With cold chain logistics, every product that you deal with has very specific temperature requirements that you need to adhere to. These products are ending up on tables across the entire country, so you want to make your product arrives precisely the way it needs to be so it’s safe for human consumption. Because of this, cold chain logistics can be challenging to manage, and finding reliable providers can be frustrating. There are many moving parts of the cold chain that can be hard to follow and track. It would undoubtedly be helpful to find one provider that could offer you end-to-end cold chain management, from production to delivery. And that’s what we’re here to talk about today. Burris Logistics and Trinity Logistics working together could be the solutions you’ve been looking for to simplify your cold chain management. Keep reading to find out how we work better together to serve your complete cold chain.

BURRIS LOGISTICS CAPABILITIES

Let’s start with Burris Logistics. What do they offer that can enable cold chain shippers and their businesses to thrive in the face of its complexities?

Quick Background

Burris Logistics has been around for 96 years. The company started as a produce hauler from southern Delmarva to Philadelphia. They quickly grew and expanded into the frozen food business and found their purpose as a driven food logistics provider. Today, they own 14 cold storage sites up and down the east coast and out into Midwest. Burris Logistics currently has a family of brands including Burris PRW Plus, Honor Foods, and Trinity Logistics.

Burris Logistics offers you logistics technology solutions that never sleep. With a Technology Team of over 100 Team Members, they work around the clock to provide you with technology resources designed to meet your specific needs.

From a Burris asset standpoint, they’re able to track all their trailers with ELD and reefer tracking, with the ability to ping the tractor and trailers to see where each of their assets are in real time. In addition, they have access to technology that can start and stop the units, reset them, or check temps on them, no matter the distance. With the complexities of cold chain transit and the current driver shortage, Burris works hard to put in place any technology that can make a driver’s job easier. They want to cut any obstacles drivers may face on the road while having any data be transparent to help both them and ultimately, any customers.

Burris also has technology for their cold storage warehouses. They focus on providing their customers with freshness, clarity, and visibility. They offer real-time monitoring and any differentiation from setpoints gets recorded. They make sure to get real-time data to those who need it should meaningful decisions need action, and have secondary and tertiary backups available.

Some of their other logistics technology offered are:

· Warehouse management system software

· Enterprise resource management

· Produce inspection tool

· External integrations

· Supply chain portal

· Demand planning

· Order status

· Delivery status

Burris Logistics works with you to create the best possible warehousing and distribution solutions. They’ll support you with a network of strategically located warehouses, 96 years of expertise, and a solution customized for your unique needs.

In a reflection of national trends, the newest and fastest-growing business line within Burris Logistics is their direct-to-consumer to support those in the cold chain e-commerce space. Through current resources and expertise in temperature-controlled logistics, Burris can deliver a premier frozen fulfillment network with cutting-edge technology, thought leadership, and warehouses across the country. Burris’s knowledge of shipping supplies, coolant technology, and two-day parcel shipping capability ensures quality is delivered with every package.

Facility Design is the process of considering new construction via greenfield facility sites or the re-purposing of an existing operation. Many companies are facing changing business needs, including the need for multi-channel execution. This makes the ability to scale up and scale down with various capabilities an essential part of planning. With partners who increase their dependency on Burris Logistics, they’ve been able to scale their operations to accommodate their programs with new locations, modifications to existing assets, and technology to keep the supply chain efficient. 

Your customers desire the right products, in place, at the right time. Honor Foods, a Burris Logistics company understands how important it is to have on-menu and on-shelf products available while also minimizing food waste. They can help you plan inbound and outbound freight, using logistics technology and their warehouses to maintain food quality and safety. 

With one of their other brands, Honor Foods, Burris offers Private Label In-house brands that have developed into trusted names amongst food service operators. These products undergo scrutinous selection and quality assurance knowing that our restaurant partners only accept the best. Your customers want what is trending, and Burris can help you meet this demand. Their brands come sourced from trusted shippers and can be a noticeable cost saving for you.

Burris Logistics understands that products need different environments, which is why their facilities can provide different temperatures and humidity, depending on your product. Newer warehouses are purposefully being built with ambient/dry storage space to accommodate increased partner needs. Additionally, their warehouses and distribution centers are in strategic locations near major transportation hubs and ports, making it easy to get your freight on the move quickly.

TRINITY LOGISTICS CAPABILITIES

Quick Background

Trinity Logistics has been around for over 40 years. The company was started by the Banning family in Cambridge, Maryland. Throughout the years, the company grew and expanded as a non-asset-based third-party logistics company (3PL) and was acquired by Burris in 2019. The two companies saw similarities in company culture and future goals, deciding to unite for greater opportunities and offer more supply chain solutions for our customers.

Burris + Trinity = Better TogetherURRIS

What’s great for Trinity being part of the Burris Logistics family of brands is being able to offer more help to Burris customers. Trinity’s support helps Burris better assist some of the existing freight business they have for customers either coming back into their buildings or going to other places.

The addition of Trinity also offers Burris customers a wider variety of options in modes and technology, or even help outside of the cold chain. Trinity is very experienced in heavy haul moves or more complicated hazardous moves for the chemical industry. So, no matter the size of your company or freight, we have a solution for you. But, we’re here to talk about the cold chain, so let’s focus on refrigerated and frozen freight.

While it’s not always hard to find a refrigerated carrier, you do want to be selective. There are a lot of carriers out there, but Trinity has a robust vetting process in place. We make sure carriers hauling your freight have the right amount of insurance, requirements, and experience. In addition, we make sure these drivers are representing Burris and Trinity the way we need to and that our customers are getting their products delivered safely.

You might ask, how do we guarantee safety with our carrier network? Well, these carriers mean as much to us as our shipper customers do, so we build just as strong carrier relationships. We offer our carriers many different kinds of technologies for location tracking, temperature tracking, and so on. We make sure to continue to evolve our technology solutions to keep the shipping process easy and safe for both carriers and customers. Additionally, we have our communication. Our communication is one of our strongest assets to ensure both parties have their needs and solutions met. Our bottom line is bringing value and if we can do that, we’ll be successful.

We offer and use several different technologies like Macropoint or Fourkites, so we can ping shipments and know exactly where they are and what the temperature of the product is, giving our customers instant access to look at their freight. That’s just one piece of the technology puzzle.

Even with the technology available, we never lose contact with our customers. We strive to stay very People-Centric. Our technology only helps make it easier for our customers to view information, especially with our Customer Portal, giving them the ability to trace loads without having to reach out. It gives them access to see updates at any time of day and offers backend access to their invoices to answer billing questions, make payments online, or provide them with a breakdown of what each load costs, lumper fees, accessorials, or pallet exchanges. Our Customer Portal allows you to manage that piece of business on your own time and at your own speed. We’ll always be available, but the Portal and any of our technologies are there to bring you even more value and efficiency.

Current logistics technology available:

· Carrier Portal

· My Carrier Packet

· TriumphPay

· FourKites

· Trucker Tools

· MacroPoint

· Customer Portal

· Customized Transportation Management Solutions

· Banyan LTL

· DAT Book Now

· Trucker Tools Book It Now

WAREHOUSING

We know that one size does not fit all when it comes to warehousing. That’s why we have warehouse providers with locations across the nation to allow you to scale your business at your own pace, plus our cold storage solutions with Burris Logistics. Our growing network supports reliable service and premier dry, refrigerated, or frozen solutions so you can focus on what you do best.

TRUCKLOAD

Our truckload service provides you with the means to get your freight moving quickly. Truckload is faster than traditional LTL or intermodal shipments which means your shipments can arrive on time and on schedule.

LESS-THAN-TRUCKLOAD (LTL)

Our LTL service provides you with the means to get your freight hauled through a range of options. By leveraging our volume and extensive network of LTL carriers, we can provide you with lower rates for LTL shipments consisting of 1-10 pallets of either dry or temperature-controlled products.

INTERMODAL

You can add value to your supply chain by using this cost and environmentally-friendly shipping option. By shipping intermodal, you’ll reduce your carbon footprint and have reliable and consistent capacity when over-the-road capacity can be tight.

EXPEDITED

Sometimes your freight is time-sensitive or needs less handling. When this happens, we can arrange over-the-road or air-expedited shipping. We’ll make sure your freight arrives on time and without stopping at terminals in between.

DRAYAGE

Your freight can be delivered from the port or rail right to your door, or from your door to the port or rail. Either way, we’ll save you money in the process. From servicing imports and exports, returning empty or full containers, helping you avoid unnecessary fees, long drayage options, or more, our Team is ready to help.

INTERNATIONAL

Arranging international shipments can be tricky and requires a lot of communication. If you are looking for help with arranging your Full Container Load, Less Than Container Load, door-to-door, or port-to-port services, we can help. We’ll be your intermediary with freight forwarders to arrange your air and ocean freight international shipments.

MANAGED SERVICES

In this service, we combine our experienced account management and best-in-class transportation management technology to deliver you a customized solution that helps your company achieve its unique supply chain goals.

HOW WE CAN SERVE YOUR COLD CHAIN BETTER TOGETHER

Experience in Cold Chain

For many reasons, Burris Logistics and Trinity work well together for cold chain shippers. First off is our combined years of experience. There are certain things in cold chain you can only learn from the experience of working with temperature-controlled shipments. For example, things like picking and loading fresh produce, understanding what those temperatures are and what they need to be for storage and transit, and keeping track of those temperatures. Or understanding how to move ice cream from the West Coast and knowing that you can’t go over the mountains; that you must travel around them so as not to cause shrinkage. By having years of experience and understanding of those complex situations and small details that make or break a cold chain shipment, you can trust your temperature-controlled freight is handled safely and correctly with Burris and Trinity.

Technology

Between both Burris and Trinity, we have incredible logistics technology available, but what differentiates us from others is that we keep in mind that logistics is still a “people” business. Technology will always be a tool for our Teams to use and bring logistics solutions to other people who need them. Therefore, we try to stay away from technology just for technology’s sake and make sure what we use and offer is always a valuable solution.

Communication

Because of our years of experience, we are well-versed and experienced in many different situations. We know when and how to pivot quickly and keep business moving forward. When issues arise, we work until they are resolved and keep open communication every step of the way. Having a solid relationship with experts like Burris and Trinity will prove to be your largest asset no matter what supply chain bottlenecks you may face

Flexible, Customized Solutions

Because our two businesses offer many options while keeping business People-Centric, it means you can find a solution that’s customized for your growing business and needs and your solution can be flexible. We know the cold chain and solutions aren’t static, they are ever-changing, so you need a provider that can keep up. By working with Burris and Trinity, you’ll never have to worry about changing up your logistics plan as we’re readily equipped to accommodate any changes you may need. In addition, we can help you stay flexible as one sole provider instead of working with several.

Visibility and End-to-End Cold Chain Management

As the cold chain sector continues to grow, there’s been a growing demand for efficiency and visibility throughout the supply chain. Companies don’t like to be left in the dark when it comes to the logistics of their temperature-controlled freight. Working with Burris and Trinity can not only give you a wide range of technology to gain visibility and provide you with all the logistics services you may need, thus making your cold chain efficient and transparent. We’ll provide you with dedicated, knowledgeable experts, increased productivity and workflows, and reduced complexity by working with Burris Logistics and their family of brands instead of several different providers.

HAVE YOUR COLD CHAIN LOGISTICS TAKEN CARE OF, END-TO-END

Between Trinity and Burris, we have a substantial Team with a lot of experience in cold chain and knowledge about its potential pitfalls. As a result, we’ve created processes and different services so that we get it right the first time, every time we handle a cold chain shipment.

You can find value in our combined companies’ sizes and services offered. Cold chain logistics can be complicated and trying to do it all alone can be frustrating. That’s why we’re here to help you simplify it. You can count on Burris Logistics and Trinity to serve and support your cold chain all the way from production to delivery, and every step between.

FIND YOUR END-TO-END SOLUTION WITH BURRIS LOGISTICS GET A SHIPPING QUOTE FROM TRINITY LOGISTICS

It’s produce season. That time of the year when produce shipments are at their peak and so are produce shipment rejections. According to DAT, up to 12 percent of shipments are rejected or delayed. Produce shipments are most often rejected because of the complexities of fresh food logistics. Because of their perishability, they are more likely to experience damage in transit due to improper handling, temperature variances, or delays. 

A produce shipment rejection can cause lost time, added fuel and shipping costs, wasted product, and sometimes even a strained relationship with your customer. In addition, these rejections can cause a domino effect of added issues, costs, paperwork, and make everyone’s day longer than it needs to be. Yet, with attention to detail, planning, and effective communication, you can prevent produce shipment rejections and manage your costs. Here’s some advice on preventing shipment refusal during produce season.

ARTICLE CONTENTS
REASONS TO REJECT PRODUCE
WHAT TO DO WHEN PRODUCE IS REFUSED
PRODUCE SHIPMENT REJECTION PREVENTION
HAVING HELP WITH PRODUCE SEASON

REASONS TO REJECT PRODUCE

With fresh produce being on average, 90 percent water, it’s a volatile product to ship. It can develop issues at any stage, during growth, harvest, storage, packing, or shipping. This makes the logistics of shipping produce that much more complicated. As a result, there can be many more reasons for produce shipment rejections to happen. So, what are some reasons for a produce shipment rejection?

Paperwork Errors/Wrong Product

The Bill of Lading (BOL) must match the shipment delivered. When the receiver checks the BOL to verify the purchase order (PO) number, skid, case count, and weight of the freight delivered, and it doesn’t line up, then the shipment may be rejected. This could happen for several reasons. For example, the product could be what they asked for but the wrong amount, or the product could be completely different. However, any discrepancy between what they ordered and what arrived will mean a rejected shipment.

*Important to note: A produce shipment should not be rejected if there is less than 50 percent of the product short or damaged.*

Pallet Configuration

Some customers require that the product arrives according to their specific guidelines for packaging. If their requested guidelines are not followed, or anything shifted, fell, or ripped while in transit, then they may refuse the shipment.

Improper Temperature Range

Maintaining integrity and freshness is serious when it comes to a perishable product like produce. If your produce shipment falls out of its needed temperature range, even by one degree, the receiver may reject your shipment. Unlike other types of freight, the chance for spoilage with produce is too high, so a receiver won’t often take on the liability with any temperature variances.

Delivered Late

Often, retail and grocery distributing centers operate on tight schedules, so a delay could impact their other appointments. Unfortunately, this means they rarely make exceptions when it comes to late shipments and your produce will be rejected.

Equipment Issues

The trailer could have been unable to keep the temperature in the range needed for your produce shipment or perhaps the trailer was not washed thoroughly before loading. Maybe the carrier showed up with a van and you needed a refrigerated trailer. There are several issues in which the trailer your shipment is delivered in can have the receiver refusing your product.

Reasonable Time to Reject

One important thing to know about produce shipment rejections is that there is a reasonable time for the receiver to reject the shipment. When shipping by truck, the receiver must not exceed eight hours to inspect and reject. When shipping by rail, the receiver must not exceed 24 hours to inspect and reject.

AS A SHIPPER, WHAT TO DO WHEN PRODUCE IS REFUSED

Many issues associated with rejected produce shipments can often be resolved quickly with extra communication and planning.

You’ll first need to figure out why the receiver rejected your produce shipment, so start with asking your receiver that. Ask for pictures showing any damage and a copy of the BOL. Next, ask for the report by the USDA inspector or another qualified individual, as it’s required for the receiver to have the shipment inspected, note any issues, and detail what the cause of damage was. Additionally, ask your carrier for a reefer unit download or a temperature recorder download so you can see if there were any temperature fluctuations during transit.

If you’re considering filing a cargo claim, you must know that cargo claims for produce will only be paid for proven physical damage.

Now, if a produce shipment is rejected and not unloaded, there are a couple of options for you to try to recoup the loss. You can reroute the shipment to a different facility that will accept it, donate the shipment, or have the carrier dispose of it. Regardless of which option you choose, you are responsible for handling where the shipment will go next.

What are any secondary markets the produce can go to if messed up? What’s the disposition? You’ll be the best resource for the area’s market. Be familiar with your shipping lanes and the secondary markets within your location to best salvage the produce if refused.

Secondary Facility

As long as your produce is still safe for consumption and solely rejected for the way it looks, you might be able to sell the shipment to a secondary facility. For example, a sauce maker or a french fry company might be willing to buy a shipment of tomatoes or potatoes that are still edible but visually unappealing.

Donation

It can be possible to reuse a rejected produce shipment through local donation, though there are still high standards for products if donated. Any food and beverage products donated must be safe enough to consume. Donations can be optimal as your produce can still be used, and you can receive tax credits for your donation.

Disposal

If your produce shipment is rejected due to a temperature violation or clear spoilage during transit, disposal may be your solution. When your produce is determined to be unsalvageable, it may be best to dispose of it. Although the other two options are better for the environment and your bottom line, it’s sometimes a necessary evil to dispose of the product. While recycling and reusing are ideal, they may not be workable due to compliance and safety standards. One of the benefits of disposal is that scheduling disposals are often quicker than scheduling to another facility.

Maintaining a Good Customer Relationship

Shipment rejections can stress even the best relationships. It’s best to keep in mind that you are in it for the long haul and produce shipment rejections that can happen even to the best of shippers due to its complexity.

It’s best to acknowledge the rejection, replace the product as soon as possible, and find the source of the issue to help reduce the chance of another produce rejection happening anytime soon. Take ownership of the problem and control of your shipment so you can manage your money from the salvage. Taking control over the disposition will help you maximize your return, reduce claimed damages, and reduce your risk of customer relationship loss.

While these are all great solutions for handling produce shipment rejections, it’s ideal to prevent them in the first place. For companies looking to focus on their bottom line, it’s important to know all necessary prevention measures for produce shipment rejections and plan for when they do happen.

PRODUCE SHIPMENT REJECTION PREVENTION

Paperwork and Communication

The first step to preventing produce shipment rejections is to have your paperwork and communication in order. Your agreement must be clear on the condition of the produce your buyer will receive. Being able to present your buyer with evidence that your produce is safe and of the quality you stated it’s in before transit will prevent most cases of rejection.

Communication with your buyer and your logistics team on how your produce is being handled before loading, during loading, and during transit must be done effectively and properly. This is especially crucial because of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Be sure to provide photos, diagrams, or any other examples of proper pallet configuration to your warehouse and trucking partners. This kind of communication will help them pack and load your freight correctly from the start.

Carrier Selection

Produce shipments, especially during produce season, often pay a lot. This means you’ll have a lot of carriers bidding to haul for you. Therefore, quality carrier selection and additional insurance requirements, like reefer breakdown, are crucial aspects to prevent rejected produce shipments.

Make sure you confirm with your motor carrier that they are both authorized and experienced to haul your produce.

Additionally, make sure they understand all your shipments requirements, including FSMA. For example, do they need washout receipts? Do they have a good quality truck, updated trailer, or a quality reefer? Do they have or need temperature-monitoring devices or other technology to ensure the temperature is controlled and the cold chain uninterrupted? Can they pull a reefer download if required?

By finding a quality carrier and building a strong relationship with them, you’ll gain a dependable carrier to use regularly. This can help you reduce any transportation-related issues that could later result in a shipment rejection.

Loading

Don’t Overstack

When it comes to produce season, the number one cause of claims that we see comes from over-stacking your boxes or bins of produce when loading them onto the trailer. An example of this would be triple or quadruple stacking your boxes when they need to be double-stacked. While this depends on each shipping location, not all may be aware that each box has a maximum capacity it can withstand and not damage your produce. You need to know the weight-bearing amount of your boxes so you can place no more than that. When you over-stack, it’s will increase the risk of your produce getting squished and damaged. Certain produce can be very fragile, like berries, tomatoes, asparagus, or bananas. They tend to bruise easily, so single-stacking boxes are even more ideal for them.

No Hot Loads

Industry experts say that as much as 32 percent of all cargo is loaded at the wrong temperature.

This is often due to poor loading practices, like loading from a hot field. When it comes to produce, loading from a hot field is a HUGE NO. This causes the driver to start traveling with your produce at the wrong temperature, which puts compliance and financial pressure on carriers, as the load is at a high risk of spoiling. Your produce should be safely brought down to its required transit temperature before loading to prevent any spoilage.

Have the Proper Equipment

While this may seem silly, it still needs to be said: If a motor carrier shows up with a dry van and your produce requires a refrigerated trailer, DO NOT LOAD. While losing some time or causing a bit of a delay is not ideal, it’s better to have the proper trailer needed to keep your risk of shipment rejection from spoilage or damage low. Additionally, make sure your carrier’s refrigerated temperature monitoring system has the proper temperature, date, and time set. If there is a rejection due to temperature variance and the date and time are wrong, you’ll take the blame due to current regulations.

When it comes to your motor carrier and loading, it’s also ideal to allow them to inspect and pulp your product before loading. They have the right to do so, and the opportunity can give your carrier the confidence to haul your product safely. It also helps build a strong and loyal relationship, while helping you gain more insight that your product is okay before it’s in transit.

Keep Clean of Debris

Another way to help prevent produce rejections is to have a shipping platform that can be cleaned without leaving any splinters or debris in vehicles. Food-grade plastic pallets are ideal for solving many hygiene issues while helping reduce product damage during transport. Unlike wooden pallets, they don’t splinter or leave behind debris, and their nonabsorbent surface can be easily cleaned and dried.

Transit and Delivery

As mentioned during loading, make sure you have a way to track temperatures throughout the shipment and be able to receive notifications in real time. By getting early warning signs of issues, temperature variations can be quickly detected and dealt with right away instead of learning about them later at delivery.

Additionally, make sure you have a qualified inspector on-site at delivery. This will help should the receiver decide to reject your produce shipment to determine if your product is salvageable for you to recoup costs.

Before transit, it’s best that you set up the potential for rework facilities to accept your produce should the receiver refuse it. Talk to nearby receiving facilities to establish accounts, processes, and pricing ahead of time. This way, if there has been some visual damage or slight shifting, it can quickly reroute to the other location and be reworked, being proactive rather than reactive. This is especially important when it comes to produce since time is of the essence.

HAVING HELP

Produce shipment rejections can be complex and confusing at times. This is where working with a third-party logistics company (3PL), like Trinity, can come in handy. We have Teams to help you with the prevention of rejections as well as when one does happen.

Carrier Compliance

Our Carrier Compliance Team is here to vet our carrier network and make sure they have what you need to get your shipment delivered safely. Not only do we have a rigorous vetting process, but depending on your shipment requirements, we’ll make checks for extra insurance needs like reefer breakdown and make sure they are FSMA compliant. 

Claims

No matter how prepared one can be, unexpected things can still happen. Shipments may get refused and so that’s why we have a Claims Team here ready to assist you. It can be a real lifesaver to have a Team of certified professionals to help take the stress out of the claims process. Should it be needed, our Claims Team will help you start the process, be there to track progress, and assist until a resolution is met between all involved parties.

DON’T GO THROUGH PRODUCE SEASON ALONE

With proper prevention, compliance, and planning, produce shipment rejections can become less of a thorn in your side during produce season. Even still, they can and will happen at times. Make sure you’re ready and have the support you need by working with an experienced provider such as Trinity.

You’ll have the advantage of working with and trusting our risk departments, who work hard to help mitigate any risk to your shipments. In addition, you can trust that each of our carrier relationships is properly vetted for things like reefer breakdown coverage. Should you need it, you’ll have a whole Claims Team ready to help you sort through any unexpected shipment issues.

Gain the support you need to navigate the complexity of produce season with less stress.

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