5 Top Tips for Transporting Fresh Produce

In an era where healthy eating and clean living are prioritised, the demand for fresh produce has soared. From farm to fork, it’s vital to ensure that fruit and vegetables arrive at their destination in good condition, as nobody wants to use products that have become rotten or damaged during transit. However, the delicate nature of fresh produce can make transportation a challenging task.

That’s why the team at Rotomshop is here to help you navigate this process, offering our top tips to ensure that the fresh produce you’re transporting is delivered unblemished.

What are the challenges of shipping fresh produce?

Fresh produce poses a number of challenges during transit that make it much harder to transport than other goods. Fruit and vegetables have a strict shelf life, and the clock starts ticking as soon as the goods are harvested. Therefore, an efficient supply chain must be established, so it’s important to employ a trusted logistics professional like Rotomshop to help facilitate smooth and reliable transportation.

Another challenge is that fresh produce is highly sensitive to temperature fluctuations, and even the slightest increase can accelerate ripening and lead to premature spoilage. Therefore, refrigerated trucks (known as reefers) must be used to maintain a consistently cool temperature. The fresh produce must also be transported in special agri crates to allow for proper ventilation.

How to transport fresh produce 

• Wash all products: Any bacteria on your goods can accelerate the rotting process and cause faster spoilage. Thoroughly wash all goods to remove any potential contaminants before transit.
• Keep things cool: If your fruit and vegetables are exposed to high temperatures, they will rapidly deteriorate. By keeping the temperature low during transportation, you are prolonging the shelf life of your goods.
• Package goods carefully and correctly: Fruit and vegetables are extremely delicate, and they must be packaged properly to prevent bruising or crushing. Fruit agri crates are the perfect way to transport these goods; they allow for efficient stacking and handling and are durable enough to protect the products from damage. Agri crates also allow air to circulate, which reduces moisture build-up and helps to maintain freshness.
• Secure the load: When being transported in large lorries, it’s only natural that your goods may experience some bumping and jostling over the course of the journey. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that everything is secured properly to prevent shifting during transit. Along with load restraints, you should also use easily stackable containers, such as agri crates, to minimise the chance of damage and streamline the loading and unloading process.
• Ensure timely delivery: Of course, all of the above tips count for nothing if your produce is not delivered in a timely and efficient manner. Extended transit times can cause the products to decline in quality and increase the chance of decomposition, so it’s crucial to have an effective logistics and transportation system in place.

Fresh logistics: Isothermal products for worry-free transport

At Rotomshop, we understand that safely transporting fresh produce requires more than just good packaging and timely delivery. Therefore, we offer various solutions to optimally protect your fresh produce during transportation. Our isothermal roll containers are specially designed to maintain a constant temperature, keeping your vegetables, fruits, and other perishable goods fresh throughout the entire transport process. Additionally, we provide extra cool and freeze elements that can be placed inside the containers to further regulate the temperature.

We also offer 2 high-quality plastic tote boxes with matching isothermal linings. With this isothermal lining, you can easily transform a regular plastic container into a practical means of keeping produce chilled for hours and facilitating easy transportation.

• SKU 65202 + 65202IB : Attached Lid Tote Box 600x400x320mm with matching isothermal lining
• SKU 65203 + 65203IB : Attached Lid Tote Box 600x400x365mm with matching isothermal lining

At Rotomshop, we are dedicated to helping you overcome the challenges of transporting fresh produce. With our high-quality solutions and extensive range of isothermal roll containers, agri & fruit crates and plastic tote boxes with matching accessories, you can meet the growing demand for fresh produce while maintaining the highest standards of quality and freshness throughout the supply chain.

Here at Rotomshop, we are committed to helping you overcome the challenges of transporting fresh produce. Through our range of high-quality solutions, including agri crates, we help ensure that your fruit and vegetables arrive in excellent condition. With our assistance, you can meet the growing demand for fresh produce whilst maintaining the highest standards of quality and freshness throughout the supply chain.

We’re a leading expert in logistics resources, serving countless companies nationwide across a diverse range of sectors. For more information regarding our products and services, contact us today. Alternatively, you can place an order with us online.