PMA Sets Best Practices for Produce Transportation
NEWARK, DEL - Produce Marketing Association's (PMA) Transportation Task Force yesterday completed its best practices guide to recommend solutions to some of the common challenges faced by retailers, suppliers, and transportation companies engaged in produce transportation.
"Through research we learned that each link of the supply chain has different perceptions about the significance of the problems that exist," said PMA Transportation Task Force co-chairman, Bud Floyd of C. H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. "This leads to conflict within the produce supply chain and suggests that enhanced communications between buyers, transportation providers, and suppliers is an important first step to fix this problem."
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This past June C.H. Robinson sponsored a Progressive Grocer research study that and led to the development of the best practices guide.
Independent PMA research, supported by findings from a study conducted June by Progressive Grocer's market research department and sponsored by CH Robinson Worldwide and PMA earlier this year revealed many of these challenges and prompted the best practices initiative. (Click here to download the study)
PMA's best practices guide is intended for the entire produce industry supply chain and outlines ways for companies to make produce more appealing to drivers and carriers by addressing such issues as:
- Receiver and shipper issues including loading and unloading inefficiencies
- Relationship building with transportation carriers
- Inefficient distribution patterns
"Because the trucking industry is experiencing a significant shortage of drivers, the environment for finding trucks to haul anything is, and will continue to be highly competitive," said PMA Transportation Task Force co-chairman, Bill Schuler of Castellini Company, LLC. "We believe that many of the best practices are very inexpensive to implement and result in greater efficiencies throughout the supply chain."
The guide will be discussed during the workshop "Best Practices in Transportation Today" held Sunday, October 22, 2006 from 9:35-10:50 a.m. at PMA's 2006 Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition in San Diego, California, USA and will be available to all members of the produce industry supply chain.
"Through research we learned that each link of the supply chain has different perceptions about the significance of the problems that exist," said PMA Transportation Task Force co-chairman, Bud Floyd of C. H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. "This leads to conflict within the produce supply chain and suggests that enhanced communications between buyers, transportation providers, and suppliers is an important first step to fix this problem."
(Story continues below.)
This past June C.H. Robinson sponsored a Progressive Grocer research study that and led to the development of the best practices guide.
Independent PMA research, supported by findings from a study conducted June by Progressive Grocer's market research department and sponsored by CH Robinson Worldwide and PMA earlier this year revealed many of these challenges and prompted the best practices initiative. (Click here to download the study)
PMA's best practices guide is intended for the entire produce industry supply chain and outlines ways for companies to make produce more appealing to drivers and carriers by addressing such issues as:
- Receiver and shipper issues including loading and unloading inefficiencies
- Relationship building with transportation carriers
- Inefficient distribution patterns
"Because the trucking industry is experiencing a significant shortage of drivers, the environment for finding trucks to haul anything is, and will continue to be highly competitive," said PMA Transportation Task Force co-chairman, Bill Schuler of Castellini Company, LLC. "We believe that many of the best practices are very inexpensive to implement and result in greater efficiencies throughout the supply chain."
The guide will be discussed during the workshop "Best Practices in Transportation Today" held Sunday, October 22, 2006 from 9:35-10:50 a.m. at PMA's 2006 Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition in San Diego, California, USA and will be available to all members of the produce industry supply chain.