Blog Archives




 

  • Time Running out for CARB Compliance on Trailer Aerodynamics
    - Thursday October 11, 2012
    As New York’s famous Times Square Ball drops at midnight, a global audience of more than 1 billion will watch New Yorkers ring in the New Year. For truckers and fleets across the United States, Canada and Mexico, New Year’s will also christen in healthy fines should they cross into California without SmartWay verified aerodynamic devices, like side skirts or boat tail fairings, that improve fuel economy 4 to 5 percent on their 53-foot or longer box and refrigerated trailers and low rolling resistance tires that improve fuel efficiency even more. (Note: reefer model years 2003-2009 have a delayed GHG compliance schedule). SmartWay verified tires cannot be used to help meet the 4 to 5 percent requirement, but will add an additional 3...

  • Is Our Food Supply Chain Still As Vulnerable As Before 9/11?
    By John Renison - Tuesday October 9, 2012
    By John Renison Enough money has been invested in border security to prevent another terrorist attack. We have seen an increase in human resources, hi-tech equipment and international agreements. Airports have implemented strong security measures and have a government agency that screens 100 percent of passengers with doubtful results. The question is - how safe is the food we eat? Is the Food and Drug Administration applying full force in regulating importers? In 2002 the FDA presented the Bio Terrorism Act and a few changes throughout the importation process which would enhance consumer safety. Each shipment that wishes to be imported into the U.S. must provide the FDA with a Prior Notice which enables consumer safety officers...

  • Fresh from the Oven: Bakery Implements Rugged Handhelds to Streamline Route Delivery
    By Mike Mcguriman - Wednesday October 3, 2012
    Deploying rugged handhelds within the food supply chain can create multiple benefits, including cutting costs, saving staff hours and increasing the efficiency and accuracy of transportation and delivery. One of the largest independent bakeries in western Canada recently deployed rugged handheld devices for its route drivers in Calgary. The bakery is an early adopter of technology that first incorporated handheld computers into their delivery system in 1990. By 2009, the bakery’s second generation of handheld computers had become obsolete. The mobile devices, mainly used by the bakery’s truck drivers, were prone to breaking, hard to read and unable to capture the pricing and order information essential to the business. Because...

  • Traceability and Recall: Operations Employees Like to Take Vacation, Too!
    By Heather Angus-Lee - Monday October 1, 2012
    By Heather Angus-Lee “We used to have only a few employees who were specialized in food recall, but we like to go on vacation, too!” says Lindsay Palmer, supply chain coordinator at Sahale Snacks based in Seattle, WA. That bottleneck got resolved when the food processor got a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that features recall and traceability functionality. “Now anyone in our company can type in a lot number and hit the ‘trace’ button,” Palmer says. “Product traceability and recall functionality was one of the top priorities in our selection of an ERP vendor.” The requirement for traceability is often at the top of the list of criteria when food processors and distributors are looking for ERP...

  • Tidying up Your Company's Credit
    By PACCAR Financial - Tuesday September 25, 2012
    By: PACCAR Financial It may seem like the only companies that can get credit to buy new or used trucks are those that don’t need it, particularly in a recovering economy. However, by taking proactive steps, such as gathering financial statements, dusting off the company business plan or completing one, and improving or maintaining your company’s safety fitness ratings, there’s little reason why companies shouldn’t be able to get a loan, said Karen Pembroke, director of credit for PACCAR Financial. Particularly if they work through a lender that understands trucks, fleets and the trucking industry. “It’s a good idea to share your company’s story with your truck dealer so that the dealer can share your goals and needs...

  • Traceability Throughout the Entire Supply Chain
    By Samantha Hornby - Tuesday September 18, 2012
    By Samantha Hornby Update Sept 24, 2012 (Mon) : Click here to view the Traceability & Recall Infograph Food traceability can be a logistical nightmare for many companies, but as recent recalls and new legislation have proven, the ability to track products is a growing concern that will continue to be an important part of supply chain logistics that must be done. Regulatory bodies in Canada and the US such as the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have recently launched far-reaching initiatives to address increasing product recalls. These initiatives (and all lot tracking processes) aim to make businesses more accountable for product traceability throughout the entire supply chain...

  • Reducing Lighting Energy Consumption by 90 Percent: Facts to Know on Decreasing Costs & Improving Efficiencies
    By Food Logistics Blogger and Gary D. Hubbard - Friday August 24, 2012
    by Gary D. Hubbard Massive amounts of energy and money go into keeping items cold in a distribution warehouse. The constant flow of air and the movement of workers, machinery, and shipments throughout the space create big challenges in maintaining consistent temperatures and predictable operational costs. Lighting plays a significant role in every aspect of cold storage: temperature output, energy consumption, and workforce productivity. The conventional light sources for cold storage and warehouse environments have been high-pressure sodium or metal halide high bay fixtures. The arc-tube of the lamps is designed to operate at temperatures as high as 1000 degrees C. This produces a constant heat source and places an added load on the...

  • It Could Always Be Worse: Difficult Food Service Logistics Situations
    By Pete Kontakos - Thursday August 23, 2012
    by Pete Kontakos No one said it would be easy! Trying to make your customers happy, keeping costs down and making sure all products are delivered accurately and in a timely manner only scratch the surface of your day to day responsibilities. As Malcolm Forbes once said “ When things are bad, we take comfort in the thought that they could always get worse .” Here is a list of difficult logistics situation to help remind you things could always be worse. New Buffet Openings : Delivering to food service establishments can be a challenge in and of itself with demanding business owners’ needing visits during specific day parts and other demands, however, a very challenging situation is dealing with a brand new buffet...

  • Perishable Cargo Service Just Got Cooler at DFW
    By Joe Reedy - Wednesday August 22, 2012
    by Joe Reedy  Timing is everything in air cargo, particularly when moving perishable shipments like fruits, vegetables and fish. From farmer to consumer, logistics professionals must ensure this delicate cargo arrives quickly, and just as importantly, fresh. In many cases, air cargo is the most viable option for moving perishable goods from, for example, a berry farm in Argentina to ports in Tokyo, Shanghai, Beijing or elsewhere in Asia. With the growing demand for fresh food and produce around the world, logistics professionals must increasingly refine their product and service offerings. For American Airlines Cargo, which moves large volumes of perishable fruits, vegetables and fish, the growing demand has meant investments in...

  • Adopting the ASN
    By Eric A. Linxwiler - Tuesday August 14, 2012
    by Eric A. Linxwiler I had a conversation this week with a Vice President that has spent the last 20 years with a tier 1 grocer currently ranked in the U.S. Top 10. The topic of the Advanced Ship Notice (ASN) came up and how, for the most part, grocery continues to lag behind retailers with non-food supply chains in adopting the ASN. Our joint view on the issue is that the desire and the intent are there, but the complexity of the document coupled with the unique makeup of the grocers' supply chains contribute to delays in implementation. Conventional wisdom within the majority contributes to this way of thinking; however, smart grocers know that rolling out an ASN indeed takes support, planning and a long-term focus... but the...

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