PERISHABLE SHIPMENT GUIDELINES
Trade has grown exponentially thanks to introduction of oversee transportation services. Containerisation dates back to as early as 1792 and has been improved greatly due to man's innovation to a point that merchants can now trade in perishable goods in refrigerated transport. If you are a trader involved in shipping perishables, here are some exclusive tips just for you on how to ensure great shipment.
Stick to regulations
When transporting perishables, it is essential to follow both local and international rules and regulations. The current worldwide standard for perishables is the Perishables Cargo Requirements manual. The manual states comprehensively the standards for packaging, preparation and handling of time and temperature sensitive goods. Other than worldwide standards, adhering to the local maritime safety authority regulations is as important. However, knowing all the food and drugs administration requirements can be sometimes difficult. In such a case, you can consider joining a trade network that would take you through the registration process and keep you compliant throughout the transition process. Complying with these regulations ensures good quality of products and thus, good business.
Monitor your shipment
You should always have an eye on your commodities in terms of their location and status. With improved technology, you can now install satellite tracking systems on your containers and monitor them across the globe. Connecting all your tracking devices to one feedback receiver will enable you to monitor multiple shipments at once. For critical shipments, you may want to install a multi-sensory device inside respective packages. The device would keep you in the know all the time as it transmits continuous data about the status of your shipment. For valuable shipments, you need to ensure you are always in the know by keeping in check all your first, second and third party shipments.
Adopt alternative technologies
Most freight companies use dry ice to ship perishables. Dry ice could sometimes be dangerous when handled incorrectly and is considered somewhat hazardous to goods. You can adopt cold shipping, which involves placing a small chilling unit in the package with your content. The unit would slowly evaporate its water contents continuously ensuring cold temperature at all time. On the other hand, you can adopt a cryogenic cooling system. However, these systems can be expensive to use for longer journeys. Therefore, you can combine it with the usual mechanical system to form a cyro-mechanical system which is combines the loss refrigerant of the cryogenic system and the steady running of the mechanical one.
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