Running on Ice: International developments for the cold chain

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Hello, and welcome to the coolest community in freight! Here you’ll find the latest information on warehouse news, tech developments and all things reefer madness-related. I’m your controller of the thermostat, Mary O’Connell. Thanks for having me!

All thawed out

Taking a look across the pond at some new advancements in sustainable reefer rail service, PSA Italy and PSA BDP successfully transported reefer containers from Genova’s port via rail. The new PORT+ program allows shippers to reduce carbon footprints while moving temperature-controlled goods via rail as products are taken from the Italian ports to central Europe.

According to a news release, “The inaugural service delivered a container filled with a leading Italian multinational company’s temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products from Basel, Switzerland, to PSA Genova Pra’ in Italy. At the terminal, the cargo was transferred to the MSC Alma containership, which was bound for Savannah, Georgia in the United States.”

Temperature checks

Rounding out the year internationally is DACHSER’s advancements in emission-free trailers. Dachser has four battery-electric refrigerated truck trailers that have been put into test operations. The small rollout is mostly to test out the viability of this at scale. Various parts have been installed so that the trailer can be reliably cooled electrically for a longer period of time, including a modern, highly efficient cooling unit and a lightweight battery.

The battery is charged within three to four hours directly at the loading gates. This is also where the precooling takes place. No extra charging infrastructure is required for the e-trailers. In addition to the battery, the generator axis supplies energy for cooling. It is comparable to a dynamo on a bicycle and also enables the use of kinetic energy from driving.

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Tobias Ritter, department head of production and network processes for Dachser Food Logistics, was quoted in an American Journal of Transportation article as saying, “With the first four eTrailers in the DACHSER network, we now have the opportunity to put the technology through its paces in everyday operations. When transporting food, the cold chain must never be interrupted. Therefore, the refrigeration must always function reliably, the ranges must be stable and longer downtimes must also be possible, e.g. when delivering to commercial warehouses or in traffic jams. With a fully charged battery, the trailer can be cooled for around five to six hours, even without an additional external power supply or the generator axis.”

Food and drugs

Food supply chain resiliency is at the forefront of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Marketing Service as it announced a cooperative agreement with the state of Oklahoma as part of the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program. They are working together to offer more than $6.3 million in competitive grant funding for projects that are designed to build resilience across the middle of the supply chain.

Jenny Lester Moffitt, undersecretary of the USDA’s marketing and regulatory programs, was quoted as saying, “This partnership between USDA and Oklahoma is allowing critical funding to reach areas of the supply chain that need it most. The projects funded through this program will create new opportunities for the region’s small and midsize producers to thrive, expand access to nutritious food options, and increase supply chain resiliency.”

Cold chain lanes

The home of the blues has some post-Christmas blues as both reefer outbound tender volumes and reefer outbound tender rejections begin a downward fall. The sharp uptick in rejections is due to carriers leaving the market for the Christmas holiday. As capacity returns to the market following the holiday, rejections should return to a more normal rate around 12-15% instead of nearly 30%.

A resurgence should happen in reefer outbound tender volumes as well. Dropping to the lowest rate in six months indicates there should be a rebound, but not as plentiful as mid-November. Expect to see reefer outbound tender volumes return to levels that resemble that of the beginning of the year.

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Shelf life

Wanna chat in the cooler? Shoot me an email with comments, questions or story ideas at moconnell@freightwaves.com.

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All thawed out

Temperature checks

Food and drugs

Cold chain lanes

Shelf life

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