts for computers and mobile devices. Smart refrigerated units even help monitor the location, temperature, humidity, and motion of shipments in real time.
Advanced tracking abilities give relevant parties advanced warning of any changes or malfunctions with the equipment. These types of notifications can help ensure necessary maintenance is performed regularly or even secure alternate capacity before a load is compromised. Unfortunately, this type of technology can be costly. Until the price tag comes down, it’s important to weigh the benefits you’ll receive with the expense involved.
Whether or not you decide to employ the latest technology, it’s important to remember other tried and true methods to protect your temperature sensitive freight. From clear communication to process improvements, it is critical to encompass all involved parties in any changes. At a minimum, this should include carriers, vendors, providers, and receivers.
Like the rest of the transportation industry and the world at large, temperature controlled shipping is changing. Technology plays a large role in the dynamic changes we’re already seeing and will continue to see for many years to come. It wouldn’t be surprising if in the near future there will be the ability to regulate the temperature of refrigerated equipment from mobile devices as easily as changing the thermostat at home.
Two transportation related companies are among several organizations that have been named as New Product Award finalists by the United Fresh Production Association. The winner will be honored at the association’s annul convention and expo in Chicago June 10-13.
Allen Lund Co.
The customizable truck load transportation management software (TMS) is designed to simplify and streamline the tendering and tracking of freight. The ALC software provides the option to simply and quickly award a load directly to a shipper’s carrier, create a spot bid that goes to your selected carriers, or use the custom routing guide feature to award the load to a carrier based on pre-loaded contract rates. You can maintain both historical and current routing / pricing guides for all your contract carriers.
The Allen Lund Company was established in 1976 and is a national third-party transportation broker with nationwide offices and over 390 employees working with shippers and carriers across the nation providing transport for dry, refrigerated (specializing in produce), and flatbed freight. Additionally, the Allen Lund Company has a Logistics & Software division, ALC Logistics, as well as an International division.
Locus Traxx
Disposable by design, the SmartTraxx GO by Locus Traxx Worldwide of Jupiter, FL is the temp-recorder done better. Pull the tab, instantly temperature and location data begin streaming in real-time to the cloud. Complete visibility at your fingertips, in transit and at the dock.
The OverSight™ system blends sophisticated SmartTraxx™ telematics with innovative, SmartTag™ wireless sensors to continuously monitor and instantly send data on shipment temperature, door security and location from shipments on the road to your computer or Smartphone.
When any issue is detected, Intelligent Alert text and email messages are automatically sent. This gives you and your team the information you need, when you need it.
No driver involvement. No power required. Simply put the sytem in place and it will start notifiying you of shipment details.
Salinas, CA — There’s no doubt that rejections can ruin your whole day, and maybe even your whole season. TransFresh Corporation and its Tectrol Service Network have issued a “Loading and Transportation Checklist” in time for peak berry season in order to help ensure consistent handling and transportation of perishables and to help avoid loads that arrive too hot, too cold or have issues that impact quality, resulting in possible rejections.
Because Tectrol Modified Atmosphere safeguards berry quality, always take extra caution not to snag or tear Tectrol pallet bags during loading or while in-transit – this could compromise the positive benefits of Tectrol. Also be sure to maintain a proper reefer set point temperature for consistency and optimal quality at delivery.
In addition, the experts with TransFresh Tectrol advise:
BEFORE LOADING ALWAYS CHECK:
* The refrigeration system to be certain it’s calibrated and in good repair
* The trailer bulkhead and air chute. They must be in good repair
* The trailer, doors, walls and floor to be sure they are clean and in good repair
* The trailer to make sure its odor and taint free
* To be sure you know the buyer’s loading instructions and products that can be loaded Rick Macleod, TransFresh together (to see Tectrol Mixer and Loading Guide, click on the TransFresh ad, then click on “resources” and then the “Mixer Guide.”)
To be certain the trailer has been pre-cooled prior to loading
* To ensure that product pulp temperatures are confirmed at loading
DURING LOADING ALWAYS CHECK:
** The reefer unit to be sure it’s turned OFF
** The entire load to be sure it’s on pallets, floor racks, a deep “T” or deep duct type floor
** The entire load to be sure it’s at least two inches off flat sidewalls
** To be sure the load does not block, touch or collapse the air chute
** Rear stacks to be sure they’re not against doors
** Bracing materials such as gates, paper or load locks to be certain they do not block air flow under or around the load
** To be sure that wet or iced items are separated from dry items by waterproof material
** To be sure that uneven or unlike pallet units or stacks are well braced
** To be sure that load locks and gates are secure
IMPORTANT IN-TRANSIT DOS and DON’T’S
- Never off-load cold product onto non-refrigerated docks
- Never block air flow under or anywhere else in the load
- Never interrupt refrigeration while in transit
- Never extend loading or unloading times especially at non-refrigerated docks or with doors open
- Never run reefer unit in fuel saver modes during summer months
- Always check reefer performance and product pulp temperature regularly
- Always notify your Buyer/Dispatcher if you have loading or transit problems
Finally:
The trailer will transfer sun and road heat through the insulated trailer walls into the product. The only way to minimize this is to use low reefer set points and maximize reefer air movement around the load. Running refrigeration units in high speed fan mode during the hottest day time periods can significantly reduce product warming potential.
A new study in the Journal of Food Protection’s February issue details that temperature abuse during commercial transport and retail sale of leafy greens negatively impacts both microbial safety and product quality. Consequently, the effect of fluctuating temperatures on Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes growth in commercially-bagged salad greens was assessed during transport, retail storage, and display.
Thus, proper tempertures in-transit of bagged salads is very important.
Over a 16-month period, a series of time-temperature profiles for bagged salads were obtained from five transportation routes covering four geographic regions (432 profiles), as well as during retail storage (4,867 profiles) and display (3,799 profiles). Five different time-temperature profiles collected during 2 to 3 days of transport, 1 and 3 days of retail storage, and 3 days of retail display were then duplicated in a programmable incubator to assess E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes growth in commercial bags of romaine lettuce mix.
Microbial growth predictions were validated by comparing the root mean square error (RMSE), bias, and the acceptable prediction zone between the laboratory growth data and model predictions. Simulations were performed to calculate the probability distribution of microbial growth from 8,122,127,472 scenarios during transport, cold room storage, and retail display.
Using inoculated bags of retail salad, E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes populations increased a maximum of 3.1 and 3.0 at retail storage. Both models yielded acceptable and biases within the acceptable prediction zone for E. coli O157:H7.
Based on the simulation, both pathogens generally increased <2 log CFU/g during transport, storage, and display. However, retail storage duration can significantly impact pathogen growth. This large-scale U.S. study—the first using commercial time/temperature profiles to assess the microbial risk of leafy greens—should be useful in filling some of the data gaps in current risk assessments for leafy greens.
Having a trailer in good condition is as important as ambient (outside) temperatures in affecting the condition of a load of perishable produce.
With age, trailer insulation deteriorates, notes Rich Macleod of TransFresh Corp. of Salinas, CA. However, a bigger threat to trailers are the beatings they take from forklifts and pallets “that tend to attack those sidewalls. They tend to stretch them, buckle rivets, punch holes. All of that gradually degrades insulation. Then moisture gets into that insulation,” Macleod states.
Drivers should check the manufacturer’s stated value of insulation over time that collects moisture. It is the damage not only to interior walls, but outside trailer walls that excellerates the degrading process, he notes. These same principals apply to summertime hauling as well as loads in wintertime.
“If you have damage to the outside of the trailer and are driving though a rain storm, moisture is getting in the insulation. Then you get in some 25-degree (F.) weather and the insulation with moisture is freezing. Then there is no insulation value,” Macleod says. ” You are just creating an ice block. Now you are hauling around an ice block instead of insulation.”
The condition of trailer doors also is important. Make sure the door is sealing properly.
Macleod says the rules for temperature control in the trailer are the same for summer and winter, except when it gets down to 25 degrees F. or less. Then there is more leeway in moving the set point on the reefer unit upwards to protect the load.
Additionally, Macleod notes if hauling tropical fruit that is subject to cold temperature injury, be especially careful with the loading pattern, as well as make sure the reefer unit is performing as it should.
Manufacturers of trailer refrigeration units have made significant progress in controlling air temperature, air return and air output sensors because of improved and better written computer programs, he notes.
Macleod says this results in loads of fresh product being less likely to freeze, or to become too warm. It used to be the air going into the trailer unit was above the set point, it would put out an unlimited amount of cold air. In some cases the cold air going through the air chute would freeze product in the back of the trailer. This gets the BTUs in the trailer without having to drop the temperature.
“They have been able to write the programs into the reefer unit that controls the air out put much more effectively so you don’t get the temperature extremes such as freezing and warming in the load, because you are able to control that air flow much better,” Macleod says.
Now manufacturers have designed equipment to control the air to go only a certain amount of degrees from the set point. Additionally, the fan will go into high speed for air circulation, rather than at a lower speed, to encourage air mixing.
(Rich Macleod is vice president, pallet division North America for TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA. TranFresh provides Tectrol, a service where the atmosphere integrity of berry shipments is maintained at a 10 percent or higher CO2 level. This provides better quality arrivals of berries and longer shelf life.)
Whether it is in the heat of summer, or in a bitter winter storm, a produce hauler’s main concern for a load of fresh produce is maintaining the best possible temperature range, according to Rich Macleod of TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA.
However, he notes the cold winter months can be more difficult in some respects for items ranging from tropical fruits to Mexican tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers and bananas. The challenge comes from keeping such products in a very tight temperature range, which reduces your options.
As an example, Macleod points to hauling tomatoes. A driver normally wants the product tranported in the 50 to 55-degree F. temperature range.
If those tomatoes are being loaded against the trailer sidewalls and the refrigeration unit is set at 50 degrees F., there may be some “hot spots” because air circulation is not as good. Hauling tropical fruits is not as critical in this situation.
However, it can be critical for a cold sensitive product such as bananas, especially if those bananas are loaded against the sidewalls, or the air flow on the trailer floor is blocked. If it’s zero degrees outside, there are going to be some cold spots in the trailer. It can do some pretty signficant damage to bananas, which will turn gray when ripened, Macleod says.
“The general rule is you need good air flow around the load and under the load by keeping the product away from the sidewalls and on pallets off of the floor (of the trailer)….whether it’s cold outside or hot,” Macleod states.
When hauling “colder” crops such as broccoli or strawberries, he says the rules are pretty much the same as they are in summertime. The trailer’s cold spots in winter are the same as the hot spots in the summer, because these occur where there is the least air flow.
Macleod notes it is easier to maintain a temperature range of 30 to 34 degrees F. in the winter because the reefer unit isn’t fighting the outside heat of summertime.
“Now if it is zero degrees outside and the wind is howling, I’d be watching that temperature pretty closely. The drivers are usually pretty good about paying close attention to it. The temperature in the trailer becomes more critical when the outside temperature drops to 25 degrees F., or below,” Macleod says.
(Rich Macleod is vice president, pallet division North America for TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA. TranFresh provides Tectrol, a service where the atmosphere integrity of berry shipments is maintained at a 10 percent or higher CO2 level. This provides better quality arrivals of berries and longer shelf life.)