February 19, 2021
Food-Grade Carrier Company Loading and Unloading Best Practices
When it comes time to choose your bulk liquid transport or food-grade carrier company, you need to make sure you are taking the time to understand how the entire loading and unloading process works. If you don’t, you can unknowingly put your product at risk of contamination, spoiling, etc. This not only poses potential health risks but could put your company out of business for good and/or result in all sorts of fines.
Loading and Unloading: Why Do You Need to Know the Process?
In bulk liquid and food-grade transport, there are several rules and regulations that must be followed to ensure the safety of the products that are being transported. While the carrier company is required to follow these rules and regulations, it’s up to you to understand them as well. If you don’t, especially when it comes to the food-grade carrier loading and unloading, you can be blamed if your product becomes contaminated or spoiled since you decided to do business with said company.
These regulations pertain to the transport of goods and the equipment utilized, transportation operations, records kept, and the specific training of those involved throughout the process.
While it’s essential that you take the time to understand all processes involved in bulk liquid transport and food-grade transport, it’s vital that you take the time to understand food-grade loading and unloading best practices so that you and your team know what to look out for when ensuring the safety of your product.
6 Loading and Unloading Best Practices
Before you can begin the process of either loading or unloading a food-grade tanker, it’s important to make a note of these six best practices:
1. Carriers Must Be Checked for Odors Before and After Washing
One of the most important practices that need to be adhered to has to do with all carriers/tankers’ cleanliness and sanitation. Before loading anything onto a carrier or tankers, it’s vital that you inspect it for any odd odors. These can be odors resulting from the previous shipment or just things that can be considered out of place, as these tankers should have been cleaned after they were unloaded.
This is important because odors can be indicative of potential contaminants left in the carrier/tanker, which could damage the integrity of the next shipment.
2. All Carriers Must Have a Wash Certificate/Ticket<
Before the loading process begins, all carriers should be given either a wash certificate or ticket that provides the loading team with information on when the carrier/tanker was last used and provide proof that it was cleaned according to all sanitization regulations.
If there is no proof of cleaning and/or sanitization, then that particular carrier or tanker should not be used until it can be adequately cleaned/sanitized.
3. All Documents and Seal Numbers Need to Be Checked Before Shipping and Upon Arrival
Whether it’s bulk liquid transport or food-grade transport, it’s vital that all documents be carefully reviewed for accuracy and all seal numbers be documented and checked both before shipping and upon arrival. This information typically will come in the form of a bill of lading, which should have all pertinent information needed for inspection before departure and unloading.
4. Before Unloading, Site Should Be Cleared of All Unnecessary Debris and Personnel
Once all pre-departure checks have been completed, and the shipment has made its journey to its next location, the arrival site must be cleared of all unnecessary people, equipment, and other debris.
This is a crucial step because it ensures the safety of the unloading team and other workers and also helps reduce the chances of damage to the shipment, which can lead to possible contamination of the product or complete loss due to spoilage/damage.
Once the unloading site has been cleared of any potential hazards and all unnecessary personnel, the unloading process may begin.
5. All Safety Gear Must Be Worn at All Times
Whether during the loading or unloading process, it’s vital that all personnel are wearing all necessary safety gear at all times. This not only ensures the safety of the staff, but it helps protect the quality of the shipment.
For instance, if your workers are loading crates of food, they need to be wearing the right protective gloves so that handling these crates doesn’t cause cuts or lacerations and there is no cross-contamination of any bacteria or viruses on the workers’ hands.
6. Checks for Leaks or Damage Needs to be Conducted Upon Arrival<
Finally, it’s crucial that staff take adequate time both during loading and unloading to check for any potential leaks in the equipment or damage to the containers. This means checking for:
- Leaking hoses/valves
- Rips/tears in liquid transport bags/li>
- Broken shipping containers/tankers that could damage the product or their containers
This is crucial for different reasons. During loading, if there are any leaks or other damage, products could be lost during transport or become spoiled due to inadequate protection.
Before unloading, you want to check for these risks because you should never accept a shipment that was damaged upon arrival. You also need to check all equipment on your end that will be used during the unloading process to ensure that you maintain the product’s integrity.
Kan-Haul: Your Go-to Bulk Liquid Transport and Food-Grade Carrier Company
Choosing a bulk liquid transporter and/or food-grade carrier company doesn’t have to be a challenge. By understanding what to look for as far as adherence to loading and unloading best practices, you’ll be able to confidently choose a company you can trust to get the job done right.
Here at Kan-Haul, we have over three decades of experience in both food-grade and bulk liquid transport. That means we understand and implement all current best practices and take the necessary steps to ensure that all our staff is up to date on any changes.
Whether you require bulk liquid transportation or a high-quality food-grade carrier company, Kan-Haul can help. Contact us today for more information.
