Keeping freight in favorable condition is one of the touchstones of high-quality transportation. Stakes get even higher when it comes to food transportation, which requires exceptional treatment and super-conducive conditions. To maintain the proper quality of transported food, shippers use food-grade trailers – the type of trailers equipped with special material that helps keep the goods “fit.”
What Makes Food-Grade Trailers so Critical?
Due to several unpropitious factors, food can be subjected to deterioration when being transported. Often, those involved in the delivery process fail to take important measures required to preserve food. Or, even though all the measures have been taken, the freight can go through some unexpected detrimental processes that do happen, even though the preparation was made in a rigorous and professional way.
That said, transporting foods in food-grade trailers comes as a big solution to the challenge which is food spoiling. Food-grade trailers are designed to transport food safely, also preventing contamination such as cross contamination, which can take place after a trailer carrying a product with allergens contaminates the next load of products considered allergen-free.
Raw Materials Shipping
Food-grade trailers come in handy especially if there’s a need for the transportation of raw material. As opposed to finished products, raw materials are not packaged as sustainably. This is why they require special handling, being at bigger risk of contamination from the leftovers of previous shipments.
Who Must Use Food-Grade Trailers?
The requirement to utilize food-grade trailers is regulated by the Rule on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food. Based on this rule, food-grade trailers have to be used by shippers, receivers, loaders, and carriers, who deliver food on the US territory by rail or motor vehicle.
The rule is also adhered to by shippers in other countries who ship food to the US by rail vehicle or motor, or by ship or air. Such shippers need to arrange for the transfer of a container for the transportation across the United States. But this rule doesn’t apply to exporters who ship food through the US territory by motor or rail vehicle on the condition that the food is not to be distributed in the US.
What Are the Requirements for Food-Grade Trailer Drivers?
There are several requirements pertaining to the Rule on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food. The requirements are applied in a number of areas, which include vehicles and transportation equipment, operations in transportation, records, and training.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the specifications of each area mentioned.
- Vehicles and transportation equipment
The materials of the vehicles must be clean and have the capacity of maintaining the temperatures needed to carry the goods safely
- Operations in transportation
To make sure the food is being transported in a secure way, carriers have to conduct a number of special operations. The trucks need to have accurate temperature control and protective systems preventing contamination.
- Training
Carrier staff training includes sanitary transportation practices and other practices indispensable to ensuring that personnel possess relevant knowledge of transporting food
- Records
Drivers are obliged to keep the records of the procedures, agreements, and training.
Raw Materials Shipping
Food-grade trailers come in handy especially if there’s a need for the transportation of raw material. As opposed to finished products, raw materials are not packaged as sustainably. This is why they require special handling, being at bigger risk of contamination from the leftovers of previous shipments.
Finished Products Shipping
The shipping of finished products is also a complex and delicate process – finished goods don’t undergo the same safety checkups as raw materials upon reaching their final destination location.
For instance, we don’t wash finished products in order to mitigate contamination risk. What we do instead is consume them right after taking them out of the package.
Transportation in Food-Grade Trailers
Food-grade trailer drivers have to take into consideration key factors like ELD management, point logs, and overnight crews
ELD system
An ELD is an electronic logging device used to keep the records of whether or not drivers follow the requirements imposed by law. ELD logs driving activity and provides automatic updates for dispatchers to easily spot any violation and track available hours.
Point logs
Point logs show whether or not drivers meet federal regulations. For example, a driver can’t be on duty for more than 14 hours and if they exceed their duty time, point logs detect the violation.
Overnight crews
An overnight crew helps drivers ensure that their trailer is tested properly and then decontaminated for the purposes of food safety. Such crew also make sure that the freight arrives on time.