What to Expect When Transporting Cargo in North America

 

As a carrier by profession there is an array of industry standards that you should be well aware of in order to carry out your duties efficiently. Amidst the list of other proficiencies, you need to develop on the job, something as basic as understanding the intricacies of cargo types and how these can impact the safe delivery of items to their assigned destinations often goes overlooked.

Here we’ll take a look into some of the cargo you can expect to handle and what is often required to get them from point A to Point B in the desired state.

·         Automobiles and Car Parts

Every new vehicle at some point in its delivery to the dealership is carried by truck transport. Toyota alone averages 45 million total highway miles annually to deliver 2 million vehicles to nearly 1,500 Toyota and Lexus dealers across the country. [Source:Nelson].

Today’s tractor-trailer auto transporters can carry up to 12 vehicles. The rigs are designed so that the tractor can support up to four vehicles and eight vehicles are placed on the double-deck trailer. The tractor-trailer rigs utilize hydraulically operated ramps. Each ramp can be lowered or raised to provide a smooth approach for loading or to clear vehicles under it when the trailer is fully loaded. The ramps can also be tilted to maximize the available space by tucking the end of one vehicle under another [Source: Becker and Stone]

·         Pills/Medication

As one would expect, pharmaceutical products are often the focus of intricate scientific ingenuity. As such, the same level of precision has to be exercised in their transport. Being primarily susceptible to damage from poorly controlled temperatures within the vehicle, establishing optimal temperatures for the safe transit of pharma products is essential. Diverting from the recommended temperatures by as much as (two) degrees can spell complete disaster, ruining the entire shipment. In addition, the timely delivery of same cargo is equally important as certain products can only remain as stable as they are for so long. Hence, you must ensure they are delivered at the time specified. In fact, over 60% of pharma companies have specific requirements that have to be followed to the letter to assure the safe transport of their cargo.  

·         Produce (Bananas, Plantains etc.)

       It should go without saying that consumables in the form of general produce can be sensitive cargo to transport. From bananas to tomatoes and squash, ensuring that produce options you are charged with carrying arrive as fresh as they were received off the loading board is critical. Raw ingredients that are basic staples in our diets and act as a lifeblood to restaurants, markets and supermarkets also play an important role in stimulating the economy. So your role is to ensure they all get where they need to go. Refrigerated trucking is the most efficient means of maintaining the desired parameters for transport. The appropriate temperatures are a deciding factor since all produce needs to be kept at the low temperatures necessary to preserve them. Ensuring the cargo area is clean and prepped in advance is also vital to upholding proper sanitation protocols for its transport.

·        Computers and Computer Parts - Another cargo type to prepare for includes computers and computer parts. As equally intricate and vulnerable as the previous cargo types, computers and their respective peripherals can suffer irreparable damage from drops, incessant jostling, falls and direct exposure to liquids. Recognizing the fragile nature of this cargo and the typically high costs associated to any damage incurred while handling it can be a stressful experience. However, your main concern should be to provide sufficient padding, cushioning material and measures to ensure the cargo is properly secured to minimize damage as much as is possible. It may seem excessive in application but it’s always better to be safe than sorry when you’re the one who could be held accountable for damaging potentially thousands of dollars of high-tech equipment. Of equal note to consider is the temperatures that they are kept at. Even dormant, computers are still susceptible to higher temperatures which often ruin internal components once a specific thermal threshold has been surpassed. So ensure that at every point proper cooling is accounted for. 

·       Furniture and Furniture Parts are some of the most cumbersome items to transport when you move. They come in peculiar and distinct shapes, bulky, and in some cases very fragile. When foreign furniture is ordered out of state, or is being completely moved out of the country, that furniture is usually put into some kind of freighter and shipped to the desired location. With this in mind it can quickly become a tedious process to not only place the furniture but ensure they are properly secured to the respective bearings provided for this purpose. 

 

Being proactive about the measures taken to ensure the safe transport of any goods tendered by your prospective supplier is of paramount importance. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully consider all criteria outlined for a successful delivery.