From anywhere with love

Shipping produce is a delicate procedure. It requires consideration of the product, transport time, loading temperature and strong communication between multiple parties. John J. Jerue Companies, a shipping broker, has been moving products across the nation for more than 50 years.

Tony Ginevra, branch manager of Jerue’s Satellite Beach, Florida office has spent his life in the trucking industry, the last 28 years as a truck broker. Michelle Renz, marketing and operations manager for Jerue, grew up around the shipping industry after he grandfather founded John J. Jerue. Both experts shared some of their insights on the shipping of fresh produce.
 

Produce Grower: What do you see as the most persistent obstacles to shipping produce in 2015?

Tony Ginevra: Some of the bigger obstacles are finding good drivers and making sure we’re doing everything we can do to get everyone’s products handled efficiently. We’re actually seeing a trend, this year, with more carriers than loads available. It has been the opposite in the past, particularly in the last decade or so. There has usually been a shortage of trucks. I’m not quite sure if that’s the California drought or what’s causing the overflow of trucks.
 

PG: How many produce growers does your company work with?

TG: Well over 100 growers. In fact, it has to be a few hundred a month, at least.
 

PG: And what could growers do to make the shipping process more efficient?

TG: Make sure that the product is cooled to the proper temperature before it goes on the truck. The trucks are only able to maintain temperature. They’re not there to finish the pre-cooling process. If for instance the product is loaded and it’s five or six degrees off that temperature, the chances of us getting it down to that proper temperature are nil. Trailers are not designed for that. That’s one of our key factors that we push, especially with drivers when we send them to load. We tell them, “Make sure you’re checking the temperature before you put it on the trailer.” If the product is three to five degrees off, we have to be notified and, in turn, we will notify the shipper. Then they have to sign off on it, so we’re not assuming responsibility. That’s one of the key factors, communication from the shipper or grower, and proper temperature at the time of loading.

One thing that we find is that growers will say that the order is in for today without giving any specific time. We get a lot of growers that say the order is there, it’s ready, and then it’s not. Accurate information is needed.

Michelle Renz: The other thing is that some of the products are loaded in the greenhouses, or the field, right into the packaging. If there’s any hiccup from the vine, into the container, into the warehouse, and into a truck… the just in-time delivery can put a lot of pressure on the whole process. The timing of everything can have major consequences if there is a delay in any one aspect of that process.
 

PG: What trends are you seeing in the shipping and produce industries?

MR: I think we’re going to see a wider variety of produce to haul and take to the marketplace. I think that it’s a great opportunity for growers to tap into a healthier America. In terms of innovation, I see opportunities to combine products, to introduce people to new tastes. Any time you can be innovative about what you’re growing and getting to the marketplace, then consumers will be eager for it. I think that more exploration in taste buds is a great opportunity for growers.

Combining products is another opportunity. We’re seeing a lot of companies packaging multiple types of fruits and veggies together, for market. In terms of tech, I’d be looking to see if we can automate any more along the supply chain line. I’m still waiting to see what tools emerge for us to do that. In the future, we could have consumers saying “I want tomatoes right now” putting in an order on the farm and then getting that coordinated.

TG: Imports actually seems to be the fastest growing trend, currently. We’re able to get products from all over the world in a timely fashion. Whereas, 10 or 15 years ago you wouldn’t see this variety of products. You’d have a few offshore melons, hardier varieties that could withstand the boat ride, but now they’re doing a lot of air freight and flying products in. We’re shipping a lot of berries, from all over the world that come into Miami. That’s the new trend for blueberries over the last decade, but we’re seeing it with a lot more products now.
 

PG: How does the import process work from a shipping standpoint?

TG: If a shipment of blueberries comes into Miami, it has to go through USDA inspection and so forth. Depending on the products, some have to be fumigated. Asparagus is fumigated, for example. From there, it goes to the pre-cooler and shipping location. They’ll pre-cool it and then load it out. That all happens in the matter of one day. The plane comes in and then it’s anywhere from 4 to 6 hours before it gets through USDA and fumigation and then it’s another 4 to 8 hours by the time they get it pre-cooled and the pallets are properly stacked, in case there was any damage during transit from its origination point, be it Peru or Chile or wherever. Then it’s placed on the truck and delivered. The time it hits the ground to delivery into a customer’s warehouse, all transpires within the course of three days.

MR: We have seen huge Less than Truckload (LTL) growth. What that means is we’re mixing more, we have a greater mix of products, rather than a full truckload. You’re seeing more mixed commodities, in trucks, for delivery. The idea is that there’s a wider variety of products within a shipment. That LTL business is risky, there’s a lot of moving parts, a lot of pickups and deliveries. Getting a third party to organize and do it well is a real benefit. A lot of growers are excited about sending out 5 or 6 or 10 palettes instead of a full truckload. It lets them get their product to market, faster.