Refrigerated trucking can be a complex, but rewarding job.

You might be transporting anything from fresh produce, frozen food, or important medicines like biologics. But, no matter what it is, the items you’re hauling are vital to many and there’s great pride that comes with that.

Refrigerated trucking is not only more specialized than dry freight hauling but offers more earning potential, and there are certain times of the year during which you can count on higher freight volumes to keep your company profitable.

Whether you’re new to refrigerated trucking or a veteran, it’s important your company knows how to properly transport temperature-controlled products, from pick-up through delivery. At Trinity Logistics, we sometimes see claims on temperature-controlled shipments, and we want to help you avoid any costly mistakes with a few tips specific to refrigerated trucking. So, we’ve crafted this guide to help you prepare for your hauling your next temperature-controlled shipment.‍

MOTOR CARRIER REFRIGERATED TRUCKING RESPONSIBILITIES

The purpose of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is to prevent foodborne diseases, and FSMA rules contain essential requirements for shippers, loaders, receivers, and carriers like you to follow with refrigerated trucking. FSMA requires those transporting food to follow best practices for sanitary transportation, such as proper personnel training, maintaining shipment records, and following shipper instructions to keep food properly temperature-controlled during transit.

FSMA Responsibilities for Motor Carriers

Keeping Your Equipment Clean and Operable

You must keep your refrigerated trailer clean between loads and make sure it is running efficiently to maintain any required temperatures to keep food safe while transporting.

Your Equipment Must Meet the Shipper’s Needs

Shippers are responsible for communicating any food safety requirements to providers they work with, such as specifying temperature and pre-cooling requirements in writing. It is your responsibility to adhere to those requirements specified by the shipper.

Keeping Records

When it comes to FSMA, verbal confirmations don’t stand. Shippers and providers you work with require records of previous cargo hauled, equipment cleaning, inspection, and temperature records. This includes recording if your reefer fails or containers are compromised, allowing contaminants in, and showing via documentation that you took action to correct the issue. Keeping thorough documentation will help you, in the long run, should you face any potential claims. It’s recommended to keep all records for 12 months, minimum.

Training Employees

Under FSMA, motor carriers must train all drivers and transportation personnel on their role, FSMA rules, the awareness of potential food safety problems like cross-contamination that can occur during transportation, and sanitary transportation practices. It’s also important to keep records of this training and hold refresher training from time to time.

PREPARING FOR REFRIGERATED TRUCKING AND TEMP-CONTROLLED TRANSIT

*This blog content provides suggestions only and is not meant to take the place of your own company procedures.*

Cleaning Your Refrigerated Trailer

1. If the previous receiver cleaned your trailer, request documentation from them to share with the shipper for your upcoming temperature-controlled shipment. It’s important to keep any trailer washout records and receipts to provide to shippers upon request.

2. Open your refrigerated trailer and remove any items that shouldn’t get wet.

3. Sweep out any debris.

4. Prepare a bucket of food-grade detergent and water.

5. Scrub all interior surfaces with a clean cloth and the detergent mix.

6. Use a hose to spray down the inside, including the ceiling and walls. Pay special attention to any cracks and crevices.

7. Keep doors to the trailer open, allowing the inside of the trailer to air dry.

8. If the outside of the truck and your trailer is dirty, wash down the exterior as well.

Pre-trip

1. Review shipping instructions and confirm the cargo is at the required temperature before it is loaded. Refrigerated trailers are meant to maintain temperature, not change it. For fresh produce, verifying temperature usually involves pulping product with a thermometer or probe dial. 

2. Run your refrigerated trailer for at least 20 minutes in “high speed cool” mode to remove any residual heat. Pre-cooling may take more than one hour depending on factors such as equipment and ambient temperatures. Therefore, be aware of the temperature requirements in advance to ensure equipment is at the proper temperature before you arrive at the shipper and the loading process starts.

3. Perform an automatic pre-trip test to confirm that your refrigerated trailer is running properly and confirm that it passes the test. Keep a record of this. If your auto pre-trip test fails, refer to your company’s prescribed procedures or contact your maintenance provider for repair.

4. It’s time to set your refrigerated trailer to the required temperature specified by the shipper. Verify the set temperature after adjusting it to its requirement to confirm it is set correctly. Next, confirm that the unit is set to the correct date and time. If this is not done and the shipper requests a reefer download after delivery, the data will be inaccurate. Some drivers will take a picture of the reefer unit dashboard to document settings before they leave the shipper.

5. Confirm that you have the correct mode of operation selected on the reefer unit prior to loading. Again, refer to your shipment instructions for this. Often, the shipper will require perishables to be hauled in continuous mode as opposed to cycle sentry or stop-start cycle.

6. Allow your refrigerated unit adequate time to pre-cool before loading.

7. Document all pre-trip cleaning, inspecting, and pre-cooling to share with the shipper upon request.

Loading

1. Ensure you witness the loading process, visually confirming product temperature, count, and quality match your shipment tender. If a carrier cannot verify loading conditions or discrepancies exist, the carrier notates the issue on the bill of lading and request the shipper to sign this. 

2. Carriers are responsible for the final blocking and bracing of product, so make sure items are not over-stacked or loaded in a way that impedes airflow or circulation. As a carrier, if you are not comfortable with the load condition, you have the right to refuse the shipment. 

3. Once loaded and final blocking and bracing are completed, immediately close the doors to maintain temperature. Once again, verify that the correct cycle and temperature are set. If a trailer seal is required, its presence should be documented on the bill of lading by the shipper. 

During Transit

1. Make use of the strip curtains as this helps keep temperature-controlled air in and any outside air out.

2. Limit the number of door openings throughout transit to keep temperature-controlled air in and outside air out. Only allow doors to be opened by verified shippers or receivers. 

3. Keeping proper airflow is critical. Even with adequate running equipment, poor air distribution can cause spoilage. Verify all sides of the cargo have proper airflow before your trip and any time you make a stop.

PULPING FOR REFRIGERATED PRODUCE SHIPMENTS

Pulping is an essential task when hauling produce with your refrigerated trucking. Pulping is the act of taking the product’s temperature before and upon delivering the shipment.

How to Pulp Produce

For produce that is unbagged, one must insert a pulp thermometer into a piece of produce, inserting for three to four minutes to get the most accurate reading.

If the produce is bagged, like salad mixes, fold the bag in half and place the probe between the two sides, with the produce as close to the thermometer as possible.

Why Pulping is Important

Before loading, it is the shipper’s responsibility to pulp the product, and should be done in the presence of the driver. However, it is the carrier’s responsibility to confirm the proper temperature of the product before allowing it to be loaded on the truck, so there may be the case you need to pulp the product.

Pulping temperatures should be recorded on the shipment’s bill of lading and signed by both the shipper and driver. This can help protect both the shipper and motor carrier from claims if the product arrives at its destination off temperature.

Throughout transit, it is the carrier’s responsibility to monitor the refrigerated trailer temperature, usually with some sort of sensor technology providing real-time information, or with older refrigerated trailers, a temperature download that is available upon delivery.

Upon delivery, it is the receiver’s responsibility to pulp the product for a temperature read and to determine if the shipment will be accepted. 

Under FSMA, be prepared to provide a record of temperatures in transit via reefer download. Failure of a carrier to provide a record of unit temperatures in transit will prevent a carrier from disputing temperature deviations should there be a claim. 

TEMP VARIANCES – HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

One thing you may be asking with your refrigerated trucking is, how much is too much when it comes to temperature variances? Well, that can depend on several factors.

One factor is the type of product. For example, there are some perishable products that are very sensitive to temperature variances, where even a two-degree difference could reduce the shelf life by 50 percent.

Another cause could be the location where the temperature was taken in the trailer or the recording device’s accuracy. Or if a shipment has multiple stops versus one that goes right to the destination.

Temperature variances are usually expected, so it’s important to determine when a variation is tolerable versus when it places the product at risk for spoilage.

It’s also important to note the amount of time the product has been off temperature. For example, frozen goods might be subjected to some temperature variance without much effect on the shipment, whereas refrigerated goods often spoil at a quicker rate.

When it comes to claims due to temperature variances, there simply is no one-size-fits-all for processing these. Shipment claims due to temperature variances are treated on a case-by-case basis depending on the above-mentioned factors. Verifying temperature prior to loading, maintaining proper temperature in transit, and the ability to provide a reefer download documenting transit conditions are ways for carriers to prevent temperature damage.

WHAT IF THERE’S AN ISSUE AT DELIVERY?

First and foremost, be sure to communicate your transportation status and any issues to your point of contact in real time. If there are any overage, shortage, or damage issues at delivery, the receiver should document it on your bill of lading (BOL). If there is a reported issue and you are unclear about the next steps, contact your insurance agent to report the issue and request direction. 

If the product is produce, a USDA inspection may be requested to document the condition of the product. 

Whenever a temperature problem is reported, get a reefer download for the trailer used for the shipment to document the temperature conditions for the time the cargo was on your truck. 

Your cargo policy will not pay for temperature damage if it is caused by an incorrect reefer setpoint or driver negligence. However, if your refrigerated trailer experiences issues during transit, your cargo insurance may step in to pay a cargo claim related to any temperature damage. However, be prepared to provide supporting documentation. To be proactive in the prevention of any issues caused by your equipment, it’s important to perform regular maintenance according to your cargo insurance requirements and company guidelines. 

REFRIGERATED TRUCKING – SHIPPER RED FLAGS TO LOOK FOR

There are a few shipper red flags to look out for before accepting a refrigerated trucking shipment or having your trailer loaded.

Mixed temperature shipments can be a red flag. Sometimes shippers will want to try to ship products together that need vastly different temperature requirements to reduce costs, like fresh and frozen products. These types of shipments are “high risk” and not recommended. Whether a shipper is using a bulkhead or not, to keep your company safe, it’s recommended to avoid shipments that combine frozen, fresh, or dry loads on the same truck.

Now, let’s say you’ve accepted a refrigerated trucking shipment but when you arrive at the shipper you notice one of these things:

• There is food labeled improperly (no USDA logo),
• Spoiled or overripe food products or evidence of spillage, such as juices or blood in the cargo area,
• Food products being shipped with chemicals,
• Evidence of product tampering, like a broken seal or cut tape on boxes.

If you notice any of these things, do not get loaded and immediately contact the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS).

EASILY FIND THE TEMP-CONTROLLED SHIPMENTS YOU’RE LOOKING FOR

Now that you’re prepared to handle the complexities of refrigerated trucking, it’s time to find available shipments. Here’s where Trinity’s Carrier Portal is beneficial.

Our online load board allows you to search for available shipments, filtering by equipment, lanes, and more. Many of our available shipments even allow digital freight matching, providing you the opportunity to Quote Now or Book Now, saving you time from calling or emailing in. Additionally, new shipments get directed to our Carrier Portal first, meaning you’ll have access to exclusive Trinity loads before they get posted to the public load boards!

*This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.*

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.

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.