Food Logistics August 2021

REEFER TRENDS

COLD STORAGE TRENDS

TRACK-AND-TRACE

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TOP 3PL & COLD STORAGE PROVIDERS OF 2021 . No. 227 August 2021 Issue

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Top 3PL &

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This annual list recognizes leading third-party logistics and cold storage providers in the global cold food and beverage industry.

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TOP 3PL & COLD STORAGE PROVIDERS OF 2021 . No. 227 August 2021 Issue

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ON THE MENU

August 2021 ISSUE NO. 227 COLUMNS FOR STARTERS

04 Give it Up for

the Truck Drivers Editor-in-chief Marina Mayer thanks the men and women behind the big rigs who keep America moving.

DEPARTMENTS

COVER STORY

3PLs Keep on Truckin’ The global 3PL market plays a pivotal role in how and why Americans receive essential goods in a safe and timely manner.

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What Trends Will Drive Cold Storage 3PL in 2022?

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Food on the Move

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Ad Index

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3PL / COLD CHAIN

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AWARDS

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WAREHOUSING

Top 3PL & Cold Storage Providers

How to Create a Safe Warehouse Environment in Logistics

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3PLs lean into the growth of e-commerce and the frozen foods sector in cold storage 2022.

This award recognizes leading 3PL and cold storage providers in the cold food and beverage industry.

Knowing the well-being of workers helps understand the best safety solutions.

TRANSPORTATION

SOFTWARE & TECHNOLOGY

FOOD SAFETY

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Combat Reduced Shipping Margins Caused by Freight Volatility

How business intelligence and communication can help reduce margin erosion.

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Cold Chain Automation is Efficient First and Foremost

Automation has become more of a “need to have” rather than something nice to have.

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IoT-Enabled Pallets for Tracking Perishable Goods

Pallet Alliance details how IoT-enabled pallets provide a scalable, easy-touse means across the supply chain.

PACKAGING

How Transit Packaging

& Materials 44 Technology Ensure Food Industry

Safety

Signode: Technology is key to food safety.

WEB EXCLUSIVES Supply Chain Network Virtual Summit SCNSummit.com

The L.I.N.K. to Global

Supply Chain Intelligence foodlogistics.com/podcasts

Food Editors Stream Live on Social Media foodlogistics.com/videos/link-live

Published and copyrighted 2021 by AC Business Media. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

Food Logistics (USPS 015-667; ISSN 1094-7450 print; ISSN 1930-7527 online) is published 10 times per year in January/February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November/December by AC Business Media, 201 N. Main Street, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 and additional mailing offices.

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FOR STARTERS

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

DETAILS

GIVE IT UP FOR THE

TRUCK DRIVERS I Marina Mayer Editor-In-Chief

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n early July, my family and I took a road trip from the Northwestern suburbs of Chicago to middle of nowhere Kentucky. Eight hours one way sounded fun at the time of planning (“We can sightsee, we’ll drive through different states, we’ll play games in the car”), but in the midst of it, well, you know the drill. It was more like, “Where are we? Are we almost there? What time will we get there?”

Despite my best efforts to introduce the license plate game, road trip scavenger hunt and other games I remember playing as a kid in an era not privy to electronics, my kids were not as amused.

But, what did take was the air pump to neighboring truck drivers.

You see, the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) opened up a new appreciation for the people behind the big rig. And, sharing the road

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with the plethora of trucks (and man, there were a TON of trucks) gave me the opportunity to explain to my kids how different trucks transport different things, whether it be produce, milk, toys or medicine. My 6-year-old son doesn’t like to read Food Logistics because it doesn’t have any superheroes.

But, at this moment in time, I was able to educate my son that yes, in fact, it does cover superheroes. The people we interview may not wear capes, but they’re agile, resilient and powerful in their own ways.

These men and women make a difference in the supply chain. They make a difference in people’s lives.

Whether it be making sure a child’s birthday present arrives on time or ensuring that restaurants and supermarkets are stocked with the right food at the right time (think temperature-controlled), truck drivers matter.

So, thank you to the truck drivers who humored my 9.5-year-old daughter by honking that horn.

Sometimes it was a long blow.

Sometimes it was in sing-song format. Sometimes it was a small honk accompanied by a wave or a smile.

Either way, nine times out of 10, those truck drivers honked upon seeing my daughter’s air pump out the window. We would then exchange smiles, waves and thumbs up. But, what those truck drivers don’t realize is that my smile, wave and thumbs up isn’t thanking them for honking that horn; it’s for doing what they do.

Road trip or not, let’s give it up to the truck drivers—the men and women behind the big rig who keep America moving.

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NEWS FROM ACROSS THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN Daily Updates at FoodLogistics.com

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IBM Food Trust Taps Blockchain, AI to Help Small-Scale Farmers

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IBM Food Trust aims to allow smallholder coffee and cocoa farmers in Honduras to make more informed and better business decisions through blockchain and artificial intelligence. The farmers will have access to IBM Watson Decision Platform for Agriculture and work with both IBM and Heifer International to create a more transparent coffee and cocoa supply chain, allowing smaller farmers to earn more. According to Heifer, these small-scale coffee farmers operate at an average of 46-59% loss, with farmers earning less than 1% of the sale of a cup of coffee at a coffee shop.

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Ekhhosoft Debuts New Cloud-Based Operational Performance Management Software Solution for CPG, Food Manufacturers

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Food Traceability Leadership Consortium to Find Solution to FDA Regulations The Food Traceability Leadership Consortium will explore possible solutions to the FDA’s proposed traceability regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The Consortium announced that the optimal solution to traceability challenges within the food retail industry must have minimal cost that won’t impact margins or consumer prices and be easy to adopt, use and verify in order to drive universal adoption while meeting or exceeding FDA regulations in the future.

“The FTLC and ReposiTrak worked collaboratively developing the guidelines to ensure the traceability solution endorsed will get broad buy-in from all trading partners. We have also confirmed the biggest challenges caused by the FSMA regulations, notably capturing shipment level data as product moves through the supply chain and traceability from the distribution center to the store and are now determining the capabilities needed to address them,” says Randy Fields, chairman and CEO of ReposiTrak. “Then we will find a solution that has those capabilities.”

Read more: https://foodl.me/38u4tg

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Ekhosoft announced Ekho Cloud, a cloudbased operational performance management (OPM) software solution for consumer Ekhosoft packaged goods (CPG) and food and beverage manufacturers.

“Today, we are excited to launch our out-of-the-box OPM software-as-a-service (SaaS) product. Ekho Cloud incorporates and embraces key input from our long-term customers, providing manufacturing-specific tools that enable our customers to improve operations and generate value, rather than configuring and maintaining a bespoke system. We understand the importance of finding the right balance between configurability and ease-of-use and are excited to embark on this SaaS initiative with our current and future customers,” says Jeffrey Maqsoudi, product manager at Ekhosoft.

Ekho Cloud provides the core functionality for OPM in a pre-configured, best-ofbreed software solution built to uncover performance issues and empower the shop floor to drive and measure improvement initiatives.

Read more: https://foodl.me/6h5yzk

Sustainability Remains Critical in Supply Chain Management

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Although there are many approaches to investing in supply chain management, interest in human rights protection, worker welfare and safety and energy savings and renewable energy increased significantly over the last year, according to a Deyan Georgiev - stock.adobe.com report produced by MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (MIT CTL) and the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP).

In fact, supplier development was found to be the most common mechanism used by firms to deliver on their supply chain software promises.

“We believe cooperation between sectors is vital to thoroughly understand the complexity and evolution of sustainability efforts more broadly,” says David Correll, MIT CTL research scientist. “Our work with CSCMP and our sponsors helps us to embed this essential research and its findings within the context of the real-life practice of supply chain management.”

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NEWS FROM ACROSS THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN Daily Updates at FoodLogistics.com

Only 4% of CSCOs are “Future-Ready” Only 4% of chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) say they are “future-ready,” while 34% expect to be there by 2023, according to an Accenture report.

“Even before the pandemic, chief supply chain officers were faced with increasing expectations—from supporting new customer experiences to driving profitability. Faced with their greatest stress test yet, chief supply chain officers were challenged to meet the moment and build a relevant, resilient and responsible supply chain that delivers for all stakeholders. Today’s supply chain leaders are depended on to create a digitally powered, data-driven operating model to achieve a future-ready supply chain and enable long-term growth,” says Manish Sharma, group CEO of Accenture Operations.

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PASSIVELY POWERFUL HOW PASSIVE TEMPERATURE PROTECTION IS THE REAL COST SAVINGS WINNER ACROSS THE SUPPLY CHAIN

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75% of Third-Party Vendors Do Not Meet Insurance Requirements

Evident ID observed that 75% of third-party vendors fail to comply with enterprise insurance requirements despite being contractually obligated to do so.

“Companies are challenged to create a program that achieves a high degree of compliance and then keep it up-to-date,” says David Thomas, CEO of Evident. “This hampers their risk management efforts and wastes lots of time and money for enterprises themselves, third parties, insurance brokers and agents.”

However, research revealed that the average company has only 25% of third-parties verified, creating a significant risk of losses from under/uninsured business partners.

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Repeatable Solutions Help Restaurants Manage Projects During Hiring Crisis

KNAPP

Kroger Taps KNAPP to Add State-of-the-Art Technology to Ohio Facility Kroger and KNAPP partnered to deploy, expand and enhance capabilities and capacity of Kroger’s Great Lakes Distribution Center in Delaware, Ohio. Currently, the facility is being renovated, adding modern state-of-the-art technology and will expand by 130,000 square feet. The center currently services 115 stores in the central and northwest Ohio region, as well as the southeast Michigan and the Ohio River Valley region.

“Kroger’s investment in KNAPP’s latest technology allows the Great Lakes Distribution Center to improve efficiency in replenishing our stores, enabling us to quickly deliver fresh food to our customers.

The expansion of the facility is part of the ongoing transformation of our supply chain network, and this project will more than double our capacity while delivering innovation and scalability that can grow with demand,” says Tony Lucchino, Kroger’s VP of supply chain and network strategy. “This collaborative project will allow us to better serve customers in the region.”

Read more: https://foodl.me/b3xxcj

The restaurant industry is facing increasing disruption as the hiring crisis is forcing companies to do more with less workers than ever before. At the same time, customer exloki_ast-stock.adobe.com periences are changing, and restaurants must implement technology and automation upgrades such as ordering kiosks, robotic kitchen elements, more drive-thru options and contactless means for delivery and pickup to keep up with patrons’ expectations.

Companies are working around this by partnering with third-party logistics (3PL) providers that act as an extension of their team to manage everything from procurement support and vendor management to on-site project management, warehousing, delivery and installation—a combination of support once unheard of in the 3PL world.

Tom Ruede, VP of business development, Suddath’s Logistics division, advises which solutions can best help restaurants during the labor shortage.

Read more: https://foodl.me/gz5pe2

Why Small and Mid-Size Food and Agricultural Operations Need Improved Employee Recruitment for PostCOVID-19 Success The lean nature of smaller to mid-size food processors and farmer- or partMotortion-Shaking Hands - stock.adobe.com ner-owned operations such as cooperatives and family-owned businesses might make them very effective business models, but the traditional nature and cultural worldview of these organizations can sometimes get in the way of hiring much-needed new talent.

While those sitting on agricultural cooperative or partner-owned business boards likely understand the need and importance of bringing in new hires—as well as the economics of the payback the co-op will receive by paying new hires’ market wages—tension can exist with the general membership regarding new hires’ salaries, particularly when it comes to hiring managers with higher salary requirements. Needless to say, the tension poses some recruitment challenges for many food and ag operations.

Shawn Miller, lead of people solutions services practice, Morrison, explains why agricultural operations need to improve their recruitment tactics in order to be successful in a post-COVID-19 world.

Read more: https://foodl.me/gvyhbc

Building a Superstar Grocery Retailer with Supply Chain Control Towers Retailers will have to continue to address the key dynamics of increased demand volatility and the step change in omnichannel purchases, which have created a number of challenges, including ensuring product availability for high customer service and executing on strategies to manage risks due to demand surges and supplier disruptions.

These transformational shifts in consumer behavior create unprecedented levels of variability, uncertainty and complexity in supply chains. Retailers are being forced to challenge the status quo and step up their supply chain competencies to successfully transform their businesses. There is a realization that to run an exceptional supply chain, it takes a commitment to leverage data and advanced analytics to make smart, fact-based decisions, while continuously evolving product offerings, supply chain strategies and execution capabilities.

Vikram Murthi, VP, industry strategy, o9 Solutions, explains how retailers can beef up their stores with control towers.

Read more: https://foodl.me/qhjsy8

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LOGISTICS TRENDS IN THE INDUSTRY Daily Updates at FoodLogistics.com

Refrigerated Goods Trucking Global Market to Reach $50.02B in 2021

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A Research and Markets report found that the global refrigerated goods market will reach $50.02 billion in 2021, up from $47.54 billion in 2020.

The growth is largely attributed to companies having to rearrange operations due to the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic by social distancing, remote working and certain closures of commercial activities.

Meanwhile, increased demand for frozen foods and perishable foods are contributing to the growth of the refrigerated goods trucking market. The surge has forced suppliers to equip their refrigerated units with multi-temperature systems, computer controls and thermal liners to keep food at the required temperature.

Read more: https://foodl.me/mphrxk

Marine Traffic and Tive Partner to Provide Ship Movement and Ports Information stock.adobe.com

Tive and Marine Traffic partnered to provide the Open Visibility Network (OVN) with vessel movements by integrating data and insights that go beyond location of the ship and its condition. The partnership will provide customers with insights that increase end-customer experience.

“I could not be more thrilled than to welcome MarineTraffic to the Open Visibility Network. They are the leaders in vessel location data, and add tremendous value to the visibility ecosystem,” said Tive CEO and founder Krenar Komoni.

“Combining vessel data, the latest port information and real-time location and condition data-utilizing trackers, customers around the globe can get true real-time information on what is happening with their shipments. We are excited for MarineTraffic to join this powerful partnership of top visibility solutions providers to help make global supply chains more efficient.”

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How Do Trucking Companies Handle Drug Testing?

Associate editor Brielle Jaekel sits down with Health Street founder and CEO Jared Rosenthal to talk about drug testing in the trucking industry and what the difference is between urine samples and hair follicle testing. The two dive into why one is more important than the other and more.

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Descartes Systems Group acquired GreenMile in an up-front cash consideration of $30 million. GreenMile’s scalable mobile route execution solutions were built with capabilities to better serve the global distribution industry, allowing for customers to continually improve service and travel time standards.

“GreenMile has built a great business by focusing on the unique challenges faced by retail food and beverage distribution companies,” says Andrew Roszko, EVP commercial operations at Descartes. “Their mobile applications are used by drivers around the world to improve their productivity and provide real-time delivery visibility to enhance customer service. The platform is complemented with advanced analytics and delivery performance management tools to provide managers in the field and corporate leadership with a comprehensive view of field operations. When combined with Descartes’ advanced route optimization tools, we believe it presents a compelling proposition to help distributors improve their final-mile delivery operations.”

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Descartes Acquires GreenMile for $30M

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Werner Launches New App for Drivers

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Werner Enterprises launched its new Drive Werner Pro app, offering drivers an easy way to access trip details, load status, search job opportunities, submit paperwork, contact their transportation manager, find documents and more. [Go to page 14 for more].

“Our goal for Drive Werner Pro was to create a solution that is easy to use and easy to navigate,” says Chris Polenz, VP of driver recruiting. “By streamlining communication and creating a simple interface that is customizable to provide individualized trip details and much more, Drive Werner Pro gives support to our drivers while they’re on the road.” Read more: https://foodl.me/ejffur

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Retail Cargo Sees DoubleDigit Increases Over 2020 Imports at the nation’s largest retail container ports continue to experience double-digit growth over last year as strong consumer demand keeps up its momentum, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates.

“The year-over-year growth we saw this spring was off the charts because the comparisons were against a time when most stores were shut down due to the pandemic,” NRF VP for supply chain and customs policy Jonathan Gold says. “But, we’re continuing to see strong growth even as we enter a point when stores had begun to re-open last year. That’s a sign of the tremendous demand from consumers. The challenge for retailers and supply chains is keeping shelves stocked as port congestion and other supply chain disruptions continue to impact the industry and the economy more broadly.”

Read more: https://foodl.me/ruxb42

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LOGISTICS TRENDS IN THE INDUSTRY Daily Updates at FoodLogistics.com

Mediterranean Shipping, Shell to Decarbonize Shipping Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HyperloopTT)

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Shell International Petroleum Company Limited joined forces to help accelerate the decarbonization of the global shipping sector by developing kalyakan.stock.adobe.com a range of safe, sustainable and competitive technologies that can reduce emissions from existing assets and help to enable a net-zero emissions future for shipping.

“MSC’s efforts to decarbonize include strong partnerships with a range of companies across the industry. This partnership with Shell is a great example of the type of commitment that is needed to catalyze low-carbon solutions for the shipping sector,” says Bud Darr, EVP maritime policy and government affairs, MSC Group. “To reach that ultimate goal of complete decarbonization, we must look at a set of solutions. We need significant advances in research and development and fuel development. MSC welcomes partnerships like this with Shell that are designed to facilitate cross-sector information sharing and prove how collaboration is key in defining the best pathway to a net-zero future.”

HyperPort Resembles Future of Transporting Containerized Cargo Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HyperloopTT) revealed HyperPort, a sustainable high-speed cargo and freight solution capable of increasing capacity and efficiency while decreasing pollution and congestion at ports worldwide.

Developed in partnership with Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA), the HyperPort system is a plug-and-play solution for port operators capable of transporting containerized cargo hundreds of kilometers in minutes.

“Using the same underlying technology as our passenger systems, the HyperPort can future-proof supply chains while returning valuable seaside real estate back to surrounding communities,” says Andres De Leon, CEO of HyperloopTT. “Our work with world leading firms to move this technology forward is a significant revenue opportunity for port operators all around the world.”

The summer is finally here. And, while generally that is welcome news for many, for manufacturers, shippers and freight procurement teams, summer usually means one thing—a shortage of refrigerated trucking capacity.

Even in the best circumstances, finding available and budget friendly refrigerated trucking options during the summer is a major pain point in freight. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the logistics space, this year’s summer shipping season is presenting shippers and freight procurement professionals with a whole new batch of strategy, planning and cost challenges.

Mike Nervick, CEO, Sleek Technologies, advises how to avoid high costs in the cold chain.

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Refrigerated Trucking Capacity Shortage: How to Avoid Sky-High Costs

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Next Generation in Trucking Association Partners with Schools to Train Next Generation of Truck Drivers

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The Next Generation in Trucking Association partnered with local schools to provide CDL Driver and Diesel Technician programs for young adults in Kentucky, Wisconsin, and California.

“Programs like this one are critical game changers for not only developing a skilled workforce, but also creating pathways for that skilled workforce to advance in their careers in the trucking industry,” says Lindsey Trent, Ryder customer and business development manager and co-chair of Next Generation in Trucking. “We are eager to train, mentor and match a fresh generation of drivers to the 21st century needs and demands of the trucking industry.”

Read more: https://foodl.me/m74stp

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British International Freight Association Reiterates Need to Prepare for EU Trade Rule Changes

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) is encouraging businesses engaged in visible trade between the UK and EU and the freight and logistics companies that serve them to make sure they are fully prepared for rule changes that will take effect over the next six months following an initial postponement.

The customs environment should beware of the implications of failing to make the declarations that will become necessary, according to BIFA director general, Robert Keen.

“That’s why we are encouraging them to consider appointing a freight forwarder, if they haven’t already done so, to deal with their customs documentation, whilst they concentrate on their core business, which has been hard hit by both Brexit and COVID-19,” Keen says. “Feedback from our members suggests that one lesson learned from the changes implemented at the start of January this year is that the practical application of the changes has often been as challenging or, in certain cases, more challenging than anticipated. Now, both the trade association and its members need to encourage traders to fully consider the likely impact of the requirements of Stages 2 and 3 on their business well before the implementation dates.”

Read more: https://foodl.me/htqm8n

Opportunities for Clean Fuel Autonomous Vehicle Integration into Logistics and Cold Chain Trucking Systems Organizations around the world—from governments to companies of all sizes—are increasingly acknowledging the need for a societal shift toward economic resilience, social mobility and environmental stewardship. This focus has also proliferated into the trucking industry, as innovation rapidly accelerates. There are pivots toward greater use of automation and clean fuel technology in long-haul platforms. In that context, there are a number of areas in which clean fuel, autonomous vehicle (AV) technology can help improve efficiencies for refrigerated shipping and trucking, including benefits to consumer/small businesses, potential to address labor shortages and autonomous/zero emission fuel synergies.

William Riggs, associate professor at University of San Francisco, explains what opportunities logistics companies have in their cold chain.

Read more: https://foodl.me/ xfy9y8

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COVER STORY

BY MARINA MAYER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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3PLS KEEP ON TRUCKIN’

The e-commerce boom catapulted the 3PL market into the spotlight, but implementing automation and employing driver safety and recruitment programs help trucking companies keep on truckin’.

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hen the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) hit, many facets of the supply chain experienced disruption. Restaurants closed, some permanently. Excess food went to waste. E-commerce boomed, further fueling the “Amazon Effect.” And, the ever-present driver shortage gap transformed into an overall industry-wide labor shortage issue.

However, despite all of the hiccups and disruptions, trucks kept on truckin’.

The trucking industry moves more than 72% of the nation’s freight tonnage, and over the next decade, will be tasked with moving 2.4 billion more tons of freight than they do today, according to an American Trucking Associations (ATA) press release.

“Supply chains are increasingly complex, which prompts more and more companies to align with experts (3PLs) to provide guidance and clarity,” says Craig Callahan, EVP and chief commercial officer, Werner Enterprises. “Manufactures are sourcing parts globally and automating production to meet the needs of retailers and distributors and are now being pushed to provide fulfillment in the traditional and e-commerce platforms. These constantly escalating requirements have driven organizations of all sizes to align with one or more 3PLs that have invested in people, processes and technology. Most companies have prioritized their capital investment on productivity-driving initiatives, leaving little capital to spend on supply chain technology. Given this, we continue to see companies challenging their 3PL carriers to make those technology investments and provide those services for them.”

It’s that challenge that keeps the global 3PL market in position for continued growth. Real-time tracking and route optimization help 3PLs meet online demand and provide transparency to the constant question of, “where is my package?”

In most years, freight under contract represented about 87% of all truckload freight hauled, according to DAT Freight & Analytics. From 2020 to present day, that percentage is closer to 78%. That’s because more freight is being moved on the spot market than ever before, yet the volume spot and contract freight combined was almost unchanged compared to 2019, says Claude Pumilia, president and CEO at DAT. “The first lesson that we learned is that the allocation of volume over the lanes, not the total volume, is what really drives shippers and 3PLs,” Pumilia adds. “We’re seeing more of a portfolio approach to transportation procurement, where shippers have a certain segment of their freight under traditional annual bids and other segments for shorter time periods. They’re more open to experimentation, which creates opportunities for 3PLs to use creative solutions and collaboration to distinguish themselves in a big way.”

Also, the fourth quarter of 2020 was the strongest in the history of the last-mile segment, with last-mile fleets servicing 21% more stops in 2020 than in 2019, according to research presented by the Customized Logistics &

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Delivery Association and Transport Intermediaries Association. In the United States alone, approximately 15,000 registered 3PLs generated about $90 billion in annual revenue primarily by managing truckload and less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transactions. And, overall, the last-mile delivery market in North America is expected to reach $44.88 billion from 2020-2024 at a compound annual growth rate of over 14%.

“Working with 3PLs lets companies respond quicker to shifting demand, especially in an e-commerce environment. Specifically, for food and beverage customers, 3PLs help meet changing regulatory safety requirements, mitigate operational barriers and provide access to the emergence of alternative technologies. These are costly investments, while 3PLs have already established these capabilities. Outsourcing allows customers to focus on sales and growth vs. build-out,” says Jim Wilkinson, perishables operations and business development manager for Yusen Logistics (Americas) Inc. However, that’s not to say that carriers aren’t challenged with the many supply chain disruptions, pandemic-aside, plaguing the supply chain industry.

“Freight bottlenecks and congestion on the National Highway System already cost the trucking industry an annual 1.2 billion hours of lost productivity, which is equivalent to more than 425,000 drivers sitting idle for an entire year, adding $75 billion to the cost of freight transportation,” according to the ATA press release.

Driver shortage, driver safety, driver recruitment One of the biggest challenges impacting the supply chain to date is labor.

“The industry currently faces a shortfall of nearly 61,000 drivers and will need to hire roughly 1.1 million new drivers over the next decade to keep pace with economy’s increased freight demands,” according to the ATA press release.

According to an estimate from the Next Generation in Trucking Association, that

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shortage is expected to grow to more than 174,000 by 2026.

Case in point: Finding and keeping experienced, qualified, safe truck drivers is—and will continue to be—an ongoing issue, says Rock Magnan, president of RK Logistics Group.

“Older drivers are retiring. The industry is not producing enough new entrants to fill the gap. The key to keeping drivers is simple—minimize downtime and maximize time behind the wheel and all available hours of service. Create a working environment where the driver feels valued and is getting fully compensated for their time. Reduce what takes away from their earnings, things like excessive paperwork, loading and unloading or waiting too long for the next load. Those firms that are easiest for drivers to work with and best utilize their time and skill will be the winners,” Magnan says.

In Food Logistics’ SCN Summit: State of the Supply Chain week, Rebecca Brewster, president and COO of the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) says the driver shortage is no secret.

“There’s no question the pandemic was a hit on our workforce. We had some stumbling blocks along the way as the Department of Motor Vehicles closed. We couldn’t get licensing for commercial drivers’ license permits or get full CDLs. Truck driver training schools had to shutter because of the pandemic early on. So, we built up this backlog of potential new interests in the system that’s just starting to work its way out,” says Brewster.

What’s more is, it’s a serious challenge across the supply chain, says Lowell Randel, SVP of government and legal affairs for the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA), who also presented in the SCN Summit. [Go to SCNSummit.com to register].

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“It’s important to remember that workforce development isn’t just about attracting and onboarding new hires or reskilling existing workers for new technology. It’s also about helping workers to advance in their careers,” says Mark Murrell, president and co-founder of CarriersEdge.

“It’s not just drivers. It’s also warehouse workers, transportation companies and technicians,” he adds. “When you think about the long haul, that is certainly a real challenge. On the warehousing side, we see potential challenges working in a -20° environment.”

For its part, Penske Logistics currently has more than 600 driver openings. That’s why it implemented a centralized driver hiring center (DHC).

“The DHC cut our cycle time to hire by two weeks, and it has also helped with the onboarding experience, which results in higher retention rates,” says Jeff Jackson, SVP of operations, Penske. “Our goal is to provide a white glove experience during the hiring process and a red-carpet approach to onboarding. Most of our fleet is regional and back home every night, and we operate late-model equipment that features great specifications to include a best-in-class safety package.”

What’s more is, an aging workforce, lack of new people entering the industry, high turnover, increasing traffic and new technology continue to create the perception of a labor shortage, says Mark Murrell, president and co-founder of CarriersEdge.

“It’s important to remember that workforce development isn’t just about attracting and onboarding new hires or reskilling existing workers for new technology. It’s also about helping workers to advance in their careers, which is a subject rarely discussed in the transportation sector. In other industries, workers routinely work their way up the ladder from junior to senior to expert and so on. In transportation, a driver is a driver. They may have 3

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COVER STORY continued

Werner Enterprises

years of experience or 30, but in most Werner Enterprises developed Werner EDGE, an innovation Meanwhile, Arrive Logistics cases, they still do the same work, have arm dedicated to developing new solutions that enrich experilaunched “Carrier Obsession,” an ences for drivers, associates and customers. the same title and earn the same initiative that prioritizes carriers’ base rate,” Murrell says. “Proper needs. workforce development requires “It starts with simple things like companies to have a plan for those listening to our carriers, undersenior and expert-level drivers that standing what they want and need reflects their experience and skill and avoiding trying to bait them levels. That may mean using them into freight that is not a good fit. It more broadly as trainers and menincludes digging into administrative tors, involving them in equipment needs they may have, and simply spec’ing and delivery optimization catering to them based on what or moving them into non-driving their business and drivers want,” roles. Regardless, it needs to be says Jason Zwirkoski, CRO, Arrive considered. Without that, compaLogistics. “Additionally, Arrive has nies are squandering a mountain launched Arrive EDGE for Carriers, of experience that could help them our online freight portal, and Triimprove their operations and profitability tom changes need to occur, but even small umph Quick Pay. Both carrier products are as a result.” improvements to policies and procedures meant to improve the experience carriers “[These] issues combine to squeeze com- can have wide-reaching effects. Any pain and drivers have when partnering with us.” panies in their efforts to stay current—new point that a driver feels in the supply chain Trucking companies are also embracing technology can help improve efficiency, but is a potential exiting event.” digital transformation to better recruit, to take advantage of it, workers need to be That’s why Werner Enterprises develonboard and retain quality drivers. adequately trained and there’s less and less oped its 5Ts + S initiative, which promotes “Today’s drivers are more familiar with time available to get that training to them,” commitment to trucks, trailers, talent, trucking technology—they want and expect Murrell adds. terminals, technology and sustainability. up-to-date software that’s designed to help Quality of life is also a key factor pushing “By investing in these five areas, we have them do their jobs better, more efficiently drivers to leave for other industries, says been able to, and will continue to, improve and more safely,” says Avi Geller, CEO, Mike McClelland, SVP of transportation, the safety and overall quality of life of our Maven Machines. “Our company has develKenco Logistics. That’s why it’s imperative professional drivers. Our Career Track pro- oped easy-to-use, driver-friendly software 3PLs implement programs designed to not gram allows drivers to come to Werner and that facilitates increased productivity for only keep drivers safe, but also happy. advance their skills at their pace, working both drivers and managers by automating “Our 10% turnover rate is no accident with our driver leaders,” adds Callahan. much of the daily rote work required of in our dedicated programs. We focus on “Providing quality training to a future genboth drivers and fleet personnel. creating a safe atmosphere for our drivers eration of safe professional truck drivers “Maven’s platform also helps streamline that provides a balance between work and helps not only our fleet, but also the overall the driver onboarding and training process home time. We pride ourselves on operindustry.” by enabling trucking companies to conduct ating one of the safest fleets on driver education remotely,” Geller the road, year after year, through says. initial and ongoing training comCompanies should also focus on plemented by the most powerful expanding their diversity efforts, in-cab technology,” McClelland Murrell adds. adds.

“The industry has traditionally It will take a collective effort by hired from very specific segments of the entire transportation industry the population, but those segments to help navigate this driver shortare no longer sufficient in filling the age, says Craig Callahan, EVP and need for new entrants,” he says. chief commercial officer, Werner “The industry as a whole needs to Enterprises. embrace diversity and inclusivity “Every dispatcher, shipping or efforts in order to start attracting DC manager, carrier and shipper greater numbers of workers from should review any touchpoint non-traditional sources.”

Kenco Logistics invests in improved visibility tools, AI and they have with drivers and look And, while driver safety continues predictive analytics to provide end-to-end visibility, improve at it through their eyes,” Callahan to rank as utmost importance, so too efficiency and be more proactive in managing customers’ shipments. says. “In some cases, top-to-botdoes the need to enforce fleet safety.

Kenco Logistics

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COVER STORY continued

Arrive Logistics

cameras help to exonerate our professional drivers. We have a safety suite in our truck specifications that includes all-wheel disc brakes, collision avoidance and lane departure technology.”

The driver shortage will also spur a decade of innovation, particularly in trucks and automated driver assist Arrive Logistics launched Arrive EDGE for Carriers, an online systems, adds Magnan. freight portal.

“Smart vehicles won’t eliminate the need for drivers, but as “We’ve developed many innovative technology advances and more self-driving features for improving driver safety. and driver-assist features go into cabs, Whether it’s helping drivers and managers operating them may require fewer drivers track hours of service (HOS) quickly and overall or drivers whose skills don’t need accurately or monitoring vehicle moveto be as comprehensive as today’s,” he ments and events like harsh braking, our adds. “As an industry, we have made great cloud-based software platform is built to strides in the past decade to improve driver help fleets of all sizes improve their safety safety and reduce incidents. That has been standards and records,” says Geller. a combination of regulations, better driver Some 3PLs also utilize in-cab technology training and monitoring and technology. As and other automated solutions to improve trucks adopt more driver-assist systems, I driver productivity and monitor other drivthink those will bring improvements that er-related issues like driver fatigue. will make the physical and mental demands “Maven’s routing software uses artificial of driving a truck easier and will lead to intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) even safer operations.” to create efficient, optimized routes so Vector provides a logistics management drivers don’t feel the need to speed or cut platform that “helps facilities digitize the corners to make deliveries and pickups on pickup and delivery process, integrate and time,” says Geller. “Telematics can help detranslate data across systems and reduce tect poor or potentially dangerous driving warehousing and transportation costs behavior, provide fleets with visibility into in order to achieve less gate congestion, their top-performing drivers and collate faster turnaround times, real-time visibility data that fleets can use to guide future and transparency throughout the freight’s training and professional development.” chain of custody, reduced risks and signifArrive Logistics uses its own technolicant efficiency gains in the field and back ogy to monitor and prevent transit times office,” says Will Chu, CEO at Vector. “Our from potentially being too strenuous, says platform digitizes the pickup and delivery Zwirkoski. process, so the driver never has to leave “We’re also controlling the communicathe truck.” tion flow, so that we are doing everything we can to not bother the driver while they are driving or sleeping. This includes things Influx of automation from visibility tools and GPS tracking to One of the many ways 3PLs are adapting how we set up our internal tracking workto the influx of automation is to embrace flow and the protocols of how and when we online tools for communication, education reach out,” he adds. and streamlining of workflow, Murrell says.

Penske Logistics utilizes inward- and “These technologies stand to benefit the outward-facing cameras in its cabs. industry greatly. While a live body will still “This has driven some tremendous safety be required in the vehicle for security and results,” says Jackson. “When an accident oversight reasons (even after the truck occurs that is not the fault of a Penske starts driving itself), the requirements of driver but a motorist on the road, the the job should be reduced, lowering the

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barrier to entry for new workers,” he says.

“At the same time, the implementation of new technology should serve as an attracting force for younger workers who hadn’t previously considered the industry as an option.”

3PLs also had to re-think old processes.

That’s why DAT introduced Multilane Rates for Ratecast, which enables 3PLs to build its forecasting tool into their workflows to complete RFPs in less time.

“Full-scale supply chain visibility is table stakes when working with shippers today, especially at the enterprise level,” says Pumilia. “For a 3PL, access to real-time visibility data can lower operating costs, improve on-time performance and strengthen relationships with customers and carriers.

Visibility also delivers massive volumes of freight data to those who desire to use it.”

[Go to foodl.me/lrc59e to learn more about supply chain visibility].

For its part, Yusen Logistics (Americas) offers multiple modes of transportation and technology especially as it relates to mining data for better forecasting, Wilkinson says.

“We offer customers IT capabilities for track and trace, inventory management and order management solutions. Our predictive ETA tools provide real-time, intelligent prediction of cargo flow and arrival time, so our customers can plan and better respond when a disruption occurs,” he adds. “Additionally, our teams communicate regularly with carrier partners to secure additional cargo space capacities and proactively plan shipments with customers. We help our customers to quickly secure equipment and space, allowing them to plan alternate routes and have different options when there’s an unexpected crisis. Internally, we continue to future-proof our business continuity plans such as system backups, updated SOPs, training and adopting flexible work arrangements to ensure business as usual.”

For many of today’s 3PLs, it’s about turning things like driver shortage into opportunities by embracing a digital transformation, making driver safety a top concern, maintaining a continued focus on last mile and working together to deliver agile, flexible customer solutions.

Go to foodl.me/x8w5af to read more.

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3PL / COLD CHAIN

BY BRIELLE JAEKEL, ASSOCIATE EDITOR Temperature control is imperative in cold storage third-party logistics.

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WHAT TRENDS WILL DRIVE COLD STORAGE 3PL IN 2022?

hird-party logistics (3PLs) providers are responsible for a wide range of goods, many temperature controlled, which requires more capability, technology and know-how. Now that a pandemic has changed consumer demand and the grocery industry overall, these factors in cold storage and transportation could look very different in the upcoming year.

As cold storage 3PLs prepare for 2022, there are numerous things to consider as the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic subsides but leaves a wave of change in its wake.

Cold storage grew exceptionally during the pandemic, as home delivery in the grocery space skyrocketed. This demand drove 3PLs closer to the consumer.

“Third-party logistics cold storage saw huge growth during the pandemic specifically to support final-mile deliveries due to the rise in home delivery from grocery stores,” says Sara Cudemo, business development manager, Thermo King Americas.

“This was notably different as most cold storage warehouses were more involved upstream of final mile in the cold chain, but intense demand brought them closer to the consumer.”

If cold storage grew at its traditional pace, the industry would see a 4% increase in 2022. However, due to the change in con-

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sumer behavior from the pandemic, the industry could see a jump of 12-15% if online sales continue post-pandemic, according to Carel Els, VP of operations, Titan Cold Storage. He says that this potential higher percentage would be due to the underpenetrated e-commerce market.

“This increase is largely due to consumer confidence in online grocery shopping and Amazon’s presence and expansion in the groceries market,” he says. “The forecast prediction is that up to 70% of American households will potentially do some sort of online grocery shopping.

“Every market/industry presents their own challenges and pitfalls, and the cold storage industry is no different. One could easily get blinded by all the upsides, however mistakes are very costly. Likely the two biggest pitfalls in the cold storage industry are the lack of operators and an inefficiently run operation. Cold storage is a niche industry. Always keep an eye on the market demand and beware that the herd mentality can quickly saturate any market.”

Frozen growth More specifically than the overall growth of cold storage in general is the growth of frozen foods during and post pandemic.

According to a study from the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), in 2020,

frozen food sales saw a 21% jump. Additionally, it found that 42% of households buying frozen foods bought them online, an increase of 23% from 2018. The growth in frozen goods changes the actual temperature ranges 3PLs need to provide for transportation and storage.

“As the pandemic caused the ‘where’ to shift from restaurants to consumers’ kitchens, it caused a shift in the need for more cold storage of frozen products as more consumers were buying more frozen food than pre-pandemic,” Cudemo says. “While frozen food was a rising trend prior to the pandemic, frozen food enabled consumers to reduce trips to the store or simply stockpile food to feel prepared or because they weren’t used to cooking at home. Whatever the reason, the temperature of the cold storage at facilities changed as a result requiring an increased amount of frozen storage than prior to the pandemic.”

The growth in cold storage and frozen products may continue to grow in the long term, pushing 3PLs to invest more in cold storage facilities and take on other new strategies.

“The increase in home delivery during the pandemic greatly increased the need for more cold storage at warehouses to meet the demand at grocery stores,” Cudemo adds. “It is expected that many consum-

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Efficiency is key Cold storage site cost is much greater than traditional shelf-stable facilities, but with this increase in demand, 3PLs are investing in smaller spaces and looking for ways to drive efficiency, Cudemo says.

Els seconds the need for efficiency, explaining that cold storage facilities are more complicated to construct and plan.

“There is a high demand for newer, more efficient facilities,” he says. “The demand is believed to be up to a 100 million square feet by 2025. Herein comes some of the challenges. It is costly to build and operate cold storage facilities. Build costs are ranging between $250-350 per foot, which is 2-3 times higher than regular industrial construction.

“Additionally, the operating cost is four times higher than regular industrial. Due to the high build and operating costs, investors are faced with a challenge to find operators that are willing to commit to a 15-plus-year lease,” Els adds.

To make cold storage facilities more efficient, 3PLs look to technology. Portable and

flexible cold storage units will become an important part of the 3PL space, according to Cudemo, meaning they can be used for both transportation and fixed storage. The multipurpose units see higher utilization and better return on investment.

Additionally, cold storage solutions in warehousing that enable up to 1,000 cubic feet of cold storage without needing construction will become prevalent.

Other software such as warehouse management systems (WMS) and terminal operating systems (TOS) that support efficiency in cold storage will be very popular in 2022, says Els. “Technologies in the cold storage market have mainly two key areas that will impact the bottom line 100%,” he says. “Focus on the cost to operate and operational efficiencies. Due to the high cost of equipment, electrical usage and labor, the operational cost should always be scrutinized and evaluated to ensure the most efficient methods or technology and being used to reduce the operating cost per cubic foot.

“Secondly, there are the efficiencies of the operational activities. WMS and TOS are large drivers in efficiencies in any warehouse setting whether it be a distribution center or a facility located in a port terminal. You can only improve what you can see, and good systems gives you the visibility to set up measurable KPIs.”

Pitfalls to watch out for

Although growth was prominent throughout last year, whether or not the growth will continue into 2022 is not known for sure, especially since supply chains have not lived through a pandemic like this in recent, modern times. Because of this uncertainty, 3PLs need to proactively prepare.

“The market could see some rightsizing in certain spaces where needs are contracting, but it may not contract to 2019 baselines as much,” Cudemo says.

“It will all depend on consumers’ decisions around grocery delivery, eating out The growth in frozen product drives growth in cold storage.

Thermo King

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ers may decide to stick with their pandemic grocery ordering habits due to convenience or satisfaction with the process that they may not have previously tried before circumstances changed in 2020. While the world is expected to have a return to normal in 2022, and some rightsizing should occur in home delivery market, I expect to see higher home delivery rates than in 2019 or the baseline pre-pandemic year compared to 2022, which would support a continued need for more cold storage although maybe not the heights of 20202021 needs.”

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and ordering in. During the pandemic, these behaviors changed so drastically, and we will need to wait and see what the new environment post-pandemic brings for consumer behavior as the return to normal unfolds in 2022.

“While the return to normal is starting to happen in the United States, there is expectation that supply chain issues will still plague many markets into 2022 due to many global supply chains. Companies should plan to proactively source any vital equipment for their businesses, or at the very least, plan for long lead times for equipment within their facilities or supply chains,” Cudemo adds.

Another pitfall is cyberattacks. For the cold storage sector specifically, hackers could take control of the technology that regulates temperature, looking for a ransom. If the products are out of the necessary temperature range for too long, this will result in spoilage and product loss.

“As technology advances, the threats to our businesses have begun to arise in multiple formats,” says Eric Johnson, VP of Property Damage Appraisers, Inc. “Security risks are on the rise in many industries, and the cold storage industry is not immune.

Recently, many cold storage giants have fallen victim to cyberattacks, which have left them vulnerable.

“Cybersecurity does not just stop with your data,” he continues. “A well-planned attack from a hacker will often involve your facilities and equipment at a deeper level.

As an example, you may be subject to a loss of power supply to critical equipment such as digital refrigeration and cooling systems.

“Hackers will calculate the value of your losses and ransom for just enough to ensure a quick payment because they know that an interruption of a certain length will result in a loss that can’t quickly be recovered. They believe that you’ll pay the ransom so as not to fall victim to a slow process in recovering losses from a claim,” says Johnson.

Cybersecurity, product shortages, the need for efficiency and fluctuations in consumer demand will dominate the cold storage sector in 2022. These are the things 3PLs need to pay attention to in the coming months into the next year.

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TOP 3PL & COLD STORAGE PROVIDERS

BY MACKENNA MORALEZ, ASSISTANT EDITOR

STRONG DEMAND CONTINUES FOR 3PL & COLD STORAGE POST-COVID-19

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ver the last few years, third-party logistics (3PL) and cold storage providers have worked through a tumultuous time. Between trade wars, Brexit and the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, there has never been a greater need for 3PLs and cold storage spaces than right now.

“Many businesses will take the lessons learned from recent supply chain disruptions to build stronger and more reliable domestic supply chains,” Matt Walaszek, associate director of industrial research at CBRE said in a press release. “Businesses will increase inventories to avoid product shortages, and they will establish a stronger domestic pipeline to insulate against the reliance on foreign markets and long-distance transportation. This will continue to drive more demand for industrial space in the U.S.” According to a study by the Global Cold Chain Alliance, the total capacity of cold storage facilities worldwide was 719 million cubic meters in 2020, up 16.7% in capacity from 2018.

Meanwhile, the United States holds over 150 million cubic meters, making it the single largest country market.

These numbers are only expected to increase as more consumers shop online for groceries. Findings from an Acosta survey claimed that new shopping and eating behaviors adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic are most likely to stick around.

That is why the world needs cold storage and 3PL providers. These companies help manage the cold chain and are crucial to protecting and meeting the demands of customers at a time where there are many uncertainties.

Each company included in Food Logistics’ 2021 Top 3PL & Cold Storage Providers list is changing the industry.

These providers continue to implement the latest temperature-monitoring technologies, transportation management systems (TMS) and warehouse management systems (WMS). Moving and storing temperature-sensitive goods requires a commitment to improving operations in order to meet customers’ needs, and these companies continue to do so.

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Top 3PL & Cold Storage Providers award. Below are a few standouts.

BM2 Freight Services

CJ Logistics

URL: bm2freight.com Worth Noting: BM2 Freight Services has become a U.S. bonded carrier

URL: cjlogistics.com Worth Noting: CJ Logistics offers a full range of supply chain services,

since first entering the automotive space, leveraging IT bonds into other verticals, such as the cold food chain. The company’s operations model is flexible due to continuing changes in the marketplace and provides single source transportation solutions to clients while offering on-demand transportation services. In the coming years, the cold food and beverage vertical will grow as BM2 Freight Services continues to better understand its clients and the services they may need.

including transportation, warehousing, logistics and consulting. Known for its consultative approach to leveraging supply chain services, the company focuses on meeting unique quality and compliance requirements of the cold food and beverage industry. CJ Logistics helps customers stay head of changes in regulations, retail requirements, emerging technology and more by providing opportunities to take charge of changes.

Choptank Transport

DSW Distribution Centers

URL: choptanktransport.com Worth Noting: Choptank Transport is expanding to serve its growing

URL: dswdist.com Worth Noting: In its 48 years, DSW Distribution Centers continues to of-

customer base, with regional offices in six locations strategically located across the United States to best serve its customers, regardless of where they live. Come this fall, Choptank will open its seventh location in Easton, Md., hiring upwards of 200 employees for both customer and carrier sales positions.

fer valuable services with specialized licensing and multiple temperatures for the cold chain. The company is specialized in several different licensings and offers variety pack and heat shrink assembly production. In addition, it scores high ratings every year on the GFSI SQF certification.

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Why work with RLS Partners?

LESS CHOICES Over the past several years the cold chain industry has seen consolidation unlike any other time with only a handful of companies controlling the majority of U.S. market capacity.

Partner with entrepreneurial professionals without the bureacracy of the large cold storage providers.

Family operated responsiveness on all your inquiries.

Receive the highest standard of customer service.

Grow and receive service that matches your company’s size and needs from top-tier regional providers on a national scale.

family-owned responsiveness Consolidation has created an opportunity for a top-tier regional platform with national scale supported by service levels only a family operated company can provide.

Gain transparency into your supply chain with data that is essential to running your business through our customer platform, anello.

Best in class

Family OWNED 3pl For over 50 years, RLS has established as a best in class regional family-owned provider.

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Our vision is to be the leading family-owned cold chain solutions provider in the U.S. We are expanding our platform to other regional family-owned providers to build a world-class national footprint.

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When you choose RLS, you choose to work with entrepreneurial professionals without the bureaucracy of the large providers. Additionally, our family-operated warehouse partners provide higher standards of service and responsiveness.

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1120 Rt. 73, Ste. 310 Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054

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8/2/21 1:11 PM

TOP 3PL & COLD STORAGE PROVIDERS continued

H&M Bay

SFL Companies

URL: hmbayinc.com Worth Noting: For almost 40 years, H&M Bay has built a reputation that

URL: sflcompanies.com Worth Noting: SFL Companies is dedicated to improving the supply

involves customers’ trust. The company’s expert dispatchers move upward of 20 million pounds of freight per week, allowing it to commit to hard work, new technology and operation excellence.

chain through innovative technology. Its TMS platform provides customers with complete transparency and offers live shipment tracking that provides real-time location, temperature readings, integrated messaging and paperless document storage. On top of that, customers are able to view, update and add notes to a shipment from their smart devices, enabling SFL Companies to have a service-oriented environment with state-of-the-art technology.

Liberty Cold URL: libertycold.com Worth Noting: As a 3PL provider, Liberty Cold distributes locally throughout the Midwest. The company utilizes a WMS that reduces and minimizes paperwork, making its carbon footprint significantly lower than some of its competitors. In addition, Liberty Cold is a landfill free-facility, meaning less than 1% of all waste accumulated at the facility ends up in a landfill. This accomplishment has been verified by NSF Strategic Registrations since March 2016 and is audited on an annual basis.

Red Classic URL: redclassic.com Worth Noting: Serving as subsidiary of Coca-Cola Consolidated, Red Classic provides comprehensive transportation and fleet maintenance solutions. By utilizing a regional company-owned fleet, over-the-road network and full-service logistics division, the company serves a wide range of customers. Its commercial fleet maintenance division includes over 80 full-service shops, mobile maintenance and managed maintenance services, making it one of the largest beverage haulers in the country.

RLS Logistics URL: rlslogistics.com Worth Noting: RLS Logistics recently created a joint venture that will offer customers the ability to work with regional family-run cold storage providers on a national basis. These operators will maintain significant equity in their respective regions and continue to oversee operations, customer relationships and team member development. As RLS grows this network, food manufacturers can expand into new markets with the benefit of trusted relationships. With proven transportation programs, modern facilities and integrated technology, customers can access new distribution networks with the benefits of an entrepreneurial partner.

Sheer Logistics URL: sheerlogistics.com Worth Noting: Sheer Logistics has been providing custom supply chain solutions to top food, beverage, consumer products and manufacturing companies for over 10 years. The company specializes in selecting and implementing the perfect solution for even the most complex temperature-controlled supply chains. By offering managed freight services, multi-modal capacity solutions, cold storage, TMS, custom reporting and more, Sheer Logistics has maintained a 99% customer retention rate.

Trademark Transportation URL: trademarktrans.com Worth Noting: For over 40 years, Trademark Transportation has special-

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Its custom-built technology is tailored to customers’ needs, providing the tools needed to drive efficiencies and streamline operations. The company takes pride in being collaborative, allowing for increased customer service and smooth operations for customers.

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Transervice Logistics

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URL: transervice.com Worth Noting: For over 50 years, Transervice Logistics has provided

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contract maintenance, full-service leasing and logistics services to many Fortune 500 companies throughout the United States. With many strategic partnerships taking place over the last 20 years, the company builds upon its disclosure and gainshare philosophy that it stands by today.

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supply chains with greater speed-to-market performances. The company also offers specialized, food-grade compliant e-commerce fulfillment solutions designed to deliver non-perishables to 99% of the country in two days or less with 100% end-to-end visibility.

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URL: romarklogistics.com Worth Noting: With over 8 million square feet of industrial real estate

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across the United States, Romark Logistics created a flexible environment that allows customers to adapt and remain competitive as the market evolves. The company centers its business model on putting personalized service first. This drives Romark to create customized, growth-oriented solutions for customers. Romark has maintained its relationships for over 60 years because it focuses on communication, transparency, shared values and actions to drive efficiency and ensure the highest levels of service and performance.

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3PL

A. Duie Pyle | aduiepyle.com Air Cargo, Bulk/Liquid Bulk Transportation, Customs Brokerage, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Fleet Leasing, Fuel Savings Program, Fuel Service-Managed Transportation, Intermodal, Last-Mile, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

A.N. Deringer Inc. | anderinger.com

TOP Cold Storage Solutions | coldstoragesolutions.com Direct-Store Delivery, Freight Forwarding

Custom Pro Logistics | customprologistics.com Air Cargo, Customs Brokerage, Drayage Service, LTL, Ocean Carriers, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

DHL Supply Chain | dhl-usa.com/supplychain Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Fuel Service-Managed Transportation, Refrigerated Trucking, Truckload Brokerage

Air Cargo, Continuous Moves, Customs Brokerage, Direct-Store Delivery, Freight Forwarding, Intermodal, Last-Mile, LTL, Meat Inspection, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Ocean Carriers, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, TL

Americold | americold.com Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Fuel Savings Program, Fuel Service-Managed Transportation, Intermodal, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Arrive Logistics | arrivelogistics.com Continuous Moves, Customs Brokerage, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Drayage Service, Freight Forwarding, Intermodal, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Atlanta Bonded Warehouse | atlantabonded. com Continuous Moves, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Fuel Savings Program, Intermodal, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

BigCold Kenya | bigcold.com Last-Mile, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Refrigerated Trucking

BlueGrace Logistics | mybluegrace.com Drayage Service, Freight Forwarding, Intermodal, Last-Mile, LTL, Managed Logistics, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, TL, Truckload Brokerage

BM2 Freight Services Inc. | bm2freight.com Truckload Brokerage

Burris Logistics | burrislogistics.com Backhaul for Vendors, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Intermodal, Rail, Refrigerated Trucking, TL

C.L. Services | clservicesinc.com Air Cargo, Customs Brokerage, Drayage Service, Intermodal, Last-Mile, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Ocean Carriers, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Choptank Transport | choptanktransport.com Air Cargo, Continuous Moves, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Flatbed, Heavy Haul, Intermodal, LTL, Ocean Carriers, Over Dimensional, Rail, Rail/ Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

CJ Logistics | cjlogisticsamerica.com Air Cargo, Bulk/Liquid Bulk Transportation, Continuous Moves, Customs Brokerage, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Freight Forwarding, Fuel Savings Program,Fuel Service-Managed Transportation, Intermodal, Last-Mile, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Ocean Carriers, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

www.foodlogistics.com

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AUGUST 2021 | FOOD LOGISTICS

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TOP 3PL & COLD STORAGE PROVIDERS continued

TOP DSW Distribution Centers Inc. | dswdist.com

Holman Logistics | holmanusa.com

Dedicated Contract Carriage, Last-Mile, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Bulk/Liquid Bulk Transportation, Continuous Moves, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Freight Forwarding, Fuel Savings Program, Last-Mile, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

EASE Logistics | easelogistics.com Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Freight Forwarding, Intermodal, Last-Mile, LTL, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

East Coast Warehouse & Distribution | eastcoastwarehouse.com

Hub Group | hubgroup.com

Air Cargo, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Fuel Savings Program, Intermodal, Last-Mile, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Air Cargo, Bulk/Liquid Bulk Transportation, Continuous Moves, Consolidation, Customs Brokerage, Dedicated Contra ct Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Freight Forwarding, Intermodal, Last-Mile, LTL, Multi-Vendor, Consolidation, Ocean Carriers, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Transloading, Truckload Brokerage

Echo Global Logistics | echo.com

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. | jbhunt.com

Air Cargo, Bulk/Liquid Bulk Transportation, Continuous Moves, Customs Brokerage, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Intermodal, Last-Mile, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Ocean Carriers, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Elite Transit Solutions LLC | elitetransit.com Dedicated Contract Carriage, Intermodal, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Air Cargo, Bulk/Liquid Bulk Transportation, Continuous Moves, Customs Brokerage, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Fuel Savings Program, Fuel Service-Managed Transportation, Intermodal, Last-Mile, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Ocean Carriers, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Jarrett Logistics Systems | gojarrett.com Drayage Service, Intermodal, Last-Mile, LTL, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Johanson Transportation Service | johansontrans.com

FW Logistics | fwlogistics.com

Air Cargo, Continuous Moves, Customs Brokerage, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Intermodal, Load Planning, Logistics Labor Management, Logistics Management and Consulting, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Ocean Carriers, Ocean Freight Forwarder, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TMS, TL, Truckload Brokerage

LTL, Refrigerated Trucking, TL

H&M Bay Inc. | hmbayinc.com Freight Forwarding, LTL, TL

Kenco Logistics | kencogroup.com

Hanover Logistics | hanoverlogistics.com Air Cargo, Continuous Moves, Customs Brokerage, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Drayage Service, Flatbed, Intermodal, Last-Mile, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Ocean Carriers, Rail, Rail/Truck

Customs Brokerage, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Fuel Service-Managed Transportation, LastMile, LTL, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

A BETTER PRODUCT FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS A BETTER EXPERIENCE FOR YOU.

AT DSW, WE’VE EARNED THE TRUST OF MANY...

BECAUSE WE HAVE MADE THE COMMITMENT TO APPRECIATE THE NEED FOR FLEXIBILITY, COST-EFFICIENCY AND SUPERIOR QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE. • Over 3 Million Cubic Feet of Racked Multi-Temperature Controlled Space Located in the Distribution Hub of Southern California • Cold, Air Conditioned and Dry Storage for Dairy-Deli, Ready-to-Eat Meals, Juices & Smoothies, Milk and PlantBased Beverages, Yogurts & Spreads, Pharmaceuticals, Alcoholic Beverages, Food Ingredients & Packaging, Baking & Confections and CPG Goods

RAISING THE BAR ON COLD STORAGE TECHNOLOGY

• Organic & Natural Food Products

Flexible, scalable cold storage space. Supported by the best equipment and latest technology.

• Full-Service Transportation Services Managed In-House • Wide Array of Value-Added Services Total Logistics Management • Complete Product Monitoring with 24/7 On-Line Access. EDI, CSV, FTP, XLS, AS2 • ISO Class 8 Cleanroom • SQF Level 2 GFSI Certification with Costco ADD • State Board of Pharmacy Licenses • International Language Labeling

Superior Quality Customer Service

• Alcoholic Beverage Licenses, 14/17

DSW DISTRIBUTION CENTERS, INC. A Thayer Group Company

Your cold storage, 3PL, HPP partner

LibertyCold.com

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8858 Rochester Avenue Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 Mailing: P.O. Box 1269, RC, CA 91729-1269 Phone: (909) 483-5841, Ext. 117 Fax: (909) 483-1792 www.dswdist.com • sales@dswdist.com

www.foodlogistics.com

8/2/21 1:11 PM

P It takes more than sound technology and know how to plan and realize the best logistics systems.

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For every task, the right solution WITRON‘s storage systems offer a cost-efficient and ergonomic solution for every application across all industries

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small, broad, or inhomogeneous, whether maximum dynamics is required, or a continuous work process is needed.

It doesn‘t matter if the products are picked into totes or cartons, onto trays, pallets, or roll containers, or other dispatch units. All warehouse solutions – whether highly automated, semi-automated, or manual – are modular and based on standardized system components.

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About WITRON Since 1971, WITRON Integrated Logistics designs, realizes and operates customized logistics and material flow systems that generate sustainable competitive advantages for its clients. WITRON has all the decisive key elements of a successful project under one roof: logistics design, information and control technology, mechanics design and production, as well as functional responsibility as general contractor for logistics.

The WITRON Corporate Group has 3,100 employees worldwide. WITRON’s annual revenue in 2017 amounted to 635 million USD. Aside from it’s headquarters in Parkstein, Germany, WITRON has offices in Arlington Heights, Illinois (USA), Toronto (Canada), Venray (The Netherlands), Stoke-on-Trent (UK), Madrid (Spain), Strasbourg (France), and Singapore.

WITRON Integrated Logistics, Inc. 3721 Ventura Drive Arlington Heights, IL 60004 Phone: +1 847-385-6000 info@witron.com

www.witron.com

FLOG0821_24-33_3PL Storage Awards.indd 27

Find all facts and features about our logistics systems under www.witron.com

8/2/21 1:11 PM

TOP 3PL & COLD STORAGE PROVIDERS continued KTI LTD | ktiltd.com

Quality Custom Distribution | qualitycustomdistribution.com

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Continuous Moves, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Fuel Savings Program, LTL, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Bulk/Liquid Bulk Transportation, Direct-Store Delivery, Last-Mile, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Refrigerated Trucking

Liberty Cold | libertycold.com

The Raymond Corporation | raymondcorp.com

Fuel Savings Program, Intermodal, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Ocean Carriers, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Direct-Store Delivery

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RBW Logistics | rbwlogistics.com

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Continuous Moves, Drayage Service, Freight Forwarding, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, TL, Truckload Brokerage

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Red Classic | redclassic.com

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Continuous Moves, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Fuel Service-Managed Transportation, Intermodal, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Bulk Serv tion

Lineage Logistics | lineagelogistics.com Continuous Moves, Customs Brokerage, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Drayage Service, Freight Forwarding, Fuel Service-Managed, Transportation, Intermodal, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Ocean Carriers, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, Truckload Brokerage

Lynden Inc. | lynden.com Air Cargo, Bulk/Liquid Bulk Transportation, Customs Brokerage, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Freight Forwarding, Intermodal, Last-Mile, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Ocean Carriers, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Redwood Logistics | redwoodlogistics.com

Matson Logistics | matsonlogistics.com

Bulk/Liquid Bulk Transportation, Continuous Moves, Customs Brokerage, Drayage Service, Last-

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Dedicated Contract Carriage, LTL, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Con Brok

ReedTMS Logistics | reedtms.com

Drayage Service, Food and Beverage Logistics, Foreign Trade Zone Storage, Freight Forwarding, Import and Export Services, Intermodal, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, NVO, Ocean Carriers, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Mile, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

McLane Global Logistics | mclanegloballogistics.com

Continuous Moves, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Freight Forwarding, Intermodal, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Bulk/Liquid Bulk Transportation, Continuous Moves, Customs Brokerage, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Freight Forwarding, Intermodal, Last-Mile, LTL, Ocean Carriers, Rail, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

MTC Logistics | mtccold.com Drayage Service, Fuel Service-Managed Transportation, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Rail/ Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TMS, TL, Truckload Brokerage, Yard Management

NFI | nfiindustries.com Air Cargo, Bulk/Liquid Bulk Transportation, Continuous Moves, Customs Brokerage, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Freight Forwarding, Intermodal, LastMile, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Ocean Carriers, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

RLS Logistics | rlslogistics.com

Romark Logistics | romarklogistics.com Air Cargo, Drayage Service, Fleet Leasing, Fuel Savings Program, Fuel Service-managed Transportation, Intermodal, Last-Mile, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Plant Support/Shuttle Services, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Saddle Creek Logistics Services | sclogistics.com

Continuous Moves, Customs Brokerage, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Intermodal, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Air Cargo, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Fleet Leasing, Fuel Service-Managed Transportation, Intermodal, LTL, Rail, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Orlando Baking and Cold Storage | orlandobaking.com Direct-Store Delivery, Last-Mile, LTL, Pool Distribution and Consolidation, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Penske Logistics | penskelogistics.com

load

Bulk/Liquid Bulk Transportation, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL

SFL Companies | sflcompanies.com TMS

Sheer Logistics | sheerlogistics.com Air Cargo, Bulk/Liquid Bulk Transportation, Continuous Moves, Customs Brokerage, Dayage Service, Intermodal, LTL, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

The Shippers Group | theshippersgroup.com

Premier Warehouse Logistics Management | mypremierwarehouse.com

States Logistics Services | stateslogistics.com

3PL, Air Cargo, Continuous Moves, Customs Brokerage, Direct-Store Delivery, Distribution, Drayage Service, Freight Forwarding, Fulfillment, Last-Mile, LTL, Ocean Carriers, TL

Air Cargo, Ctoninuous Moves, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Fleet Leasing, Fuel Savings Program, Fuel Service-managed Transportation, Intermodal, Last-Mile, LTL, Mutli-Vendor Consolidation, Rail, Rail/truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL,

Dedicated Contract Carriage, LTL, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Air C Inte

Schneider | schneider.com

Consulting, Customs Brokerage, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Fleet Leasing, Freight Forwarding, Fuel Savings Program, Fuel Service-Managed Transportation, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

PRO Transportation Services, Inc. | protransportation.com

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Ryder System Inc. | ryder.com

ODW Logistics | odwlogistics.com

Bulk/Liquid Bulk Transportation, Customs Brokerage, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Drayage Service, Freight Forwarding, Intermodal, LTL, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

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Air Cargo, Bulk/Liquid Bulk Transportation, Continuous Moves, Customs Brokerage, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Freight Forwarding, Intermodal, LastMile, LTL, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Continuous Moves, Drayage Service, Intermodal, Last-Mile, LTL, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Odyssey Logistics & Technology | odysseylogistics.com

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Ruan | ruan.com

Bulk/Liquid Bulk Transportation, Continuous Moves, Customs Brokerage, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, E-Commerce Fulfillment, Fleet Leasing, Fuel Savings Program, Fuel Service-managed Transportation, Intermodal, Last-Mile, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation

NTG | ntgfreight.com

Tra

Continuous Moves, Customs Brokerage, Drayage Service, Intermodal, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Ocean Carriers, Rail, Refrigerated Trucking, TL

Truckload Brokerage

Total Distribution | peoplesservices.com Bulk/Liquid Bulk Transportation, Freight Forwarding, Intermodal, LTL, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

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TOP Total Quality Logistics | tql.com

Triple T Transport Inc. | triplettransport.com

Air Cargo, Bulk/Liquid Bulk Transportation, Continuous Moves, Customs Brokerage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Freight Forwarding, Inbound/Outbound Shipment Planning, Intermodal, Last-Mile, Load Tendering, Loss & Damage Claims Processing, LTL, Mode Conversation/Optimization, Pre-Audit Freight Bill Payment, Ocean Carriers, Rail, Rail/Truck Trailer Rental/Storage Options, Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload

LTL, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Trademark Transportation | trademarktrans.com

Uber Freight LLC | uber.com/freight Last-Mile, LTL, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

United States Cold Storage | uscold.com

Continuous Moves, Dedicated Contract carriage, Fuel Service-Managed Transportation, LastMile, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Continuous moves, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Drayage Service, Freight Forwarding, Fuel Savings Program, Fuel Service-Managed Transportation, Intermodal, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Transervice Logistics Inc. | transervice.com

Universal Chain Inc. | uchaininc.com

Bulk/Liquid Bulk Transportation, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Fleet Leasing, Full Truckload, Fuel Savings Program, Fuel Service-Managed Transportation, LTL, Refrigerated Trucking, Truckload Brokerage

3PL, Remote Driver Check-Ins, Remote Payment Options

TransLoop Logistics | transloop.io

High-Pressure Processing Machines

Continuous moves, Dedicated Contract Carriage, LTL, Rail, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Transplace | transplace.com Air Cargo, Bulk/Liquid Bulk Transportation, Continuous Moves, Customs Brokerage, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Drayage Service, Freight Forwarding, Fuel Savings Program, Fuel Service-managed Transportation, Intermodal, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Ocean Carriers, Rail, Rail/ Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Transportation Insight | | transportationinsight.com Air Cargo, Customs Brokerage, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Drayage Service, Freight Forwarding, Intermodal, Last-Mile, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Ocean Carriers, Rail, Rail/Truck Trans-

Universal Pure | universalpure.com Weber Distribution, LLC DBA Weber Logistics | weberlogistics.com Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Fleet Leasing, Fuel Savings Program, Fuel Service-managed Transportation, Last-Mile, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Rail/ Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Werner Enterprises | werner.com Continuous Moves, Dedicated Contract Carriage, Direct-Store Delivery, Drayage Service, Fleet

Leasing, Fuel Savings Program, Fuel Service-Managed Transportation, Intermodal, Last-Mile, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

Zipline Logistics | ziplinelogistics.com Drayage Service, Freight Forwarding, Fuel Savings Program, Fuel Service-Managed Transportation, LTL, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Rail, Rail/Truck Transload, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

load, Refrigerated Trucking, TL, Truckload Brokerage

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AUGUST 2021 | FOOD LOGISTICS

29

8/2/21 1:11 PM

TOP 3PL & COLD STORAGE PROVIDERS continued

COLD STORAGE

DSW Distribution Centers Inc. | dswdist.com

Lin

Alcoholic Beverages, Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Organic, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/ Pack Assembly, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

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Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/ Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/ Pack Assembly, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, Warehousing/Distribution Management, Value-Added Solutions

EASE Logistics | easelogistics.com

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Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Pick/Pack Assembly

A.N. Deringer Inc. | anderinger.com

Cro Mul Stor

Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, USDA/ FDA Inspection

Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/ Management, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/ Recalls, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Americold | americold.com

FW Logistics | fwlogistics.com

A. Duie Pyle | aduiepyle.com

East Coast Warehouse & Distribution | eastcoastwarehouse.com

Blast Freezing, Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Blast Freezing, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Management, Kitting/ Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection

Arrive Logistics | arrivelogistics.com Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection

Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Atlanta Bonded Warehouse | atlantabonded.com

Hanover Logistics | hanoverlogistics.com

H&M Bay Inc. | hmbayinc.com

Consulting, Cross Docking, Dedicated Warehouse Management, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Public Refrigerated/Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, USDA/ FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Reverse Logistics/ Recalls, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing Distribution Management

BigCold Kenya | bigcold.com Cross Docking, Fulfillment, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Management, Kitting/ Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

BM2 Freight Services Inc. | bm2freight.com

Hub Group | hubgroup.com

Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Order Assembly, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection

Burris Logistics | burrislogistics.com Consulting, Cross Docking, E-Commerce Fulfillment, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inentory/management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Pick/ Pack Assembly, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Shopping Platform IT Integration. Storage, Warehousing/Distribution Management

C.L. Services | clservicesinc.com Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Management, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Choptank Transport | choptanktransport.com Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Management, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Pick/Pack Assembly, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage

CJ Logistics | cjlogisticsamerica.com Blast Freezing, Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capapabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, Warehousing/ Distribution Management

Cold Storage Solutions | coldstoragesolutions.com Blast Freezing, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Inventory/Management, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

DHL Supply Chain | dhl-usa.com/supplychain Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Reverse Logistics/ Recalls, Storage, Warehousing/Distribution Management

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Holman Logistics | holmanusa.com

Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/ Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Pick/Pack Assembly, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, Warehousing/ Distribution Management

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. | jbhunt.com Cross Docking, Inventory/Management, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Pick/Pack Assembly, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Jarrett Logistics Systems | gojarrett.com Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Johanson Transportation Service | johansontrans.com Consulting, Cross Docking, DC/Warehouse Location Service, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Kenco Logistics | kencogroup.com Ambient and Refrigerated, Consulting, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

KTI LTD | ktiltd.com Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/ Management, Kitting/Assembly, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Storage, USDA/ FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Liberty Cold | libertycold.com Blast Freezing, Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/recalls, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

www.foodlogistics.com

8/2/21 1:11 PM

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NFI | nfiindustries.com

Blast Freezing, Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, High-Pressure Processing, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Public Refrigerated/Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/ Cost Accounting, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Reverse Logistics/ Recalls, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Lynden Inc. | lynden.com

NTG | ntgfreight.com

Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Pick/Pack Assembly, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Packaging, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Storage

Matson Logistics | matsonlogistics.com

EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/Management, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Cross Docking, Direct-to-Consumer E-Commerce Fulfillment, EDI Capabilities, Foreign Trade Zone, Fulfillment, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

McLane Global Logistics | mclanegloballogistics.com

ODW Logistics | odwlogistics.com

Odyssey Logistics & Technology | odysseylogistics.com Consulting, Cross Docking, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/Management, Pick/ Pack Assembly, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/ Management, Kitting/Assembly, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Orlando Baking and Cold Storage | orlandobaking.com

MTC Logistics | mtccold.com

Management

Blast Freezing, Cross Docking, Fulfillment, Inventory/Management, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Pick/Pack Assembly, Private Refrigerated Warehousing, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, USDA/FDA Inspection, USDA Import/Export Inspections, Vendor Managed Inventory, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Penske Logistics | penskelogistics.com

Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Pick/Pack Assembly, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Warehousing/Distribution

Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Management, Kitting/ Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Pick/Pack Assembly, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Premier Warehouse Logistics Management | mypremierwarehouse.com Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/ Management, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

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At Syfan, our commitment to shippers remains steadfast and true. The demands of COVID have created a shortage of carriers and tight capacity that have strained partnerships with some shippers – but not Syfan Logistics. Throughout the challenges of the past year, Syfan has not wavered from standing by its customers and continuing to provide drama-free service.

Because when we make a promise, we deliver.

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SyfanLogistics.com | Gainesville, GA | 855.287.8485 | 770.287.8485

www.foodlogistics.com

FLOG0821_24-33_3PL Storage Awards.indd 31

AUGUST 2021 | FOOD LOGISTICS

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8/2/21 1:12 PM

TOP 3PL & COLD STORAGE PROVIDERS continued Quality Custom Distribution | qualitycustomdistribution.com

Total Distribution | peoplesservices.com

Inventory/Management, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Storage, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Pick/Pack Assembly, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, Warehousing/Distribution Management

The Raymond Corporation | raymondcorp.com Consulting, Inventory/Management, Pick/Pack Assembly, Storage, Warehousing/Distribution Management

RBW Logistics | rbwlogistics.com Contract Labor Management, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Sub-Assembly/Light Manufacturing, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/ Distribution Management

Redwood Logistics | redwoodlogistics.com Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Installation/Removal, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Project Logistics, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

ReedTMS Logistics | reedtms.com

Total Quality Logistics | tql.com Cross Docking, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Order Assembly, Pick/Pack Assembly, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/ Distribution Management

Trademark Transportation | trademarktrans.com Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Inventory/Management, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Revese Logistics/Recalls, Storage, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Transervice Logistics Inc. | transervice.com Fulfillment

Transplace | transplace.com Cross Docking, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Pick/Pack Assembly

Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/Management, Storage, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Transportation Insight | transportationinsight.com

RLS Logistics | rlslogistics.com

Consulting, Cross Docking, Fulfillment, Inventory/Management, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Romark Logistics | romarklogistics.com Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/ Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/ Pack Assembly, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Ruan | ruan.com Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Pick/Pack Assembly, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, Warehousing/Distribution Management, Vendor-Managed Inventory

Ryder System Inc. | ryder.com Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/ Management, kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/ Pack Assembly, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management, Value-Added Services

Saddle Creek Logistics Services | sclogistics.com Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, Warehousing/Distribution Management

United States Cold Storage | uscold.com Blast Freezing, Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Layer Picking, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/ Pack Assembly, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Universal Chain Inc. | uchaininc.com Asset Recovery, Fulfillment, Kitting/Assembly, Order Assembly, Pick/Pack Assembly, Sanitation, Unloading/Loading, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Universal Pure | universalpure.com Beverage Co-Packing, Blast Freezing, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, High-Pressure Processing, Kitting/Assembly, Netting, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pre-Pricing, Pick/Pack Assembly, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Storage, Tempering, USDA/FDA Inspection Warehousing/ Distribution Management

Weber Distribution, LLC DBA Weber Logistics | weberlogistics.com Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, Warehousing/Distribution Management

Werner Enterprises | werner.com Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/ Management, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Pick/Pack Assembly, Public Refrigerated Warehousing, Reverse Logistics/Recalls Storage

Schneider | schneider.com

Zipline Logistics | ziplinelogistics.com

Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities

Consulting

SFL Companies | sflcompanies.com Inventory Consolidation

Sheer Logistics | sheerlogistics.com Consulting

The Shippers Group | theshippersgroup.com Air Conditioned Storage, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/Pack Assembly, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

States Logistics Services | stateslogistics.com Consulting, Cross Docking, EDI Capabilities, Fulfillment, Inventory/Cost Accounting, Inventory/ Management, Kitting/Assembly, Multi-Vendor Consolidation, Order Assembly, Packaging, Pick/ Pack Assembly, Reverse Logistics/Recalls, Storage, USDA/FDA Inspection, Warehousing/Distribution Management

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Professional Development The past 16 months have kept many employees at home or unable to access in-person professional development. Get the education you need, in-person and away from distractions, to thrive in a postCOVID-19 world.

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Network and Recharge The value of networking with peers can’t be overstated! Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with peers about challenges you’re experiencing to get their direct input on overcoming obstacles.

World-Class Expo Floor Visit with exhibitors providing cutting-edge technologies in transportation, operations, and warehousing. Attend Innovation Labs sessions and get up close to the transformative solutions that will increase your bottom line and allow you to thrive in an ever-evolving landscape. Plus, learn about how 3PL’s are more important than ever before in foodservice distribution.

Get Inspired Thought-provoking general sessions will refresh your mindset. People need inspiration and creativity more than ever.

REGISTER TODAY AT IFDACONFERENCE.COM FLOG0821_24-33_3PL Storage Awards.indd 33

8/2/21 1:12 PM

SECTOR REPORT

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WAREHOUSING

HOW TO CREATE A SAFE WAREHOUSE ENVIRONMENT IN LOGISTICS

logistics company’s most valuable assets are the people on the ground who make the shipping process run flawlessly. To improve its people’s well-being and protect the overall efficiency of transportation and distribution networks, warehouse and workplace safety should always be a top priority.

It is always a sound investment to spend on safety on the front end to insulate warehouses from risks associated with worker’s compensation, customer claims, product contamination and more.

Know how to store food and beverage products Keeping all food and beverage products well organized is the first step to ensuring a secure warehouse, as having a lean environment for all items will minimize clutter and help to certify that everything has a place where it belongs.

To perfect organization skills, it is critical to know the details of all food and beverage products and how to store them properly.

Storing products can present several challenges. Making sure everything is labeled correctly and using signage to note areas of concern are important steps. An essential part of storing food and beverage is taking into account temperature and climate control. Warehouses with temperature-controlled space use cooling and heating units to keep temperatures within a set range, which helps to preserve the product. When storing food and beverage products, warehouse workers must understand how to properly store products to prevent dangers such as spoiling and cross-contamination.

Protect your house Regardless of the size of the building or the operations within, there are many moving parts in any warehouse or distribution environment. In a perfect world, the building,

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racking and other contents would never come in contact with equipment in motion.

However, that isn’t always the case.

Electric forklifts are one of the most popular pieces of equipment in food and beverage material handling, with other useful equipment, including reach trucks and pallet jacks. Unfortunately, while switching to electric forklifts can help boost environmental sustainability, forklifts remain one of the most hazardous pieces of warehouse equipment, and 90% of forklifts are involved in some form of an accident throughout their lifetime.

Forklifts and other warehouse vehicles are essential tools but can cause serious safety hazards, as forklifts typically weigh more than cars. With that said, logistics companies must consider their building’s structure and implement practices to protect it. Luckily, there are many inexpensive tools to do this.

Column protectors, including brightly colored wraps, panels and guards are an inexpensive tool that can provide some insurance in an accident. Column protectors significantly reduce the chance of damage from a collision to forklifts, vehicles or people. Reducing damage means reducing repair expenses after a crash. Additionally, column protectors are typically available in bright colors, increasing visibility to forklift operators and warning those approaching to keep a safe distance.

Bollards, which are sturdy, short posts, can act as a visual guide, helping to guide traffic and mark boundaries. In addition, bollards can be used as protection from crashes, designation areas and mark direction for heavy machinery.

Guardrails are one of the most cost-effective safety measures that can protect warehouses and workers. This simple solution provides visible borders to direct vehicles and foot traffic in the warehouse.

It is also important to prioritize routine cleaning and maintenance of floors and fixtures in food and beverage warehouses.

Train and retrain the trainer According to a Cerasis study, 5% of warehouse workers will suffer from some form of injury this year. To keep warehouse workers safe, provide the proper training resources to new hires, execute a safety culture and keep employees educated on warehouse safety.

One approach is to train one or more employees who successfully demonstrate warehouse safety to lead and guide safety initiatives.

Keep striving for new ways to keep employees safe and continue to reinvest in updated training materials.

Find safety strategies tailored to your business needs There are a handful of concepts that can help deepen your commitment to warehouse organization and safety. The hardest step is always the first step—prioritizing warehouse safety. Once logistics companies understand the vitality of this investment, they can find numerous resources and approaches readily available to them.

Still, each company will need to decide which strategies will fit best within their organization. Understanding the well-being of employees, customers and products will help logistics companies know how to implement the best safety solutions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR ANDY MOUL director of warehouse and distribution solutions, A. Duie Pyle

www.foodlogistics.com

8/2/21 1:08 PM

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SUBMIT A NOMINATION TODAY! Annually, Food Logistics recognizes the software and technology providers that ensure a safe, efficient and reliable global and beverage supply chain — providing companies the opportunity to improve productivity and gain efficiencies within the industry.

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FOOD LOGISTICS 2021 TOP SOFTWARE & TECH AWARD Showcasing the industry leading software and technology providers supporting the global food and beverage supply chain.

Nomination deadline: September 26, 2021 Winners announced in the November/December 2021 issue

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AWARD RESULTS, INFORMATION AND NOMINATIONS POSTED ON

FOODLOGISTICS.COM/AWARDS Global Supply Chain Solutions for the Food and Beverage Industry

Nomination dates and issues are subject to change. Consult foodlogistics.com/awards for current information.

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8/2/21 1:08 PM

SECTOR REPORT

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TRANSPORTATION

COMBAT REDUCED SHIPPING MARGINS CAUSED BY FREIGHT VOLATILITY

n average, food manufacturers will incur freight-related costs at 5% of the expenses of goods sold, or near 3% of sales. This percentage takes a hit when there are fluctuations in the market due to supply and demand shifts, yo-yoing fuel prices, labor market changes and myriad other variables.

Rate volatility adds a significant layer of complexity to the process of predicting and managing freight costs. Business intelligence and efficient communication across vendors and internal departments can help anticipate these changes and facilitate adjustments to reduce margin erosion.

The pandemic factor By the end of March 2020, the Top 500 U.S. companies experienced a reduced valuation of a combined $3 trillion. Nearly 10 million people who had jobs at the start of 2020 lost them by the end of March 2020.

At its core, the food industry relies most heavily on human labor to move food from harvest. The strength of the sector itself is dependent on the power of its workers.

Companies began reducing inventories, pay, structures and spending.

The industry experienced considerable disruptions in terms of food and food delivery, specifically because consumer behavior changed. Every conceivable way that consumers were leaving their homes and accessing food in January 2020 stopped.

That put immense pressure on food suppliers, farmers and the entire supply chain to increase the number of goods sold through online retail.

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It became clear how vital business intelligence is to making better and faster business decisions. Proactive companies gain an edge if they can quickly pivot to protect profit margins, even despite freight volatility. By engaging with an experienced third-party logistics (3PL) provider, business optimization specialists can give the insight needed to manage transportation costs.

Hone data to reduce variables Business intelligence (BI) tools help you understand any gaps in the current freight management strategy. You can drive efficiencies with both hard and soft costs across truckload, less-than-truckload and parcel transportation.

After reviewing processes, your logistics provider should laser focus on optimization in all areas of the business. Start with questions, not answers: A 3PL provider should have the resources and best relationships needed to help meet your unique business goals.

The main driver in optimizing processes is reducing the variables you do not understand to limit margin erosion. Standardize processes to minimize potential variation in all areas.

With BI, you want to measure what matters. By collecting and analyzing real-time data from order fulfillment technologies, you facilitate better decisions about responding to changing customer requirements. Today, that means addressing consumers’ spike in demand for solutions

that keep them out of grocery store aisles in favor of curbside pickups and at-home deliveries.

Employ a transportation management system Freight management technology helps shippers protect their margins. Multi-modal options are essential during fluctuations in capacity and network disruptions.

While a transportation management system (TMS) is not a “cure-all,” it is crucial. By collecting data from a TMS application and coupling it with data elements harvested from freight invoicing, you develop a much deeper understanding of trends and their effect on transportation costs.

Understand and predict ROI When can you expect to see a return on investment once you engage a 3PL provider?

It depends. Some return is almost instant.

Over time, the right food company will experience an 8% decrease in costs with the help of transportation management experts and a 3PL provider partnership, regardless of standard rate volatility.

Go to foodl.me/dgnx3u to read the remainder of this column.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR MICHAEL ANDERSON client solutions director, Transportation Insight

www.foodlogistics.com

8/2/21 1:07 PM

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 SECTOR REPORT

SOFTWARE & TECH

BY BRIELLE JAEKEL, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

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AutoScheduler.ai

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COLD CHAIN AUTOMATION IS EFFICIENT FIRST AND FOREMOST

he advancement of technology is an important part of the supply chain today, with automation leading the charge.

The first and foremost goal of automation is to reduce inefficiencies in operations, which is exceptionally important now, as many gaps in the supply chain were exposed throughout the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Additionally, the surge of e-commerce and the numerous disruptions throughout the past year pushed companies toward automation to reduce inefficiencies, help build resiliency and protect against disruptions.

“The surge in e-commerce over the past 18 months has encouraged companies to speed up their investments in warehouse automation and automation systems,” says Scott Deakins, COO of Deacom. “This digital transformation has been essential in meeting demand as a result of a turbulent year with COVID-19, the Suez Canal blockage, chip shortage, among other unprecedented global disruptions. Namely, automated storage and retrieval systems and order systems that provide a higher level of speed and accuracy will continue to be essential to keep supply chains afloat no matter the circumstance.”

Now that automation is prolific and supply chain disruptions are everywhere, the technology becomes more of a “need to have” rather than something that is just nice to have.

“With margins tight and employee resources scarce, particularly coming out of the pandemic, having the ability to let technology handle manual, tedious tasks is the key to success and in some cases, even survival,” says Belinda Rueffer, director of marketing at Axele. “The automation technologies that are built into today’s transportation management systems (TMS) allow companies to handle tasks that once were complex in an easy manner.

They can carry goods more efficiently by optimizing routes and

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maximizing Hours of Service and leveraging team drivers to keep the chain moving quickly and leanly. They can accelerate the time from invoice to payment by managing documents digitally and integrating directly with factoring companies and clients. And, they can eliminate time-consuming customer check calls by providing handy tracking links so everyone in the supply chain ecosystem can see exactly where the goods are and understand the real-world ETA for shipments.”

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More than robotics There is more to automation than just robotics; think solutions, artificial intelligence, data processing, label printing and more.

Tapping numerous forms of automation and linking them together is key in the creation of a modern and efficient end-to-end supply chain.

“When people hear automation in the supply chain, their minds tend to go toward leveraging robotic solutions to streamline assembly workflow, but we’re also talking about the automation of data processes and label printing through software,” says Nick Recht, enterprise product manager, TEKLYNX International.

“With the rise in e-commerce, multichannel and omnichannel distribution and faster delivery time expectations by consumers, plus in response to labor shortages, companies are investing in automated software solutions to speed up processes and improve profit margins. While automation is critical, IoT continues to expand and drive efficiency. The expectation that sensors, printers and other devices talk to each other and can proactively notify a business of re-stock or maintenance needs is front of mind for many companies.”

Automation is a necessity today and important part of the supply chain. But, when it comes to newer technologies, sometimes

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companies might flock to them as part of the “shiny object syndrome.” Just because a technology is new and seems interesting does not mean it is right for all supply chain and cold chain companies. Many times, warehousing and logistics companies will quickly integrate an automation solution hoping it will speed up fulfillment without taking a holistic approach to the situation.

This, in turn, defeats the purpose.

“Many businesses add automation to the warehouse, such as conveyors, AS/RS and other automation, to speed fulfillment,” says Keith Moore, chief product officer, AutoScheduler.ai. “But, just throwing automation at supply chain processes without taking a holistic look at how all operations interact won’t necessarily fix problems upstream or downstream.

“Today, the ugly truth is that most automated systems exist in a process silo, ignoring many of the surrounding

warehouse micro-flows,” says Moore. “To provide an example for a consumer goods shipper, automated forklifts might be used to retrieve a pallet to staging, but that pallet might sit in the staging area for 12 hours before it’s actually loaded onto a trailer.

This consumes valuable staging space for longer than necessary and may cost the site the opportunity to get a different order out on time in full.

“Warehouse automation needs to be intelligently orchestrated to ensure equipment is performing the most positive action at the right time,” adds Moore.

Solve the problem While a holistic approach is a significant necessity in purchasing automation equipment and solutions, it is also important to make sure the automated service solves a problem that actually exists. Disrupting operations for something that sounds

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good but won’t work in the field is a failure for everyone.

“Make sure you truly have the problem you are trying to solve with automation,” Recht says. “Many companies buy into hot trends without taking the time to properly document and understand their current business processes to validate the investment in automated solutions.

As business processes evolve or turnover occurs, companies using automated solutions also run the risk of having outdated or unsupported software running in the background, which could impact

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SOFTWARE & TECHNOLOGY

integrations, uptime or business continuity. This is why it’s very important to partner with experts in these solutions to ensure they’re right for your business and help keep your software updated and running smoothly.”

Unified visibility is a keen way to get the most of an automation investment. The goal is to get a clear picture of the end-to-end operation and the automation within it and look at what possible disruptions can occur. Simulation automation such as digital twin technology and integration make this possible. Speed and accuracy are also imperative in today’s warehousing space, pushed by major e-commerce giants, even in the cold chain.

“Two pitfalls to watch out for when it comes to automation include speed and accuracy,” Deakins says. “Amazon has set the standard for delivery speeds today. This can be a tough barrier for companies, especially ones that are just starting out. Luckily, faster delivery speeds can be achieved and maintained with warehouse automation tools driving efficiency.

“In terms of accuracy, Amazon has also set high consumer and business expectations for delivery accuracy,” he adds. “Warehouse automation systems that seamlessly work together with ERP solutions are able to ensure that e-commerce inventory is accurately reflected and that companies avoid selling things they do not currently have in stock.”

Installation time is also an important characteristic to consider when choosing a technology. Partners should research what the installation and integration process will look like instead of the promised end result, so they have an accurate picture.

“When evaluating software applications that tout the benefit of automation, dig in and make sure you’re clear on what level of effort is required to set the system up in order to achieve the benefits,” Rueffer says. “There are great solutions out there that

promise an end-of-the-rainbow kind of utopia, but gloss over all the work that’s required to get to that state. Today’s advanced technology should make it easy to achieve those benefits; do your due diligence to understand the full scope before you jump.”

Into the future “The future of supply chain automation does not mean replacing people, but rather upskilling employees to work alongside automation,” Deakins says. “As autonomous supply chains are on the horizon, these technologies can only be improved, upheld and further developed by people themselves. Additionally, automated supply chains of the future can only survive if they are agile and resilient, which will enable them to be equipped to withstand any surprise disruption and challenges that will inevitably come along.”

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8/2/21 4:28 PM

SECTOR REPORT

FOOD SAFETY

IOT-ENABLED PALLETS FOR TRACKING PERISHABLE GOODS T

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Pallet Alliance

The industry has long recognized that automatically logging and reporting temperature, location and other environmental conditions at the pallet level would be an ideal solution and provide the most accurate readings of product temperature at all locations within a trailer. Unfortunately, providing this capability in a scalable, reliable, cost-effective and easy-to-use way has proven elusive. Even with recent spikes in hardwood pricing and the downstream effects of increased prices, reusable wooden pallets remain the best obtainable priceper-shipment for producers. However, current major pool providers do not provide cost-effective, reliable, fully instrumented pallets, and the recycled wooden pallet market is unlikely to offer a standardized instrumented pallet.

One possible ADVERTISER INDEX solution is affixing InADVERTISER ......................................................................................................PAGE ternet of Things (IoT) BM2 Freight Services .......................................................................................................11 devices to pallets priCJ Logistics ........................................................................................................................5 or to shipment. DeControlant .........................................................................................................................29 vices typically come DSW Distribution ..............................................................................................................26 already connected to a platform to log Great Dane Trailers Inc. ....................................................................................................46 and report data, but H&M Bay Inc.....................................................................................................................40 adds significant costs IFDA ..................................................................................................................................33 and requires multiple Isuzu Truck .......................................................................................................................17 steps to provide shipLiberty Cold ......................................................................................................................26 ment visibility. But, if a customer manually Lily Transportation ............................................................................................................39 attaches the device Mack Truck Corporation ...................................................................................................45 to a pallet, pairs that MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company ...........................................................................2 device with a shipPSSI..................................................................................................................................43 ment, associates that Q Products and Services....................................................................................................7 shipment with their Red Classic ........................................................................................................................9 customer account, most will continue RLS LOGISTICS ...............................................................................................................23 to do without IoT Romark Logistics..............................................................................................................25 tracking at the pallet Syfan Logistics .................................................................................................................31 level.

Thermo King .....................................................................................................................13 When measureTranservice Logistics, Inc. ................................................................................................39 ment is conducted across a shipper’s Utility Trailers ....................................................................................................................19 entire supply chain, Witron ...............................................................................................................................27 not only are logis-

o support ensure quality transportation of temperature-sensitive goods in the food and beverage industry, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) introduced requirements for refrigerated trucking operators to supply proof of temperature compliance, when requested, on a load-by-load basis. Unfortunately, this creates a burden on carriers and receiving warehouses to validate these shipments.

These data needs can be measured with devices on trucks or on freight. However, the haphazard way in which the data is collected on logged devices makes it difficult to operationalize at scale. Additionally, the need to manually locate and recover data logging devices adds labor, delays and additional failure points into compliance efforts.

Affixing IoT devices to pallets prior to shipment is one way carriers can track temperature of products along the way.

tics managers able to monitor individual shipments, but executives also receive the high-level aggregations and KPIs needed to optimize large operations. With temperatures measured and automatically validated on a per-truckload basis, consignees know before a truck arrives at a dock that the temperature has been maintained, dramatically reducing the work of arrival-time verifications.

Any solution that is deployed must be simple, cost-effective and scalable. It must also be capable of integrating with a wide range of shippers’ and suppliers’ enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. IoT-enabled pallets bring together the latest in sustainable plastic pallets and IoT to provide a scalable, easy-to-use means to achieve budgetary, timing and environmental constraints across their supply chain.

Go to foodl.me/56wcp9 to read the remainder of this expert column.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR MIKE JONES principal, Pallet Alliance

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8/2/21 12:51 PM

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 SECTOR REPORT

PACKAGING

HOW TRANSIT PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY AND MATERIALS ENSURE FOOD INDUSTRY SAFETY

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he Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic dramatically impacted all industries.

In the last nine months of 2020, some online grocery retailers saw order volumes surge 500%, according to CNBC. Digitalcommerce360.com reports that in the United States, “68% of consumers ordered groceries online for home delivery between March and late August 2020.” McKinsey & Company projects that 45% of consumers intend to continue ordering online post-pandemic.

This dramatic growth of online grocery shopping combined with a short-term increase in people stocking up on food has increased pressure to keep pace with demand, minimize waste and uphold the highest quality and safety standards.

Consumer food products Once raw ingredients have traveled safely to the store shelves or food processor, things get more complicated. For instance, consider dairy products, for example, and their distinct transportation safety demands driven by differing shelf-life requirements and manufacturing environments.

sealing with strech film can cause moisture to build up on the pallet. To create necessary airflow, many growers will apply edge protection to the stacked pallet and secure the load with plastic strapping. This enables the produce to stay well secured and ventilated during transport.

Dairy must keep up with high demands as millions of gallons of milk are sold daily in the United States alone. The difference is these products have much tighter timeframes in terms of processing, packaging and shipping to preserve shelf life. Speed and reliability are a top concern in this environment. Any machine downtime in the palletizing zone can cause a myriad of problems upstream and greatly affect product shelf life. Having a strapping or stretch that can withstand the cold and challenging conditions of a dairy processing plant is critical to maintain shelf life.

Automation and shelf life Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) are available to prioritize product picking by expiration date. Finding a solution suited for cold storage that automatically tracks and stores items based on shelf life and expiration is necessary to ensure food products are stored and transported safely.

Produce Produce takes a different journey. Corrugated boxes typically used for packaging produce are often stored outside in the fields where produce is picked. If these boxes get wet due to exposure outdoors or otherwise, moisture can spread to the produce.

Using a stretch film with multi-layer technology effectively manages sunlight to reduce condensation and creates an impermeable barrier to liquids, while still providing barcode readability. However,

Beyond COVID-19 Transit packaging solutions can help to improve operations and increase profit by helping to reduce spoilage, breakage and potential for mold growth.

Ensuring safety and minimizing food loss work in tandem. A USDA report estimates that the total value of wasted food— in-transit, in-store and in-home—is more than $160 billion annually. It comprises 133 billion pounds (31%) of the 430 billion pounds of food produced in the United States each year.

Innovation and optimization of end-ofline packaging and logistics operations provides a critical opportunity to benefit the whole supply chain.

Go to foodl.me/hz2mx8 to read the remainder of this expert column.

Signode

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 Innovation and optimization of end-of-line packaging and logistics operations provides a critical opportunity to benefit the whole supply chain.

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TIM GARDNER load containment solutions segment manager, Signode

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