Refrigerated transportation deals in the movement of perishable products through the use of what is known as “reefer trucks.” It is not without its challenges, and there’s the need to have first-hand information about whatever hiccups you may encounter. Some of them include:
Malfunctioning of Equipment
This is one of the most critical issues that many in this system face. Having an issue with your refrigeration equipment can jeopardize the condition of your product, so it is important to have a reliable temperature monitoring system that will alert you in case of malfunctioning. Having a backup plan when your equipment malfunctions will also save you a lot of time, money, and stress compared to when you have none.
External Heat Sources
As reefer trucks embark on their journey through diverse locations, they are bound to encounter different temperatures and conditions. The external heat sources can harm the temperature of the interior of the truck. Like we mentioned before, it is important to have a reliable temperature monitoring system alongside a working refrigerating system to ensure that your reefer trucks stay at the proper temperature.
Inexperienced Drivers
Refrigerated transportation is no doubt a complicated task to handle. To effectively perform the needed configuration, the driver of the reefer truck must be experienced. It is not just enough that the driver can handle the steering wheel; the driver must be familiar with the operations of the refrigeration unit, including the temperature monitoring system. Only an experienced driver can handle whatever complications might arise during the course of the journey.
Proper Handling
Before loading reefer trucks with fresh produce, ensure that it is free of debris and contamination. A dirty truck can affect the durability of the fresh produce being transported and diminish its quality. Fragile products ought to be handled with utmost care to prevent them from being damaged even before they get into the truck. In a lot of cases, proper handling of refrigerated goods is neglected, and as such these goods which have been damaged before being loaded in the trucks are often mistaken to have been damaged in the truck, but that is not usually the case with refrigerated logistics companies.
Failure to Examine Goods Upon Delivery
Another issue that proves to be a stumbling block in refrigerated transportation centers around the failure to examine the goods upon delivery. The delivered products must be carefully and properly examined immediately they are delivered. On many occasions, you may find yourself needing to present a proof of delivery of the refrigerated goods. The best way to avoid this problem is to examine these goods as soon as it is being offloaded from the truck.
The challenges that have been discussed above are the foremost of the problems faced when operating refrigerated transportation. While there can be a few more hitches along the way, these issues are some of those that can give you the most problems. However, you can tackle these challenges by undergoing comprehensive supervision of the processes involved in running a cold chain/refrigerated transport system.
Image Credits: Vanessa Rider
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