As we progress toward a whole-chain traceability solution, and food safety issues enjoy a higher profile than ever before, it is more important than ever for produce and other companies to take care of their relationships with carriers and transportation providers. This central theme highlighted this week’s inaugural Cool Cargoes Conference in Portland, Ore.

As part of a continuing effort to educate the industry on supply chain matters, United Fresh Vice President of Supply Chain Management Dan Vaché spoke before the conference to address pressing issues in the areas of food safety and traceability.

The conference, sponsored by the Journal of Commerce brought together numerous participants engaged in storing and distributing refrigerated and frozen cargo, and included panel sessions examining trends and significant developments in the transport of perishable foods and other temperature-controlled cargoes, such as pharmaceuticals and medical supplies.

Vaché was a panelist along with United Fresh members Gary York of C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., Ken Lund of Alan Lund, Co. and Rich Burden of Naturipe Farms. The panel was moderated by Robert Voltmann, President and CEO of the Transportation Intermediaries Association, discussing "The Shrinking World of Reefer Trucking." The panel covered the current status of refrigerated transportation including pending legislation; freight rates and fuel surcharges; driver and equipment availability for 2009 and beyond; current industry trends in produce transportation; claims and finally the impact of the current economy and how the market is responding to the challenges.

"The session was an interactive one," said Dan. "Many audience members inquired about the issues of food safety and produce traceability. The attendees were anxious to hear about the status of food safety and specifically how the Produce Traceability Initiative might impact transportation in the coming years."