People who grow and distribute agricultural products need to take extra precautions to prevent the contamination or spoilage of their products during every step of the value chain. This article discusses some of the crucial things which your drivers should check before they set off from the farm to deliver agricultural products to customers or distribution facilities.
Loading Area Cleanliness
The driver should examine the loading area and confirm that it looks clean before positioning the truck to be loaded. This precaution is needed as an extra measure to ensure that the agricultural produce will not be contaminated by microbes from animal droppings or other forms of dirt while those products are being loaded onto the truck for onward transportation.
The Tracking System
The driver should also check and confirm that the electronic tracking system on his or her truck is working properly. The tracking device is essential because it can alert the fleet manager in case the truck gets a problem along its journey and the driver is unable to communicate to base. The fleet manager can then send a relief truck quickly to get the agricultural produce to its destination so that it doesn't get spoilt or contamination during the time when the truck is crippled.
Storage Component Integrity
It is also good for the driver to check the door panels and other components of the storage system in order to be certain that they are secure before he or she sets off on a journey to deliver agricultural produce. Scheduled stops should also be arranged to check the door panels in case the journey will take several hours. Special attention should be devoted to finding any leaks which can compromise the temperature of refrigerated transport systems.
Expected Arrival Time
The driver should also plan his or her route and estimate how long the journey will take. This information should be relayed to someone at the destination. That communication should stipulate how much extra time should be allowed before the recipient contacts the sender regarding the whereabouts of the truck. This measure will provide an extra layer of monitoring so that any anomaly will be brought to your attention before it is too late to save the cargo on a truck which has got a problem before making a delivery.
Different jurisdictions have different guidelines regulating how agricultural products should be transported in order to ensure food safety standards are met. Familiarise yourself with those requirements and develop market transport manuals which set out the appropriate procedures for the transportation of your products.
Share25 April 2018
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