Whether you’re a producer of fresh produce, a receiver, or you’re caught somewhere in the middle, you need to understand the best way of shipping fresh produce. Fortunately, it’s easier than you may think to ensure the produce gets to its’ destination in great condition.
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Choose The Right Service
There are two elements to any shipping service, speed, and quality. Anyone can drive a truck fast and get products from one destination to another. But, the faster the delivery the more likely it is the produce will be damaged on the route.
In contrast, a quality service focuses on getting the product to its destination, in perfect condition, even if that means taking slightly longer.
Before you select a shipping service consider the above and check the reputation of any firms you’re considering working with. You can do this online and should expect to see plenty of positive comments. Don’t be discouraged if there are a few negatives mixed with plenty of positives. This simply means that the company is genuine and can’t keep everyone happy.
Take The Refrigerated Option
Take a look at some of the best-refrigerated transport options and then use one of them. This is a perfect example of quality over speed. With refrigerated transport speed is less important as the product will be kept at just the right temperature, helping to ensure it arrives in perfect condition.
This doesn’t just mean the delivery may be slightly slower, it also ensures your produce is protected if anything unexpected happens on the journey. For example, using an unrefrigerated transport means there will be a set tile to get to the destination. A single road traffic accident can hold up any delivery truck and ruin the time.
That’s not an issue when driving a refrigerated truck, the produce can stay in it for much longer without harm.
Pack It Right
Talk to your chosen shipper regarding which style and size of packages work best for them. Once you have the guidelines you can make sure you pack the produce into boxes that can be easily stacked in the truck. You’ll also want to make sure there is plenty of protection in the box, this will stop produce from being bashed and damaged during transit.
Don’t forget to label all boxes and add a fragile sticker. It should help to ensure the driver and loader take good care of your boxes, although there is no guarantee.
Remember, the journey can take longer than anticipated, make sure your produce is packed to survive.
Be Aware Of Complaints Procedure
You probably won’t be waiting at the other end to unload your produce. But, that doesn’t stop you from learning the complaint procedure and making sure the receiver knows exactly what to do if there is an issue.
This will help to ensure you are not left liable for damaged produce, something that can cost you a considerable amount of money and your reputation.
