If you transport frozen or perishable goods, you can’t leave your loads to chance. Inconsistency opens the door for bacterial growth, risking the health of the end consumer. Safely delivering your temperature-sensitive goods is critical.
The Johnson R-Series is an industry leader in refrigerated food delivery vehicles, and it offers dependability and flexibility for last-mile delivery carriers. Here is a look at how PurFoods is using the Johnson R-Series to take cold chain management to the next level.
Refrigerated Truck Bodies Deliver Home-Cooked Meals
The smell of slow-roasted meats drowning in the perfect combination of sauce and spices, freshly-baked breads, perfectly-seasoned steamed vegetables—there’s nothing like a home-cooked meal.
It’s that wholesome blend of nutrition and comfort that co-founders Rick and Barb Anderson aimed to craft when they cooked up PurFoods. Now, Purfoods is a leading national provider of refrigerated, home-delivered meals and nutrition services for people who strive to live independently, patients recovering at home, or those managing a chronic disease.
For Reggie Graeve, PurFoods director of logistics, ensuring that the high-quality prepared meals make it into customers’ refrigerators takes more than a few special ingredients.
“The greatest challenge in home-delivered food service is getting the packages into clients’ hands directly. Having people present to receive the package ensures the meals are able to get into their refrigerator in a timely and safe manner,” he explained.
“In cases where a package is left at a residence, there is no way to determine how long it will be until the client takes the food into his or her possession and places it into a temperature-controlled environment. If the food sits too long and temperatures rise above 40 degrees, the food becomes unsafe to consume.”
Safe Food Delivery is a Science
After the meals are prepared in PurFoods’ USDA-certified kitchens, the meals are entrusted to Great Dane’s Johnson R-Series refrigerated truck bodies. This lightweight reach-in provides superior thermal efficiency and durability while reducing overall weight. Its low ground-to-floor height helps reduce injuries and lets drivers quickly identify products at ground level.
Thermo King V-300 and V-320 reefer units pair with the truck body to ensure proper temperature management. Meanwhile, a telematics solution allows Graeve to track all of PurFoods’ vehicle locations, driver behaviors, and cargo bay temperatures.
“We receive an alert notification at the office anytime a cargo bay rises above the safe temperature zone,” Graeve said. “We have supplemental refrigerated vehicles strategically placed around the U.S. If there is a breakdown issue with a truck or cargo bay, we can quickly get the product transloaded onto the supplemental vehicle and safely ensure clients receive their meals on the date we told them they would.”
Added Cold-Chain Insurance
PurFoods has also partnered with 46 cross-dock cold storage services across the country where trucks are loaded to make anywhere from 30 to 80 deliveries a day.
“We let our clients know approximately what time we will be arriving to make delivery to help ensure they are present to take the food into their possession,” he said. “We used only asset-based refrigerated carriers to ensure we know our transportation partners well and are comfortable with their refrigeration during transport qualities.”
For over 20 years, PurFoods has been refining its dedication to quality and safety in home-delivered food service. Leveraging the latest equipment technology, Graeve and the PurFoods team keep their high-quality products safe and their deliveries punctual. This approach ensures that its customers experience the comforting, smile-inducing experience of a wholesome, home-cooked meal.
Leading the Way in Refrigerated Transportation
Great Dane is committed to quality and efficiency. From creating the first refrigerated trailer to being the first OEM to build antimicrobial protection into its reefers, the need for safety has always been answered with innovation.
The Johnson R-Series offers superior thermal efficiency and durability. With a composite refrigerated truck body, it comes equipped with multi-temperature capabilities and all-electric refrigeration options. Its lightweight design also allows for increased payload capacity.
Interested in learning how you can use the PurFoods solution? Get in contact to explore the possibilities with Great Dane.
