Hello, and welcome to the coolest community in freight! Here you’ll find the latest information on warehouse news, tech developments and all things reefer madness-related. I’m your controller of the thermostat, Mary O’Connell. Thanks for having me!
All thawed out
A new cold storage facility in Cleveland has brought immediate relief to cold shippers in the form of Cleveland Cold Storage. The facility has 150,000 square feet of storage that goes to minus 10 degrees. The facility opens early next year and already has over half the space sold.
Orlando Baking Co., one of the new clients of the warehouse, used to ship freshly baked breads and goods to Columbus, Ohio, every day to the tune of 12 trucks because there were no available facilities closer. That’s about two hours one way that food was being transported.
This facility has kicked off more of the same as International Food Solutions is planning to build a $100 million frozen food processing plant just a mile away from Cleveland Cold Storage.
Temperature checks
Cleveland isn’t the only city getting some much-needed cold storage. Baytown, Texas, right outside Houston is getting a new 281,849-square-foot warehouse. The facility will be primarily leased by FreezPak Logistics. Phase one will break ground this month. According to a Fleet Owner article, “This project will be FreezPak’s largest known facility to date and one of the most technically advanced Class A cold-storage industrial facilities within the country.”
Phase two of the project will increase the overall square footage to 547,083. Once both phases are completed, the facility will be able to accommodate 141 trailer parking stalls, 64 truck stalls, three rail bays and 131 car parking spots. On top of that, the building will have 408,213 square feet of freezer space and 110,141 square feet of temperature-controlled cooler docks.
Food and drugs
Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches are a hallmark of the holiday. This year Digiorno is putting a pizza twist on classic Thanksgiving leftovers, introducing the Digiorno Thanksgiving Pizza. It will have turkey, creamy gravy sauce, diced sweet potatoes, green beans and cranberries, topped with mozzarella and cheddar cheese with the all-important crispy onion to finish it off.
According to DiGiorno, “68 percent of Americans dislike a classic Thanksgiving dish, but they eat it anyway out of tradition.” As one of those 68% of people, I can confirm not all Thanksgiving side dishes are created equal. Some food combinations should be left alone, and I’d have to say this might be a miss from DiGiorno.
However, if questionable pizza flavors is your style, this limited-edition pizza can be ordered online for $11.23 along with some themed merch. The pizza is available Nov. 1-22.
Cold chain lanes
This week’s SONAR reefer market is Memphis, Tennessee. October closed out Memphis on a high note with the Reefer Outbound Tender Reject Index coming in 23.46%. Since reefer rejection rates have jumped over 20%, spot rates in Memphis will be significantly inflated compared to where they were in October. Not only are reefer rejections on the rise, but reefer outbound tender volumes are up 25% week over week.
Shippers should expect to see an increase in spot rates in Memphis, as service from main carriers might take a hit. Carriers with excess capacity should think about heading to Memphis, and brokers should expect volatility in rates over the next few weeks until rates return to stability.
Is SONAR for you? Check it out with a demo!
Shelf life
Daimler Truck electric truck brand RIZON has achieved full homologation in the US
Cruz Foam’s Cruz Cool Named to Time’s List of the Best Inventions of 2023
Outdated cold store facilities — Climate Control News
US holiday spending to climb 3%-4% over 2022, NRF predicts
Increased consumer spending not enough to end trucking bloodbath
Wanna chat in the cooler? Shoot me an email with comments, questions or story ideas at moconnell@freightwaves.com.
See you on the internet.
Mary
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