Archive For The “In-Transit Issues” Category
There is angst among some in the Canadian produce industry because the rules set up by an entity of America’s U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has changed some rules regarding protection they receive when there is a dispute involving a produce transaction. However, it could be worse. What if the Canadians had absolutely no protection against unfair practices, something U.S. produce truckers have never had.
The U.S. government recently took away a trading privilege from Canadian produce companies that has been available for more than 75 years. The result is fruit and vegetable producers risk losing thousands of dollars, closing their businesses, or moving across the border into the U.S.
Canadian produce companies that were owed money from U.S. companies could pay $100 to start a legal process, under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). This would happen when U.S. companies didn’t pay their bills on time, at all, or when the company declared bankruptcy.
However, in October 2014, the United States withdrew Canada’s privileged access to PACA after the Canadian government neglected to implement the same privileges this side of the border. Now Canadian fruit and vegetable producers have to pay double the amount of money they’re owed to get access to the unpaid funds. If they’re owed $100,000 for cucumbers for example, they have to pay $200,000 as a bond to get the process started.
For decades, this writer has advocated owner operators, small fleets and large fleets hauling fresh fruits and vegetables be afforded similar protections the USDA’s PACA provides for the produce industry. This would be invaluable for produce truckers facing unfair claims or deductions or rejected loads. However, the produce industry has always fought against such measures and the PACA has certainly shown no interest.
About the only recourse for produce haulers is going through the court system, which can be costly, time consuming and particularly difficult considering the fact the problem may have taken place thousands miles from the trucker’s home base. Otherwise, hope and pray you have a good truck broker or shipper backing you when such issues arise. — Bill Martin
Cargo Data Corp., is promoting temperature recorders approved by Wal-Mart. The recorder has been approved for temperature controlled shipments to all U.S. distribution centers of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., in Bentonville, Ark., according to a news release from the Ventura, Calif.-based Cargo Data.
The recorders can be used in produce, meat, poultry, seafood and floral, according to the release. The automated temperature monitoring system saves users time and money and helps reduce risk of hidden shrink, according to the release. Through the express data retrieval system, the recorders store up to 100 shipments of temperature data which can be downloaded to a computer for automatic archiving, according to the release.
The Cargo Data Corporation office is located in Ventura, CA. Its management team has been in place since 1974 and continues to focus on providing industry-leading cold chain monitoring solutions for firms involved in the perishable food, chemical, pharmaceutical, and floral industries.
It goal is to provide innovative cold chain monitoring products that are simple to use.
Cargo Data encourages the recycling of it digital temperature recorders in an effort to keep tons of circuit boards, batteries and other pollutants out of landfills.
Cargo Data markets its products in several channels. If you are a distributor or broker interested in in handling Cargo Data produce, contact the company at: info@cargodatacorp.com
With the cost of diesel fuel it can be tempting to use the refrigeration unit’s fuel saver mode, but this is not always the best decision.
In the fuel saver mode the fan may not be running at a high enough speed to move enough air to keep the ambient heat from coming through the trailer walls, says Rich Macleod of TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA.
“You can’t afford to have that air movement capacity compromised in any way, because the load will warm up. We do see that over and over again.”
These problems usually occur because such decisions are based on the cost of fuel, he says.
“The (temperature) charts come in and you can see it on the recording thermometers. You get this up and down spiking on the recording thermometers,” Macleod states.
Then the reefer unit is unable to keep up with the demand for cold air and the temperature recorder shows this gradual warming up inside the trailer.
Hauling Wet and Dry Commodities Together
Although it doesn’t appear to be a major problem, Macleod says one of the things a driver should watch for during loading is when the waxed corregated cardboard is extending all the way from the top of the pallet to the trailer floor. This can block air flow to the pallets.
“From a practical stand point this is a reason the driver needs to watch the trailer being loaded,” Macleod observes. “You want to make sure that paper doesn’t extend below the base of the wooden pallet,” says Macleod, “but this rarely happens.”
In another scenario, he says shippers use a light grade plastic cap that goes over the top of the pallet, which effectively keeps the water from transferring from a wet commodity to a dry commodity. If the water reaches the cardboard of a dry commodity, then the container gets wet and collapses and damages the product. This can also lead to decay of a commodity that should remain dry.
“You are really trying to create a barrier to do that. Probably the most common is using a type of cardboard container covered with wax,” Macleod concludes.
(This is the final 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.)
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.