Trucking is Adapting Food Delivery Methods
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by: thebesttruckingjobs
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Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2011 Time: 4:00 PM
The trucking trade has had a rough couple ofmany years. From load shortages and increasing fuel expenditures to lost jobs and stricter regulations, the trucking industrycontinues to be a bleak scene. Even so, with jobs risingonce again and businesspicking up, issues have begun to search up for truckers and trucking corporations. But with new business comes new challenges and only time will tell how effectively the trucking market adapts towards the new meals trends, additionalespecially, the sustainable meals trend.
A newly released articlefrom the Journal of Commerce discusses how the demand from meals producers and retailersto get a sustainable and green foodsupply chain is affecting the trucking industry. Together with the green trend by foodretailers and companies gaining steam, the trucking trade is seeing additional freight getting shipped in fewer loads. For the trucking market that means that the regular semi-trailer shipping has decreased even though shipping strategiesjust like barges and trains are being utilized far moreoften.
Corporationsjust like Kraft, as cited from the Journal of Commerce report, have cutmore than 50 million trucking miles above the finalfourmany years - and that isjust onecompany. Lots of other firms have followed in Kraft's footsteps in looking forextra sustainable transportation approaches for their merchandise. Kraft particularly, on the other hand, has even gone so far as to revamp their truck fleets as well asemployingdistinct shipping techniques. Kraft's truck fleet continues to be retrofitted as diesel-electric hybrids and they every single have RouteMax refrigerated truck bodies.
In what looksto be an odd move by food industries, 85% of them increased or maintained their sustainable initiatives through the recession. Though sustainable practices are inclined tocosta littlea lot more, the mealsbusinesschose to raise their spending on sustainable initiatives because ofconsumer demand. Thougha lotof theprice of sustainable practices is passed on to theclient, the foodsector has not slowed down their green efforts.
Despite the fact that the volume of shipments for refrigerated trucks has decreased anywhere from 3-15% over the previous year, shippers are trying toraise their variety of pallets per shipment so as todecrease carbon emissions and total trucking miles. The raise in pallets per shipment continues to be a fairlystraightforwardtask for trucking providerssince themealsmarketplace has reduce back on extreme packaging.
Total, the trucking tradehas alot offunctionto accomplishso as to adapt to thealteringwantswith thefoodtrade, including retrofitting their existing trucks and remarketing themselves to mealscorporations as green compliant. Nevertheless, it appearsas if the sustainable meals trend will carry on, consequently if trucking providerswant tostay competitive with other types of sustainable transportation, they mayhave tostart transitioning their trucks and their organization models.
About the Author
Harold Stringerly has been working to promote better conditions and better truck driving jobs for drivers nationwide.
