Posts Tagged “Rich Macleod”
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.)
(Note: This was originally planned as a five-part series, but is now turning into a 6-part series as I keep finding more information that is not only interesting, but I believe can be of great value to you as a produce trucker. Also, the latest strawberry purchase at my local Wal-Mart, was again this season, a frustrating experience. While the berries had good color protected in the clamshell container, they turned out to be soft and spongy once I got home and opened it.
Part IV of this series, may provide a clue why my strawberry purchase was disappointing, and why your delivery of some strawberries, may be cost you a claim or rejection at destination. — Bill Martin)
For example, several produce shippers of fresh strawberries choose to use a non-sealed bag type system, according to Rich Macleod of TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA, whose product is Tectrol.
In this series, I have used information from a study by the University of California, Davis/University of Florida study showing the advantages for truckers who have strawberry loads with palletized sealed bags using carbon dioxide (CO2). The study also is quite favorable to TransFresh. I’m referring to the research, Comparison of Pallet Cover Systems to Maintain Strawberry fruit Quality During Transit.
If I had not known Rich Macleod for years, being familar with his work, his concern for produce truckers and in general his honesty and integrity, plus his impressive career, I might be a bit wary of a study conducted in part by his alma mater, UC Davis, that is favorable to his company.
However, there was another study commissioned by PEAKfresh, a competitor of TransFresh. It was conducted by the Horticulture and crop Science Department at Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, entitled, Comparison of the Efficacy of the PEAKfresh and Tectrol Systems for Maintaining Strawberry Quality.
This study can be found on both the PEAKfresh and TransFresh websites.
In part the research states, “Berries in PEAKfresh treated pallets became softer on average than berreis in the Tectrol treated pallets during cross-country shipments, and this is in agreement with previous research on the effect of elevated CO2 on strawberry firmness.”
Additionally the PEAKfresh commissioned study notes after a two-day shelf life, fruit from the Tectrol pallet system exhibited significantly less decay, from 3% to 7% than other systems evaluated.
So if research is showing that non-sealed pallet/bag systems results in more softness and decay in strawberries, why doesn’t everyone use the sealed system?
Rich Macleod says, “There is a significant price difference between an unsealed bag and a sealed MAP system (Tectrol). Obviously there is a lot more sophistication in materials, equipment and man power to create a sealed MAP.”
Macleod has been told the open bag systems cost around $8 to $12-plus per bag, while Tectrol charges its shippers $19.25 per service.
“Prices can range from $24/pallet to $30/pallet for either bag or service,” Macleod says.
Continuing, he states, “First off, if you are using the open bag system, you are not injecting any CO2. If you are using MAP (Tectrol), you not only are injecting CO2 or other gasses, you are trying to keep those gasses contained or sealed inside the system.”
Thus, Macleod wants the Tectrol CO2 levels to hit between 10% and 18% inside the sealed Tectrol bag upon arrival at destination. Thus, this process requires more material, specialized bags, sealing tape, CO2 injection machinery, etc.
So for obvious reasons, the Tectrol process costs a shipper more money, and apparently some shippers would rather risk strawberry quality shipped to customers, than pay more.
The old saying, “you pay for what you get” certainly seems to apply to modified atmosphere shipments of strawberries.
“Shippers who recommend and sell open bags enjoy a significant cost advatange over those recommending and selling a MAP like Tectrol. However, as a retailer, given the UC Davis data, why would you pay the same for an open bag service as a true MAP service,” Macleod asks.
And I, as a consumer, am wondering if Wal-Mart or their suppliers are not trying to cut corners on what they pay for strawberries because those berries are trucked across country in unsealed bags. It is the peak strawberry season, and I can’t seem to buy any decent strawberries!
(This is Part 4 0f 6 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.)
In this series we have been covering a number of issues and answers coming out of the study Comparison of Pallet Cover Systems to Maintain Strawberry Quality During Transport.
The study was conducted by the University of California, Davis and The University of Florida.
While a primary goal of the study is to find better ways to have produce with better quality and flavor delivered from the field to the kitchen shelf, transportation plays a key role in this.
Rich Macleod of TransFresh Corp. describes this as a “global process” where it must be considered that actions taken during the entire handling process can influence even the best varieties of product that end up in the hands of the consumer.
“The study confirms my private belief, plus our private research over the years,” he says. “If you do these processes correctly; cool it, transport correctly with good temperature control, with a CO2 atmosphere, you are going to deliver better fruit to the consumer.”
In the report, it details strawberry shipments with palletized loads covered with bags and carbon dioxide (CO2). The transcontential shipments compared the modified atmosphere shipments of CO2 West, PEAKfresh, PrimePro and Tectrol (TransFresh).
The results of the study may show why Tectrol is the dominant supplier of bagged, controlled atmosphere shipments out of California. Macleod says over half of the California harvested strawberries in California are shipped using the Tectrol process by TransFresh. California also grows and ships the vast majority of the nation’s strawberries.
The summary of the study’s findings probably explains why many strawberries look great when shipped and still are beautiful when displayed in your local supermarket. However, how many times have you purchased strawberries in the store and no sooner get home and notice quality problems occuring (a common experience with yours truely, the purveyor of this website)?
The study summarizes, “The Tectrol cover was sealed to the pallet base, a partial vacuum was applied, and pressurized CO2 gas was injected inside….CO2 concentrations within pallets at the beginning and end of transport were higher (11% to 16%) in the sealed Tectrol system and relatively low (.06% to .30% in the open CO2 West, PEAKfresh and PrimePro cover systems.”
Continuing, the report states, “The incident of fruit decay was low (1% to 1.4%) after transport, but increased substantially following a 2-day shelf life at 68 degrees. However, fruit from the Tectrol pallets exhibited significantly less decay (36%) after shelf life than the CO2 West (39%), non covered (pallets)(41%), PrimePro (42%) and PEAKfresh (43%).”
(This is Part 3 0f 5, featuring an interview with Rich Macleod, vice president, pallet division North America for TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA. He has been with company since 1976, and has a masters degree in post harvest science from the University of California, Davis.)
When hauling the more perishable produce items such as strawberries, knowing your reefer unit, maintaining proper temperature and taking a pulp temperature at shipping point becomes even more critical. Doing things right results in delivering a better product to your customers, as well as reducing claims and load rejections.
These points are among some important findings in a study released last year, Comparison of Pallet Cover Systems to Maintain Strawberry Fruit Quality During Transport. As the title indicates, the study compares modified air controlled strawberry shipments using carbon dioxide (CO2).
Following up on that report, HaulProduce.com had an extensive interview with Rich Macleod of TransFresh Corp. of Salinas, whose product Tectrol came out looking pretty darn good when compared with competing companies offering controlled atmosphere bags covering palletized loads of strawberries.
The project was a combined effort of the University of California, Davis and the University of Florida in conjunction with the USDA.
“What this (study) demonstrates is when you put a bag over the pallet, you are going to get some in-transit warming,” Macleod observes. “It doesn’t matter whether it is a Tectrol (application) or somebody else’s bag because the warming is about the same for all of them.”
Where Tectrol shined in the study was the quality of the berries upon arrival after the cross country hauls from California to the east coast.
But back to the issue of in-transit warming. Rich points out when a palletized load is entirely bagged, the driver has to account for warming when adjusting the refrigeration unit set points accordingly at a colder temperature than if the load were “naked.”
He says, “I believe you can run a fully bagged Tectrol load (of strawberries) at 30 degrees F. if your (reefer) unit is well calibrated and your unit was built within the past four years.”
However, realistically Macleod knows most drivers prefer a 36-degree F. setting. As they become more familar with these type of loads they find out one can drop the setting to 34 or even 32 degrees.
“They (drivers) should not have issues with warmer product, if it is bagged. And they should not have any issues with frozen product. There are a number of drivers that have been incredibly successful handling Tectrol loads at 32 degrees F., but they know their units inside out and have them calibrated. They know what the floors are and the coldest temperatures that unit will be. Thirty-two degrees is a reasonable compromise.”
Macleod stressed that even if the fruit has been properly pre-cooled, carriers have to realize those bagged pallets will increase the temperature.
In fact the study itself points out in shipments with non covered pallets, the clamshell packaged strawberries remained at 32 to 35 degrees F. However, pallets covered with bags resulted in the temperature increase of three to four degrees by the time it arrived at destination.
“The rise in temperature during shipments indicate the trailers were unable to maintain the recommended 32 degrees F….” the study states.
What can a driver do if the pallets are already covered with CO2 filled bags upon arrival at the dock?
Although it is too late for a visual inspection of what is being loaded by the driver, Macleod says, “a well run (shipping) company should allow the driver to take a pulp temperature and they (shipper) should provide tape to reseal that hole (made by the driver to take the pulp temperature). It is a common practice and shippers respect that.”
(This is Part 2 0f 5, featuring an interview with Rich Macleod, vice president, pallet division North America for TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA. He has been with company since 1976, and has a masters degree in post harvest science from the University of California, Davis.)
P
each season is upon us and that means a lot of produce truckers will be hauling this perishable fruit over the next few months.
Too many receivers, and consumers are dissatisfied with the quality of this stone fruit and much of the fault may lie with what has happened prior to the produce trucker picking up the fruit.
Rich Macleod of TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA created the Fresh Produce Mixer & Loading Guide about 30 years ago and it still remains in demand from brokers, retailers and carriers needing accurate information regarding in- transit temperature settings and proper mixing of produce items in the same load.
For example, the guide recommends peaches be transported at 34 to 36 degrees F. and can be effectively shipped with many other fruit items and some vegetables.
“The temperature killing range for peaches is roughly 38 to 50 degrees F. Realistically, that is the (temperature) range where everything (in produce) is transported,” Macleod says.
He cites four specific factors which can hinder a good, quality arrival for peaches, even if the trucker maintains the proper temperature, has his reefer unit calibrated and trailer has features ranging from bulkhead, seals, and doors in good condition, among other things.
(1) Growers should not cross subliminal,or inadequate varieties of peaches and expect a good product.
(2) The peaches should not be harvested before they mature.
(3) After the peaches are harvested, there should be “intermitent” warming, where the fruit sets in a temperature range of 60 to 70 degrees F. for a day or so.
(4) Then the peaches should be cooled and packed with a pulp temperature of 36 degrees F.
“If you do all of these steps together, the probability is the quality is going to be pretty good,” Macleod states.
He says the peach growing and shipping industry is working to address these issues, but it often is easier said than done.
Obstacles or issues too often can waylay the best made plains. For example, due to weather factors, early variety peaches may end up overlapping with a later variety fruit. Another example deals with markets. A “hot” or high priced market for peach sellers may result in the product being picked before it is mature. Then suddenly there may be too many peaches on the market, the prices collapse and the product is held back with sellers hoping for better profits to be made.
Stone fruit held in storage or transported at the wrong temperature becomes “mealy or flavorless,” and turns brown on the inside, even though the outside of the fruit may look good.
“It’s called internal breakdown,” Macleod says.
About the time a produce operation may get all of the issues figured out, something may happen such as new managment coming in and the same old problems start all over gain. Meanwhile, the produce trucker may end up in the middle of a problem at destination that may not even be his or her fault.
(This is Part 1 0f 5, featuring an interview with Rich Macleod, vice president, pallet division North America for TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA. He has been with company since 1976, and has a masters degree in post harvest science from the University of California, Davis.)