Fruits and vegetables are part of our everyday lives. They are in everything we eat. You can buy them fresh at grocery stores, or eat them in one processed form or the other. Our survival depends on these products from farms from all across the face of the earth.
As much as our survival depends on these fruits and vegetables, these produce products also owe their survival to the transportation procedures they are subjected to. Only when your business transports them properly from farms to their destinations can we have them in their freshness, full nutrients, and perfectly edible conditions.
So today, we discuss how to safely transport vegetables and fruits in refrigerated trailers and containers called reefers. First, we show you the challenges of shipping vegetables and fruits. Then we take you through the basics of packaging fruits and vegetables for shipping, before finally describing in detail how to ship fruits and vegetables in reefers.
Challenges of Shipping Vegetables and Fruits
The shipping of vegetables and fruits is unlike the shipping of other kinds of products. This form of shipping is often a race against time and it is fraught with challenges.
Some challenges of shipping fruits and vegetables are:
- Timely processing and shipping
Fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables don’t just go straight from the farmland to the trucks moving them. Instead, the farmer must have processed them to get them ready, first for consumption, then for transport. And the farmer has to do this within the limited time in which the produce are in season.
Processing fruits and vegetables is always one of the first challenges of shipping them. And when the farmer is not quick enough, they may end up with large quantities of unfresh produce that sell for less than their fresh counterparts.
- Natural delays
Regardless of how meticulous we are in our planning, the weather still never ceases to catch us off guard occasionally. So, if a hurricane catches the shipper off-guard while fruits and vegetables are in transit, the delay poses risks to the freshness of these produce. So, there’s always the pressure on the shipper to try to weather the storm until it is absolutely impossible to do so anymore.
- Shelf life
Another challenge with shipping fresh produce is that many of them have short shelf lives. And the Logistics Bureaus has it that fresh produce spends about half of its shelf life in transit from the supplier to the retailer.
Shelf life, by the way, is the duration that the fruits and vegetables can remain stored without spoiling or becoming unsafe for eating or selling.
So melons, for instance, that have a shelf life of up to 28 days only have two weeks of freshness to spare after they have spent the other half of their shelf life in transit.
This makes fruit and vegetable shipping a race against time. A race well run only preserves half of the shelf life of the fresh produce, while any delay could easily cause the produce to exceed their shelf lives in transit.
- Communication
A break in communication could easily cause delays, wastage, or shortage. So any communication difficulties on the parts of the shipper, the shipping company, and the consignee must be addressed on time.
Packaging Fruits and Vegetables For Shipping
After harvesting, the next thing to do is to prepare the vegetables and fruits for shipping through thorough packaging.
Many times, cartons made from fibreboard blanks would be your go-to packing material for fruits and vegetables. The cartons should have well-aligned holes around them for proper ventilation. Also, ventilation is best applied from the bottom of the carton, so there should be holes in the bottom and on the top as well.
Also, always label our packages according to the labeling requirements put in place by the appropriate regulatory bodies for easy identification
Shipping Vegetables and Fruits in Reefers
One of the major contributors to the spoilage of fresh produce is temperature. Too warm or too cold, and the fruits and vegetables lose their freshness.
Temperature change is also a villain in the preservation of the freshness of fruits and vegetables. Moisture, ventilation, and excessive light are other factors that can contribute to the spoilage of your fresh vegetables and fruits.
It is easy to control the temperature, moisture, and light exposure of these products on a farm or anywhere else where there is machinery and equipment for this. But what about during transportation? How do you maintain the temperature, light exposure, and moisture level of vegetables or fruits during transit? This is a job for reefers.
What is A Reefer?
A reefer refers to refrigerated containers or trailers. A reefer truck or container is equipped with components that help lower or maintain the temperature of its inside.
Reefers are used in the shipping and transportation of items that are temperature sensitive. Examples of such items include chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and of course, fruits and vegetables.
Why do you need reefers for transporting fruits and vegetables?
Transporting fruits and vegetables in reefers help to ensure that consignees receive their produce in the best conditions possible. Reefers are built to let in fresh air while getting rid of other kinds of gas, such as carbon dioxide that are responsible for the premature spoilage of the produce in transit.
Reefers can handle this exchange of gasses while maintaining the temperature inside them because of these components:
- Condenser: The fresh air that comes into the reefer needs to circulate to the fruits and vegetables. This is the job the condenser does with the help of a fan and a condenser coil.
- Fans: The fan in the reefer does the same thing that fans everywhere do: they help to circulate air.
- Fresh air vent: The fresh produce need fresh air to keep them fresh for as long as possible. Only in this way can the rate of spoiling be reduced.
- Unit evaporator: This unit maintains the levels of humidity and moisture in the reefer.
- Control Unit: All those units we mentioned don’t just work non-stop and without control. It is the ability to control the internal humidity, ventilation, and temperature that makes the reefer able to do its job of transporting various kinds of fruits and vegetables. And the control unit controls all these other units.
The vegetables and fruits depend on these components to remain fresh and safe for consumption in transit for as long as they can last.
Ideal reefer temperatures for vegetables and fruits
Now, let’s get a little more specific. Remember how the control unit controls every other component in the reefer? Well, we need this functionality because there are various fruits and vegetables that require different temperature, humidity, and ventilation ranges to remain fresh in transit.
The table below shows fruits and vegetables and their ideal transit temperatures, humidity levels, and shelf lives. But before we get to that, note that reefers only maintain the temperatures of products. They are not great at lowering or increasing the temperature of the products.
| Fruits And Vegetables | Ideal Temperature | Relative Humidity (%) | Shelf Life (Days) | |
| °F | °C | |||
| Amaranth Leaves | 34 | 1.1 | 75 | 10 – 14 |
| Apples | 30 – 40 | -1 – 4 | 90 – 95 | 30 – 360 |
| Apricots | 31 – 32 | -0.5 – 0 | 90 – 95 | 7 – 21 |
| Artichokes | 32 – 35 | 0 – 1.7 | 90 – 95 | 5 -7 |
| Asparagus | 32 – 36 | 0 – 1.7 | 95 – 100 | 14 – 21 |
| Avocados (ripe) | 38 – 45 | 3 – 7.5 | 85 – 95 | 14 – 21 |
| Avocados (unripe) | 45 – 50 | 7 – 10 | 85 – 95 | 21 – 28 |
| Bananas | 56 – 58 | 16 – 21 | 85 – 95 | 7 – 28 |
| Basil | 52 – 59 | 11 – 15 | 90 – 95 | 10 |
| Beans (Lima, Shelled) | 37 – 41 | 2 – 5 | 95 | 7 – 10 |
| Beans (Lima, Unshelled) | 41 – 43 | 5 – 6 | 90 | 7 – 10 |
| Beans (Green or Snap) | 38 – 40 | 3 – 4 | 95 | 10 – 14 |
| Beans (Winged) | 50 | 10 | 90 | 28 |
| Beets | 32 – 35 | 0 – 1.7 | 90 – 95 | 14 – 21 |
| Beets, bunched | 32 | 0 | 98 – 100 | 10 – 14 |
| Beets, topped | 32 | 0 | 98 – 100 | 120 – 180 |
| Belgian Endive | 34 – 36 | 1 – 2 | 90 – 100 | 7 – 14 |
| Blackberries | 32 – 33 | 0 – 0.5 | 90 – 95 | 2 – 3 |
| Blueberries | 32 – 35 | 0 – 1.7 | 90 – 95 | 7 – 14 |
| Bok Choy | 32 – 35 | 0 – 1.7 | 90 – 95 | 30 – 60 |
| Broccoli | 32 | 0 | 95 – 100 | 7 – 14 |
| Brussels Sprouts | 32 | 0 | 90 – 95 | 21 – 35 |
| Cabbage (Chinese) | 32 – 36 | 0 – 2 | 95 | 30 – 60 |
| Cabbage (Green, Early) | 32 – 36 | 0 – 2 | 90 – 95 | 21 – 42 |
| Cabbage (Green, Late) | 32 – 36 | 0 – 2 | 90 – 95 | 90 – 180 |
| Cabbage (Red, Early) | 32 – 36 | 0 – 2 | 90 – 95 | 21 – 42 |
| Cabbage (Red, Late) | 32 – 36 | 0 – 2 | 95 | 90 – 180 |
| Cactus Stems | 41 – 50 | 5 – 10 | 90 – 95 | 41 – 50 |
| Calabaza | 50 | 10 | 50 – 70 | 60 – 90 |
| Cantaloupe | 37 – 41 | 2 – 3 | 90 – 95 | 12 – 21 |
| Carambola (Star fruit) | 41 to 45 | 5 – 7 | 90 | |
| Carrots (Bunched) | 32 | 0 | 95 – 100 | 14 |
| Carrots (immature) | 32 | 0 | 98 – 100 | 120 – 180 |
| Carrots (Mature) | 32 | 0 | 98 – 100 | 210 – 270 |
| Cauliflower | 32 | 0 | 95 – 98 | 21 |
| Celery | 32 | 0 | 98 – 100 | 35 – 49 |
| Chard | 34 | 0 | 95 – 100 | 10 – 14 |
| Chayote | 45 | 7 | 90 | 28 – 42 |
| Chicory | 33 – 34 | 0 – 1.7 | 90 – 95 | 14 – 28 |
| Chives | 33 – 34 | 0.5 – 1 | 95 – 100 | 14 – 21 |
| Collards | 33 – 34 | 0 | 95 – 100 | 10 – 14 |
| Corn (Sweet) | 33 – 34 | 0 | 85 – 100 | 7 |
| Cranberries | 38 – 42 | 3 – 5 | 90 – 95 | 21 – 28 |
| Cucumbers | 50 – 55 | 10 – 13 | 95 | 10 – 14 |
| Daikon | 34 | 1 | 95 – 100 | 60 – 120 |
| Eggplant | 50 – 54 | 7 – 12 | 90 – 95 | 10 – 14 |
| Elderberries | 31 – 32 | -0.5 – 0 | 90 – 95 | 5 – 14 |
| Escarole | 32 – 35 | 0 – 1.7 | 90 – 95 | 14 – 21 |
| Figs | 32 – 35 | 0 – 1.7 | 90 – 95 | 7 – 14 |
| Garlic | 32 | 0 | 65 – 70 | 90 – 210 |
| Ginger Root | 60 – 65 | 15 – 18 | 65 – 70 | |
| Gooseberries | 31 – 32 | -0.5 – 0 | 90 – 95 | 14 – 28 |
| Grapefruit | 55 – 60 | 12 – 16 | 90 – 95 | 28 – 42 |
| Grapes | 31 – 32 | -0.5 – 0 | 85 | 56 – 180 |
| Green beans | 40 – 45 | 4 – 7 | 90 – 95 | 5 – 7 |
| Guavas | 45 – 50 | 7 – 10 | 90 – 95 | 14 – 21 |
| Herbs. | 32 – 35 | 0 – 1.7 | 90 – 95 | |
| Horseradish. | 30 – 32 | -1 – 0 | 98 – 100 | 300 – 351 |
| Jackfruit | 56 | 13 | 85 – 90 | 14 – 21 |
| Jicama | 55 – 65 | 12 – 19 | 65 – 70 | 30 – 60 |
| Jujubes | 38 – 50 | 3 ~ 10 | 90 | 60 – 90 |
| Kale | 32 | 0 | 95 – 100 | 10 – 14 |
| Kiwi (ripe) | 32 – 35 | 0 – 1.7 | 90 – 95 | |
| Kiwi (unripe) | 32 – 35 | 0 – 1.7 | 90 – 95 | |
| Kohlrabi | 32 | 0 | 98 – 100 | 60 – 90 |
| Leeks | 32 | 0 | 95 – 100 | 60 – 90 |
| Lemons | 52 – 55 | 11 – 12 | 90 – 95 | 30 – 180 |
| Lettuce | 32 | 0 | 98 – 100 | 14 – 21 |
| Limes | 48 – 55 | 8 – 12 | 90 – 95 | 42 – 56 |
| Longan | 36 – 41 | 2 – 5 | 90 – 95 | 14 – 28 |
| Loquat | 33 | 0.5 | 90 – 95 | 14 – 28 |
| Lychees | 40 – 45 | 4 – 7 | 90 – 95 | 21 – 35 |
| Malanga (Cocoyam) | 50 | 10 | 85 – 90 | 42 |
| Manioc (Cassava) | 41 | 5 | 80 – 85 | 21 – 35 |
| Mangos | 50 – 55 | 10 – 12 | 85 – 95 | 14 – 21 |
| Mangosteens | 56 | 13 | 85 – 90 | 14 – 28 |
| Melons | 50 – 55 | 10 – 12 | 85 – 90 | 14 – 28 |
| Mushrooms | 32 | 0 | 95 | 12 – 17 |
| Napa | 32 – 35 | 0 – 1.7 | 90 – 95 | |
| Nectarines | 31 – 32 | -0.6 – 0 | 90 – 95 | 14 – 28 |
| Okra | 45 – 50 | 7 – 10 | 90 – 95 | 7 – 14 |
| Olives (fresh green) | 41 – 45 | 5 ~ 7 | 85 – 90 | 28 – 42 |
| Onions (dry) | 33 – 34 | 0.6 ~ 1 | 65 – 75 | 30 – 270 |
| Onions (green) | 33 | 0.6 | 95 – 100 | 21 – 28 |
| Oranges | 40 – 45 | 4 – 7 | 90 – 95 | 21 – 90 |
| Papayas | 50 – 55 | 10 – 12 | 85 – 95 | 7 – 21 |
| Parsley | 32 | 0 | 95 – 100 | 30 – 60 |
| Parsnips | 32 | 0 | 98 – 100 | 120 – 150 |
| Passion fruit | 45 ~ 50 | 7 ~ 10 | 90 – 95 | 14 – 21 |
| Peaches | 31 – 32 | -0.5 – 0 | 90 – 95 | 14 – 28 |
| Pears | 29 – 31 | -1 – -0.5 | 90 – 95 | 60 – 210 |
| Peas (Green) | 32 | 0 | 95 – 98 | 7 – 14 |
| Peas (Southern) | 40 – 41 | 4 – 5 | 95 | 6 – 8 |
| Peppers (Hot Chili) | 32 – 50 | 0 – 10 | 60 – 70 | 14 – 21 |
| Peppers (Sweet) | 45 – 55 | 7 – 12 | 90 – 95 | 14 – 21 |
| Persimmons | 32 | 0 | 90 – 95 | 30 – 90 |
| Pineapples | 45 ~ 50 | 7 ~ 10 | 85 to 95 | 3 – 5 |
| Plantains | 48 ~ 59 | 8 ~ 15 | 85 – 90 | 10 – 35 |
| Plums | 31 – 32 | -0.5 – 0 | 90 – 95 | 7 – 56 |
| Pomegranates | 31 – 32 | 5 – 10 | 90 – 95 | 60 – 90 |
| Potatoes (Early) | 55 | 12 | 85 – 90 | 21 – 35 |
| Potatoes (Late) | 45 | 7 | 95 | 150 |
| Potatoes (Sweet) | 55 – 60 | 1.3 | 80 – 95 | 90 – 180 |
| Precut Fruit | 32 – 36 | 0 – 2 | 90 – 95 | |
| Precut Vegetables | 32 – 36 | 0 – 2 | 90 – 95 | |
| Prunes | 31 – 32 | -0.5 – 0 | 90 – 95 | 14 – 28 |
| Pumpkins | 50 – 55 | 10 – 12 | 65 – 70 | 60 – 180 |
| Quinces | 31 – 32 | -0.5 – 0 | 90 | 60 – 90 |
| Radicchio | 34 | 1.1 | 90 – 100 | 14 – 21 |
| Radishes (Spring) | 32 | 0 | 95 – 100 | 21 – 28 |
| Radishes (Winter) | 32 | 0 | 95 – 100 | 60 – 120 |
| Rambutan | 50 ~ 54 | 10 ~ 12 | 85 – 90 | 7 – 21 |
| Raspberries | 31 – 32 | -0.5 – 0 | 90 – 95 | 2 – 3 |
| Rhubarb | 32 | 0 | 95 – 100 | 14 – 21 |
| Rutabagas | 32 | 0 | 98-100 | 60 – 120 |
| Salad mixes | 32 – 35 | 0 – 1.7 | 90 – 95 | 7 – 10 |
| Salsify | 32 | 0 | 95 – 98 | 60 – 120 |
| Shallots | 32 | 0 | 60 – 70 | 21 – 28 |
| Spinach | 32 | 0 | 95 – 100 | 10 – 14 |
| Sprouts | 32 – 35 | 0 – 1.7 | 90 – 95 | 42 |
| Squashes (Summer) | 41 – 50 | 5 – 10 | 95 | 10 – 14 |
| Squashes (Winter) | 50 | 10 | 50 – 70 | 60 – 180 |
| Strawberries | 32 | 0 | 90 – 95 | 5 – 10 |
| Swiss Chard | 33 ~ 34 | 0.6 – 1 | 95 | 30 – 60 |
| Tamarillos | 37 ~ 39 | 2 ~ 4 | 90 – 95 | 3 – 70 |
| Tamarinds | 45 | 7 | 85 – 90 | 21 – 28 |
| Tangerines | 32 – 35 | 0 – 1.7 | 90 – 95 | 14 – 42 |
| Tomatoes (Mature Green) | 55 – 70 | 12 – 21 | 90 – 95 | 14 – 21 |
| Tomatoes (Ripe) | 55 – 70 | 12 – 21 | 90 – 95 | 10 – 14 |
| Turnip Greens | 32 | 0 | 95 – 100 | 10 – 14 |
| Turnip | 32 | 0 | 95 | 120 – 150 |
| Ugli Fruit | 40 | 4 | 90 – 95 | 14 – 21 |
| Watercress | 32 | 0 | 95 – 100 | 14 – 21 |
| Watermelon | 55 – 70 | 12 – 21 | 85 – 95 | 14 – 21 |
Tips on Shipping Fruits and Vegetables With Reefers
These are some more tips that will help to maintain the freshness of your fruits and vegetables using reefers.
- Spend time on packaging
You can’t just pour your fresh produce into the reefer without packaging it. And poor packaging would have about as much effect as no packaging would. Your fruits and vegetables could end up with freezer burns, loss of nutrients, and even unwanted odor.
The material you use for packaging should be able to keep moisture and odor out. Also, do your research on the best packaging requirements for your specific produce.
Finally, protect your packaging by keeping condensation out of your reefer at all costs. Condensation happens when you don’t precool your produce before placing them in the reefer. It could also happen when hot, humid air gets into the container during loading.
- Don’t overload your reefer
This goes without saying. Overloading your reefer only reduces the chances of proper air circulation. Ensure that you don’t go beyond the maximum load line.
- Loading patterns vary
Loading patterns help to control the finer details of transporting your fruits and vegetables. And there are various loading patterns, depending on the fresh produce you’re shipping. For instance, an airflow loading pattern is best for repairing products such as beets because it encourages the circulation of air.
Rely on Total Connection for the Shipping Of Your Fruits and Vegetables
The proper shipping of fruits and vegetables is important to your business as well as your health. You may be forced to sell at a discount if your fruits and vegetables arrive late and close to their shelf lives. So, it is only a smart business decision on your part to rely on the best for your fruit and vegetable shipping. And this is where Total Connection comes in.
Total Connection is a third-party logistics company that specializes in all kinds of bulk transportation, including the bulk transportation of vegetables and fruits. Our state-of-the-art reefers are marshaled by experienced drivers so that your cargo is always fresh, safe, and they arrive at your destination quickly.
Fill out the brief quote form below to contact us. Our dedicated team of experts is waiting to reply to you in no time.
