Companies from around the world are delivering perishable goods to grocery stores. In turn, these companies make profits after their goods are sold. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that food makes up for 13% of an average American household’s spending. This means that food is third in terms of household spending, only falling behind housing and transportation costs. While certain companies make delivering perishable goods look easy, it’s understandable to feel overwhelmed while trying to accomplish this on your own. In this post, you’ll learn how your perishable foods operation can ship items with ease.
Preparing Perishable Goods for Shipment
Considering that perishable goods will expire faster than others, it’s important to prepare these shipments accordingly. It’s important to note that perishable foods should be left in hot temperatures for a very short time. In temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, most perishable goods will go bad within one hour. Many perishable food businesses utilize Styrofoam. This material serves to protect perishable goods from damage during shipment. In addition, Styrofoam acts a material that blocks out external heat which keeps products at the proper temperatures.
If you’re looking for shipping materials that offer more space, consider insulated liners. These liners are made with a texture and design that is quite similar to standard bubble wrap. This wrap is more flexible than sheets of Styrofoam. Hearing these benefits, a perishable goods company might want to utilize both Styrofoam and insulated lining. Fortunately, certain companies delivering perishable goods offer insulated pads that feature both lining and Styrofoam sheets.
Your perishable foods operation might benefit more from using ice packs during shipping. While proven to be an effective protector of perishable items, there’s a bit more calculating that goes with using ice. Whether using dry ice or ice packs, you’ll need to determine how much of either option goes into each container. It’s important to note that dry ice becomes dangerous upon contact with the skin. Considering that, any products containing dry ice must be labeled as such.
Finding the Right Transportation Service
The next step in this process is to choose a perishable good transportation company. It’s important to spend time finding the right perishable foods transporter. Many companies work with transporters that are able to deliver goods in a timely manner. In fact, statistics show that there are nearly 750 prepared foods manufacturing companies located throughout the United States.
With that in mind, it’s imperative that you find a company known for delivering perishable goods within your time window. In the world of perishable goods, late shipments are never good for a supplier. It’s also important to find a company capable of delivering perishable goods that have experience. Aim for finding a company with at least one year of experience in regard to transporting perishable goods.
Determining Shipment Prices
It’s understandable for a business to reduce costs wherever possible. While you’ve learned about how to keep products safe during shipping, it’s important to keep these costs as low as possible. You’ll want to consider finding out which transit time options your transportation company offers. Taking a bit of time to crunch these numbers will help provide with the optimal shipping option. In addition, consider changing the sizes of your boxes before the next shipment occurs. You might find that reducing box sizes helps you ship more goods without paying additional costs.
To summarize, delivering perishable goods properly is crucial for many food manufacturing companies. While you can take care of preparing the shipments, you’ll likely need a business partner to deliver these goods. It’s best to find a perishable goods transporter with experience and multiple shipping options. Direct store delivery helps ensure that food manufacturing companies continue to profit. If you’re wanting to get your perishable goods into stores, partner with a reliable transportation company.
