You know the perils of cold chain logistics and food distribution. Let your guard down, and a pallet of chocolate turns into a gooey mess, or you get stuck with racks full of canned goods nearing their sell-by date.

The right 3PL can help you avoid those pitfalls. Download our free guide: Choosing a 3PL for Food Product Distribution.  

How do you know which 3PL to trust with your food shipments? Here are steps every food shipper should take to determine if a 3PL really has what it takes:

Temperature Integrity

• Ask to see logs that show temperature readings over time.
• Ask how reefer trailers are monitored. At the very least, they should carry digital thermostats that are easily visible to the driver.
• What’s the backup plan? If the cooling or heating system goes down, how will the company maintain the right temperature in each zone until it’s repaired?

Inventory Management and Stock Rotation

• Ask how many of the 3PL’s customers require picking by FIFO, FEFO and other principles.
• Call some of those customers and ask how well the 3PL meets their criteria for picking.
• Ask to see sample orders that demonstrate how the WMS tracks particular code dates or other indicators.

Cost Reduction

• Investigate the WMS. A full-featured system does a better job of managing productivity.
• Ask what investments the company has made to lower energy costs.
• Ask how the company measures labor productivity. If there are no metrics in place, that’s a bad sign.

Regulatory Requirements

• Ask to see records of mock recalls.
• Ask to see records of inspections by a professional auditing firm.
• Get references from food companies for whom the 3PL has performed mock recalls. Find out what company officials thought of the results.

Experience

• Tour the warehouse. Does everything look well-maintained? Or do you see danger signs, such as poor seals around refrigerator doors, or doors left open?
• Is the facility spotless? Are there written procedures to ensure proper sanitation?
• Ask to see sample reports that demonstrate the power and flexibility of the WMS and other IT systems.

Food distribution may entail many risks, but an experienced, well-qualified 3PL will help you keep your operation profitable, compliant and safe. To find the right partner, make sure you ask the right questions.