Transportation Innovations that Adhere to Food Safety

Dr. Ryan likens any carrier of food to the human bloodstream. “If it’s not clean, it’s a problem,” he says.

Dr. Ryan is quick to emphasize that drivers don’t have to worry about cross-contamination if they are only carrying one thing, apples, for example. “But then if you carry an additional item you have to manage the situation,” he points out. “That can be difficult for some drivers.”

Compounding the confusion, Dr. Ryan mentions, is that the law says the shipper has to tell the carrier what to do, such as the shipper will specify temperature a product must be maintained at. “But industry says carriers and shippers have to respond to the buyer of food,” he says. “Thus, the carrier is caught in the middle, trying to meet demands of the law and of the industry.

Retailers and restaurants have been pushing carriers for some time in this regard. In short, all members of the supply chain have to assure that they meet the business needs of their customers and comply with new rules as well.”

All team members at John J. Jerue Truck Brokers, Satellite Beach, Fl., recently completed the aforementioned three-hour training course with Sanitary Cold Chain.

“The training was valuable to inform our staff and get them knowledgeable about FSMA and the changing food safety regulations,” says Michelle Renz, the branch’s office manager. “From new types of pallets to recordkeeping requirements, the new regulations will require everyone to consider details of their daily operations.”

Renz says the branch’s staff includes former drivers that now work in the office, as well as transportation brokers with more than 30 years of experience. “These seasoned team members are as eager as newbies to understand the details of the regulations that will thrust most small business trucking companies into the future of trucking,” she relates, noting that the branch works with a collection of drivers and trucking companies that they have rated as suitable with appropriate safety and insurance requirements to provide transportation services around the country.

“The FSMA training gave us details into the blueprint for the processes and data that will affect the future of the trucking business, for large companies as well as small fleet owners,” Renz points out. We are working with our stable of carriers so drivers understand the compliance regulations and can stay up with innovation in our industry.”

Since technology innovations are a major force disrupting the transportation industry, learning the details is what will set a good transportation planner apart from others, Renz emphasizes. “Each of our staff has completed training because the ability of carriers to adapt may determine their long-term business relationships,” she notes.

App User Manual

Sanitary Cold Chain has developed an app user manual for cellphones. “Drivers can enter data on washing, testing for food residue, loading, and unloading,” Dr. Ryan explains. “They can collect data on events at any time and place (such as during pickup, delivery, or washing), as well as monitor temperatures. They can also collect data for their personal FSMA rule compliance.”

This app user manual is available as a subscription service for both individual drivers and companies. “Each subscriber gets their own data base in a cloud,” Dr. Ryan relates. “The reports available from the cloud collected data allow drivers and managers to manage their operations to the new food safety standards.”

Ready to Roll

What might arguably be called the coolest innovation to hit the highway to date is a composite reefer trailer now offered by Wabash National Corp., Lafayette, Ind.

The company’s hottest new Cold Chain Series refrigerated van is constructed using a proprietary molded structural composite with thermal (MSCT) technology, which improves thermal performance by up to 25 percent and is as much as 20 percent lighter, while significantly improving puncture and damage resistance, according to Brent Yeagy, MS, MBA, Wabash National’s president and COO.