Whenever you are moving, you want to make sure you avoid all mistakes along the way. No one wants to have a stressful relocation process! The main thing that will help you run everything smoothly and according to plan is hiring a reliable Kuwait moving company. But what happens when you’re moving a business, and you need to transport a lot of items? Then, you must seek out a proper logistics company that knows how to handle this kind of transportation. For example, there are some food transportation issues that you should know about before you send the food on the road. Let’s see what they are and how to organize food transport easily!
What are the most common food transportation issues?
To begin with, we have to know that this transportation process can take a long time. The location where the food is picked up is most likely very far away from where you want it to be. That is why they sometimes have to be in storage units until they can start their journey to the destination. In this case, you will have to make sure that the food is stored in climate-controlled storage units. Whether it is perishable or not, climate-controlled units will make sure that there is no moisture that can ruin the products. Moreover, it will have air circulation and that means that nothing will get stale or attract mold.
Similarly to this, one of the food transportation issues is finding a container that will have the same conditions as the storage unit. Your food cannot be transported in just any container – it has to be temperature-controlled. Nowadays, there is high demand for this type of transport containers, so it may be harder to find it. On top of it all, if you want to transport food between April and July, it gets impossible. So, make sure to get in touch with a moving company on time, so you can reserve your spot.
Handling food is another common issue
Whenever you are transporting food, you need to make sure you are following all the guidelines. Whether this is going to be for your own needs or you intend to sell it later, it is important that it doesn’t get contaminated along the way. When you have an unreliable company handling your goods, you risk contamination and ruined products. People who will be handling the food need to wear proper attire and gloves, as not to transfer any germs on fresh produce.
In case you are transporting food in bags, such as snacks, there is another transportation issue. We all know how much air there is in snack bags and how easily they can rip or pop. Whenever they are loaded/unloaded, they can break open and spill. However, there is a way you can prevent this. Simply try to make an itinerary that has the fewest transfer points! That way, they won’t be handled many times and you minimize the risk of damages and a ruined product.
Food shouldn’t be in the same container as harsh chemicals
Another common food transportation issue is that you can’t always guarantee that it will be the only thing in the container. When you are shipping small pallets of food, you don’t have a reason to rent an entire container for yourself. Not only is it expensive, but many freight forwarders in Kuwait will refuse to do it too. Simply, it is way more practical to fill it up all the way and transport more items. However, this can cause a lot of problems along the way. First things first, you risk your food getting in the same container as house-cleaning products. This is a huge threat of contamination and you should definitely avoid it whenever possible.
LTL shipping model is another one of the food transportation issues
Not only that, but when your food is not the only thing in the shipping container, the chances are it will be handled much more. Usually, the classic LTL shipping model (less-than-truckload) looks like this:
- Your shipment is picked up at the first location.
- Then, they deliver it to a sorting facility.
- After that, the crew loads it onto the container.
- The container is shipped to the second location, where the food is unloaded.
- In case you are shipping something long-distance, the second location might be another sorting facility, so the third and fourth steps are repeated.
- Finally, once the food reaches the end destination, they unload it.
As we previously mentioned, it would be ideal if your food doesn’t have a lot of transfer points. That is why LTL shipping may not be the best choice, even though it may seem like one. To avoid this, we suggest loading one entire container with your products and dropping off multiple loads per transport. You can organize this logistics system with your moving company and find a way that suits you the best!
Late shipments can also happen from time to time
Unfortunately, another common food transportation issue is late shipments. Once you send your food on the road, you can never know whether it will arrive on time. When it is late, the store doesn’t have it in stock and you lose potential customers. Not only that but sometimes other delays are affected by this as well. Product companies sometimes have late fees that they charge to the shipping companies in case their delivery is late. However, there are multiple reasons why delays can happen. Try to talk it through with your chosen shipping company and arrange such a date that you won’t have issues even if minor delays occur.