It will take more than an open border to ensure safe, timely food delivery

VersaCold appreciates that governments are recognizing transportation as an essential service.

In a news release put out by the Canadian Trucking Alliance, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was quoted on Wednesday as saying, “Truckers will not be affected,” in reference to measures that will otherwise close the Canadian-US border to almost all other traffic.

This means that, despite the many evolving challenges presented by COVID-19, Canadians will continue to have access to food.

But keeping borders open alone is not enough to ensure food keeps moving. Critical government services such as commercial transportation licensing and permit offices need to remain open so that transportation providers can get new trucks approved.

Equally important is ensuring that drivers can deliver goods safely. Recently, the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) announced that the Ontario Government is temporarily allowing trucks to make deliveries throughout the night. This will make it easier to practice social distancing, which will improve safety for drivers and help ensure they can continue to be available to deliver to customers as needed.

Company policies must also be flexible to allow drivers to deliver product. For example, many organizations are requiring visitors leave the premise if they have been outside of Canada within the past 14 days. However, such policies must provide clearance for truck drivers, who will continue to cross the border frequently, in their capacity as an essential service.

VersaCold’s transportation leadership, lead by Sandro Caccaro, SVP / GM Transportation Solutions continue to support the efforts of Canadian Trucking Alliance and provincial groups like the OTA to ensure all supporting elements are in place to keep food flowing at this time of need. Sandro also continues to work with VersaCold’s business units to ensure drivers are practicing ways to reduce the spread of germs, including regular wipe down of shared spaces and self-isolating during days off.

If you have any questions or want reach out to us about transportation needs, contact us at sales@versacold.com or 1-800-563-2653.

CPX: Experts in expedited seafood shipments

Shipping seafood presents many challenges. The unpredictability of harvesting live fish means yields vary and transportation volumes aren’t readily known, which can lead to surpluses or shortages in transportation capacity. Different products often need to be shipped at different temperatures. And with fish losing value every day they are out of the water, producers face immense pressure to get their product on shelves as quickly as possible.

Save time and control costs with VersaCold’s Costco Gateway Program

Any food manufacturer that ships to Canada knows Costco is a major player in Canadian retail. In fact, in 2019 it became Canada’s second-largest retailer.

VersaCold’s Food Banks Canada partnership passes donation milestone

When VersaCold set out in 2018 to find a charitable partner with a strong national presence and real impact at the local level, we found one in Food Banks Canada (FBC). FBC represents and supports a network of more than 650 affiliate food banks and serves approximately 85% of people accessing essential food programs across Canada. With food at the core of VersaCold’s business and our coast-to-coast network giving us extensive reach, the match was obvious.

In addition to food donations, our partnership allows for VersaCold Logistics Services to provide FBC with $150,000 of in-kind services per year, including transportation and storage of food at any of our 29 warehouses across Canada. Now, less than two years into the VersaCold-FBC partnership, we have helped transport and store more than one million pounds of donations, ensuring good, quality food moves safely and efficiently from donors to Canadians who need it. It’s another opportunity for VersaCold to show the communities we serve how your food matters.

How 4PL can help improve your supply chain

In the world of supply chain management, fourth-party logistics (4PL) is a term that comes up often—but what does it actually mean for your company? How is it different from third-party logistics (3PL)?

The top 5 reasons to drive for Coastal Pacific Xpress (CPX)

Coastal Pacific Xpress (CPX) is a Surrey, BC-based business unit of VersaCold Logistics Services with services including the shipping of temperature-sensitive products across Canada and the United States. Our customer base is comprised of some of North America’s leading companies, with a particular concentration on the food processing and grocery retailing sectors.

To ensure peak performance along the road, CPX puts a lot of emphasis on hiring—and keeping—the right people. We sat down with Jacinta Deol and Roman Brar, driver managers at CPX, to chat a bit about what it’s like to work for CPX and why drivers should want to. Here are 5 reasons they shared:

1) Work for an industry-leading business
CPX was established in 1986 and is now a division of VersaCold, one of North America’s largest supply chain companies focused exclusively on the handling of temperature-sensitive food products. The acquisition has enabled VersaCold to expand its reach and become one of the North American leaders in food-focused temperature-sensitive transportation solutions.

Brar shares a bit about CPX’s reputation: “We’re a large organization that maintains partnerships and relationships with some of the largest shippers of produce, protein and seafood, ensuring good, reliable work.” Our reputation in the industry allows us to attract and retain top employees who want to gain knowledge and experience from the best in the business.

2) Surround yourself with great people
When we asked Deol and Brar what they value most about working for the CPX division of VersaCold, the people were at the top of their lists. According to Deol, it’s the “friendly, professional atmosphere, great people and rewarding work” that keep drivers around. Brar echoes this sentiment, adding, “The company has fostered a culture that values people,” something that is sometimes difficult to come by. “They’re committed to retaining drivers for the long term, and it shows. Enjoying who you work with makes all the difference in the world.” Building a great team is something we pride ourselves on. We live our values and work as a team to build relationships that deliver on our customers’ expectations at every turn.

3) Earn a competitive salary and employee benefits
When we take care of our drivers, they take care of us. The CPX team is a crucial part of our company and we always want them to feel valued and respected. That’s why we offer a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits packages. We also offer paid vacation, tuition reimbursement and employee and family assistance plans. We recognize hard work and we always ensure it’s rewarded.

4) Take advantage of a flexible and reliable work schedule
Along with good pay and employee benefits, CPX offers a flexible schedule with steady miles. “We are committed to retaining drivers for the long run,” says Deol. “That means finding the right drivers and providing them with job stability and security.” Drivers can make their schedule work for them to ensure they can return to what matters most—their families. Our flexibility facilitates great work-life balance and vacation time when needed.

But the flexible nature of the transportation industry can also lead to one of its pain points—downtime. Recognizing the fact that journeys can drag out over weeks, CPX always goes above and beyond to find return loads to ensure every trip maximizes time and efficiency. “CPX offers drivers good, long miles and year-round routes to ensure good work is always available,” adds Brar.

5) Do work that’s rewarding
Above all, CPX offers work that’s rewarding and fulfilling. “We provide a variety of lanes and scenic routes. We give our drivers new challenges to keep them engaged and working together as a team. This includes the opportunity to assist customers with high-touch needs and help load or unload product. Plus, our onboarding and training processes are well designed with continuous support throughout,” says Deol.

CPX also offers drivers peace of mind in knowing they’re always safe and protected. “As a 24/7 dispatch operation, CPX ensures timely communication between drivers, dispatch and customers. Our satellite-equipped power units and proactive repair and maintenance program keep drivers covered.” So drivers can focus more on the parts of the job they enjoy—like transporting and handling the product—and less on their equipment.

Each year, our drivers handle and ship millions of pounds of temperature-sensitive products. That’s why we strive to hire—and keep—the best, most dedicated drivers who always ensure the safety, quality and freshness of the food families eat. Our people are our biggest advantage, and your food is our biggest priority.

We are currently hiring owner-operators, company drivers and teams. If you’d like to become a team member with Canada’s leading food-focused logistics company, or if you’d like to learn more about CPX, please contact us at Jeromy.Vindevoghel@versacold.com.

The weather is cooling down, but the grill is still heating up. For many Canadians, barbeque season doesn’t end just because summer does. With the right tools, it can be a yearlong event. All it takes is a little determination—and maybe a toque.

But while outdoor gathering is a treasured time with friends and family, it can present some food safety challenges. When it comes to handling and preparing items that have been away from the fridge for a prolonged period, the safer the better. As with any cooking, it’s important to follow simple food handling guidelines at your next cookout to prevent food-borne illnesses.

Quick Tips

Tip #1:
Always use a digital thermometer to ensure meat is safe for eating. It’s possible for meat to change to a colour associated with doneness before all harmful bacteria have been removed, which makes the colour of meat an unreliable indicator that it’s safe for eating. Using a digital thermometer is key to any BBQ experience.

Tip #2:
Always marinate meat in the refrigerator in a sealed container and be sure to store it in a spot that will not contaminate other products in your fridge. Never marinate on the counter.

VersaCold temperature-controlled LTL

Ensuring the safe transportation of temperature-sensitive food is our biggest priority. That’s why VersaCold offers a variety of services that help create a customized transportation solution to suit all needs, big and small.

The backbone of VersaCold Transportation Solutions is refrigerated less-than-truckload transportation (LTL). With the widest network of temperature-controlled, food-focused LTL in Canada, we have the capacity and reach to efficiently distribute products for both global food companies and regional processors.

But with all the transportation solutions out there, it can be tough to determine which one is right for you. As the market leader in Canada, we’re breaking it down for you.

Overview and benefits of LTL
LTL is a transportation service that combines small orders from various sources to ship to a customer. Some transportation providers offer regular scheduled service, relying on a steady volume of product from various shippers to make the service viable.

By consolidating several LTL shipments from multiple sources, shippers can move smaller amounts of product more frequently and more cost-effectively, making it ideal for smaller businesses and/or shipments. Utilizing a regularly scheduled service, shippers also ensure frequent stock replenishment and avoid inventory stockouts. LTL also allows for delivery volumes to be flexible with each shipment, making it easy for the shipper to flow with fluctuations in customer demand.

What types of LTL services does VersaCold offer?
VersaCold provides LTL transportation solutions for many types of temperature-controlled products, with deliveries to all points in Canada. Through our CPX division, we deliver LTL quantities direct to the United States. In addition to our regularly scheduled standard LTL services, we also offer our expedited multi-temperature service with the ability to cost-effectively split fresh and frozen goods in the same trailer. All services are available domestically and cross border, delivering both north and south.

VersaCold is the leader in temperature-controlled LTL
As a one-stop food logistics solution, VersaCold offers the highest capacity and highest frequency of refrigerated LTL service in Canada. But what makes VersaCold the best choice for temperature-controlled LTL delivery?

Taking a fresh perspective on frozen fruits and vegetables

As spring begins its thaw, our American neighbours are keeping things ice cold with National Frozen Food Month. With more and more Canadians following their lead, there’s no better time for us at VersaCold to recognize those cold and tasty staples we store, transport and enjoy all year long.

Although the freezer has a history of being the place of last resort for quality and freshness, it’s quickly becoming a smarter place to start. Here are a few interesting facts about frozen food that should send you running down the frozen food aisle.

Winter truck driving tips from a driver with 5 million safe miles

With hundreds of trucks on the road moving millions of pounds of food every week, drivers at VersaCold experience the daily challenge of safely delivering food that consumers enjoy. And the safe delivery of food becomes more of a challenge in the winter months. Despite difficult weather conditions, our commitment to both safety and customer satisfaction doesn’t change—so we rely on talented drivers to safely move the food that families love to eat.

To understand how drivers prepare for winter driving, we spoke with one of our most experienced drivers, Steve Nickason. Steve, who is based out of the Calgary area, has been driving professionally for over 42 years and has avoided collisions in the 5-million-plus miles he’s travelled. We asked Steve to share a few ways he takes caution when driving in the winter.