How To - the 4 P's of Temptale Recorders

Today, we thought it would be great to re-visit the topic that we started our Blog journey out with: temptale recorders. Temptale recorders, also commonly referred to as ryan recorders, are one of the most crucial elements of the produce loads that UWC specializes in. Temptale recorders keep a record of the in-transit temperature for the duration of a trip.

Now, let’s explore the 4 P’s of Temptale recorders:

1. Presence

Customers that require temperature recorders have paid for them, and they should be treated as additional product on the truck. It is the driver’s responsibility to check for their presence and ensure that the correct number of recorders are on the truck. For example, if a Customer has requested a temptale from each pickup and there are 4 picks, drivers must make sure that there are a total of 4 temptales on the truck. Drivers must also make sure that the recorder serial number that is on the bill of lading matches the serial number on the actual device. These details are the driver’s responsibility and UWC must be notified of any discrepancies. If you are not allowed access to a loading dock (to confirm, count, pulp temperatures, and temptale recorder presence), please remember to document “Shipper Load and Count” on your bill of lading.

2. Position

The position of the recorder is critical to make sure that they provide an accurate reading. According to Sensitech, the correct location of the temptale is on the back right pallet facing the doors. If the temptale is to be placed before the last pickup, or is required for every pickup, the temptale should still be placed on the last pallet for that pickup.

Temperature recorders should not be placed on trailer walls because this permits heat that is conducted through the walls to affect the reading produced by the recorder.

3. Placement

Recorders must be placed on the top of boxes on the pallet in order to provide an accurate reading. Make sure that the recorder is placed carefully as to not damage it.

4. Performance

Make sure that the recorder is in good working order and is turned on. The recorder will be insignificant if its performance is not verified.

These 4 P’s will help in the success of your deliveries. If you need a refresher or assistance in any loading particulars, remember to refer to UWC’s Carrier Loading Guidelines V2 Brochures. Available on our website www.unitedworldcargo.com in English or Spanish!!

Always remember, ALL PRODUCE LOADS MUST BE RUN ON CONTINUOUS, regardless of the type of product!!!

Have any experiences or tips for temptale recorders? Please share!!!

Industry Hot Point - Driver Health

Driver health is a continual point of concern in the trucking industry, and there is a constant need to address the need to improve the health of professional drivers. Sitting for long periods of time coupled with lack of regular exercise, stress, smoking, and poor diet choices put truck drivers more at risk than the average North American for a number of health problems. These health problems can range from sleep apnea, high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and chronic pain due to injuries.

Let’s briefly discuss some actions that can be taken to alleviate their presence and effect on your daily life:

Exercise – while exercising while on the road is often difficult, there are some things a driver can do to get daily exercise into their life. Working out at loading docks, or doing laps around your 18 wheeler are both good suggestions. Did you know that walking or running 32 times around your 18 wheeler will equal 1 mile???!!! – this is proof that there are easy and inexpensive ways to introduce exercise into your daily life!!

Quit Smoking – we all know that smoking is bad and significantly increases your risk for cancer and heart disease. However, it may be a hard habit to kick for many drivers as they suffer from boredom from sitting for long periods of time and stress from tight schedules, both of which can be alleviated by a habit such as smoking. However, the consequences of such a habit are severe; benefits of quitting are numerous – better health and more money in your pocket top our list!!! There are many tools available to help in quitting – here are a few links to help: How to quit smoking for truck drivers, and American Lung Association’s How to Quit Smoking Guide.

Improve your Diet and Food Choices – eating healthy as a truck driver is a huge challenge. Tight schedules and typical truck stop menus are two things that contribute to a poor diet. However, many truck stops have recognized the need to improve truck driver health and are joining in! Salad bars and other healthy options are appearing at more and more stops throughout North America. Follow this link for tips on how to eat healthy as a truck driver.

Injury Prevention – back injuries and sprains are a common report among drivers. Many drivers assist in loading and unloading the goods they carry, and this increases the risk of back injuries. Remember to always lift with your legs and be aware of dangers that exist around loading and unloading docks. Another important factor in injury prevention is seatbelt use. Remember to buckle up as it is the law!!!!

The FMCSA assess “driver fitness” on a regular basis to ensure that drivers are medically qualified to operate a Commercial Motor Vehicle, and drivers are medically examined every two years to maintain their licenses. It has therefore been determined that there are many connections between being a healthy individual and a safe driver. Taking part in the actions above can do wonders to improve both the length and quality of life!

So, remember, listen to the warning signs, visit the doctor regularly, and commit to a healthier road ahead!!!

Do you have any health tips that you would like to share with your fellow members of the trucking industry??

References:
1. How to quit smoking for truck drivers. http://www.ehow.com/how_5688115_quit-smoking-truck-drivers.html. Accessed on Jan 20, 2011.

2. American Lung Association's How to Quit Smoking Guide. http://www.lungusa.org/stop-smoking/hot-to-quit/. Accessed on Jan 20, 2011.

3. How to eat healthy as a truck driver. http://www.ehow.com/how_4906921_eat-healthy-truck-driver.html. Accessed on Jan 20, 2011.

Checking the Temperature - UWC's Payment Terms

Did you know….

United World Cargo has some of the best Carrier Payment Terms in the industry!!! Our terms are flexible and have been designed to save you money, and offer favorable additional benefits!

We offer various payment method options in order to suit our Carrier partners’ specific requirement. Choose the option that best suits your cash flow needs:

 Check – paper checks that are sent by regular mail on Net 7 day terms.
 Factor – if you are a Carrier Company who factors their invoices, please remember to provide us with your Factoring Company’s name and address. Or better yet, sign up for UWC’s Quick Pay – get paid in almost the same manner as if you factored and eliminate the hassle of 3rd party billing!!!
 Direct Deposit – secure and efficient. All you need to do is provide us with your bank details and we can have your invoices paid directly in to your bank account!

We truly believe our payment terms are one of the best out there. We offer the following:

 Quick Pay – Our Quick Pay terms are better than ever!! The terms for this service are now 1.5% of Net funds due, and you get paid within 72 hours of delivery!!!**
 7 Days – This is UWC’s standard payment terms. You get paid in 7 days after delivery and there are no fees for this service!!! **

** Provided an invoice and all bills of lading have been received, are signed clean, and no claims are outstanding.

Need a change?

If you are an existing or new Carrier partner who would like to revise or advise us of your preferred method of payment and payment terms, please visit our website at http://www.uniteworldcargo.com/carrier_payment_terms_united_world_cargo.php and download the PDF form. Send your completed form to “Attention: Carrier Relations Department” at fax: (604) 986-7401, toll free: (866) 986-7401, or email: carriers@unitedworldcargo.com. A Carrier Relations Representative will contact you within 2 to 4 hours of receipt to inform you of your payment terms status.

What do you think?

Now, we want to check the temperature with our Carriers by asking the following questions:

 How would you rate UWC’s payment terms?
 How do we compare with what else is out there in the marketplace?
 Do you have any comments or suggestions regarding our payment terms?

We encourage you to leave a comment, any suggestions and recommendations will be reviewed!!! This is the first in our series on "Checking the Temperature" - stay tuned for more!!

Canadian Border - Processing of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

As of late 2010, products moving into Canada have been subject to new regulations and changes, particularly to border processing of fresh fruit and vegetables. Here is a review of the changes:

1. Release requests presented in paper form must have a Confirmation of Sale (COS) presented, which is the importer's evidence that there is a firm purchase agreement. The form is reviewed by a Customs officer at the product's point of entry, and is relayed to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The COS form presented in triplicate, completed, and signed, is required at the time of entry. Importers must maintain the COS in their records and be prepared to present it upon request of the CFIA.


2. The license number of the importer under the CFIA Licensing and Arbitration Regulations or the importer's member number through the Dispute Resolution Corporation (DRC) must be included in the data elements that are submitted to the CFIA through EDI, or if EDI is not used, on the paper documents that are submitted at time of release. Hence, either of these numbers now needs to appear on the COS.


3. Non-resident importers are not allowed to obtain a CFIA license number, but may obtain a DRC membership and number.

To date, the number of issues regarding the lack of CFIA license or DRC member numbers appearing on the COS or in the electronic system has declined due to combined forces working to get appropriate memberships, and these following membership numbers into the system.

UWC will continue to monitor this new regulation and work to make sure the appropriate numbers are on COS's as to reduce border delays and any issues that may arise.

If you have any further questions regarding this topic, please visit the CFIA website at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/frefra/cdnreqe.shtml.