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
Carrier Transcold is at it again. As one of the leading reefer unit manufacturers, the company continues to deliver new and improved equipment, most recently releasing engineless 40XR and 50XR truck refrigeration units. These new units are designed to be primarily used in local and regional deliveries and can be operated from within the cab. Gone are the days of fiddling with the panel on the side of the unit. Lighter, more efficient and less refrigerant mean it’s a little more environmentally friendly. It’s truly living the dream.
Real estate company Saxum is the latest cold storage company setting up shop in Jacksonville, Florida. Saxum is planning to build a 334,022-square-foot refrigerated warehouse for a casual $60.77 million in north Jacksonville. This new facility is designed for food storage and distribution. As of right now, a third of the building is claimed by a customer, but the rest is fair game. All operations of the facility will be run by Atlanta-based Arcadia Cold Storage.
Temperature checks
New York’s busiest airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, is getting quite an upgrade. Delta Air Lines is taking the slogan “Keep Climbing” to new heights. The Atlanta-based carrier is doubling the cold-storage capacity to 16,000 square feet at the JFK airport. This new facility is earmarked for pharmaceuticals and perishable goods. Delta is working to expand cargo options for customers, and it seems this new facility has taken customer needs to heart.
FreightWaves’ Eric Kulisch wrote: “The new building boasts an improved refrigeration system with dedicated chambers for different cooling requirements, automated temperature monitoring, a seafood section and solar panels. Delta Cargo is also in the process of obtaining certification from the International Air Transport Association to demonstrate the facility meets the highest standards for safely handling perishable and pharma products, according to spokesman Drake Castaneda.”
Food and drugs
Two former Walmart buyers stepped out on their own to form a frozen food startup named Counter. Most recently, founders Jeff Ferrell and Benn Manning closed on $1.2 million in seed funding. This summer the frozen food company is expected to be in Sam’s Club stores. According to an article in Food Business News, the brand partners with health and wellness content creators to develop high-protein, low-calorie meals inspired by insta-worthy recipes.
“Our goal is to give people the nutrition of a protein bar but with actual food,” CEO Ferrell told Food Business News. “Counter’s frozen meals and burritos have 30 grams plus of protein, which is unparalleled in the frozen foods aisle.”
In the other corner of the grocery store, inflation continues to change consumer behavior. The food-at-home index rose 10.2% over the last year, which is hitting shoppers hard in the wallet. As a result, shoppers are swapping to familiar options that can be used in a variety of ways. For example, ground beef is king, racking in $63.4 million in sales in the last week. Overall beef sales reached $163.7 million, the highest of the primary protein categories. Chicken came in strong at $55.4 million in sales.
Cold chain lanes
This week’s SONAR chart is the Reefer Outbound Tender Rejection Index. When broken out on the map, it shows the markets where rejections are the highest. The darkest markets, such as Bismarck, North Dakota, have the highest amount of rejections, indicating that capacity will be the tightest there and that could lead to increased spot rates coming out of that market. On the flip side, carriers with excess capacity should head to the darker markets as there is likely to be freight more readily available at better than average spot market rates.
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Shelf life
Baked goods brand Entenmann’s enters the ice cream aisle
Americold Realty Trust: Still Not Cool Enough To Pull the Trigger On
Drone used to autonomously deliver medicines in west Japan demonstration flight
Waiting for Kroger merger approval, Albertsons sees challenges ahead
Merlin to deliver Alaska cargo with self-flying aircraft
OK with the change in management? Shoot me an email with comments, questions or story ideas at moconnell@freightwaves.com.
See you on the internet.
Mary
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