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...

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...

As a former restaurant manager for over 20 years who’s family still currently owns and operates food service establishments, I feel uniquely qualified to help vendors help themselves when it comes to the efficiency involved with the actual unloading of the product which can consume valuable time and productivity in the supply chain. It is important to realize that the vendor and the restaurant staff both share in the overall efficiency of the delivery; I will point out some common sense steps that both parties should take to shrink the time needed to deliver the product. Establishment Tips- Have a staff dedicated to unloading the truck - These staff members should be available to move product off the truck and not be charged...

In recent years, the logistical landscape has become a rapidly evolving business environment, and as such, more and more enterprises are looking for that competitive edge to gain a larger market share. As in most industries, it is toward technology-led solutions that team leaders are looking as a vehicle for innovation in their supply chain processes.   Growing Trends In the world of logistics there is a constant need to do things faster and more efficiently. Order cycle times seem to be ever shrinking, and pressures from customers call for a finely-tuned focus on supply chain execution. Transportation management systems (TMS) are the IT answer to these demands and there seem to be some growing trends within the industry...