Types of Logistic Service Providers Singapore
Different Logistic Service Providers
3PL providers offer a wide range of services to commercial and industrial customers, from transportation to warehousing and supply chain management to logistics operations.
Third-party logistics providers offer customers a full range of logistics services, including transportation, warehousing and distribution, inventory management, and supply chain management. While there are many types of logistics service providers in Singapore, they typically focus on moving products from one place to another.
Broken down into three different areas: transportation, warehousing, and supply chain management: transportation is the movement of products or freight from your warehouse, through a delivery network, to a customer; warehousing is where goods are housed before they’re distributed to a retailer, wholesaler or directly to the customer; supplier management services link your suppliers to you through an effective and efficient supply chain that’s designed to increase efficiency, reduce costs and deliver value for everyone involved in the operation.
But what do all these logistics services mean? Can you understand the jargon being thrown around? What’s the difference between 3PL, freight forwarder, and consolidation services? Are all third-party logistics providers the same? We’ll cover everything in this guide.
What is Logistics?
It’s essential for businesses that transport goods in Singapore know the logistics of its shipping, receiving, warehousing, and inventory management systems. But what exactly is third-party logistics? Logistics itself can refer to all the various components of planning and controlling the flow of a product from start to finish, whether it’s a good or service. Transit shipment is only one component of logistics. The other arm involves:
- Preparation of the goods.
- Order more products when supplies run low.
- Accounting for inventory levels (along with several other things).
If you are the owner of a business that works with goods, you might want to consider hiring a company that will care for your supply chain logistics needs. This can be vital to the growth of your business. It would help if you did your research to determine which company will be best for your needs. Several companies provide this service.
The following are two common types of transportation providers:
Warehousing
Warehousing is an essential part of the freight forwarding process. If you have goods that need to be transported from one location to another, the first question that comes to mind is where should they be stored in the meantime? At a local warehouse? In your building?
The type of warehouse you use for your company’s warehousing requirements is instrumental to its success. If you choose the wrong provider, you will have to shell out more money and labor than necessary. However, if you find a suitable warehouse that matches your needs, it can be one of the most cost-effective things you do for your shipping business.
Freight forwarding
One of the most popular types of providers is the freight forwarder. If you are new to the world of logistics, a freight forwarder is a company that arranges where your goods go after they leave your warehouse. When thinking about logistics, you should understand what this service can do for you and how it can benefit you throughout your entire supply chain.
Freight forwarding is the most popular logistics method because it includes a variety of different services. It gives you the ability to worry less about shipping and where your goods go once they leave your warehouse. For example, freight forwarders can move products from China to Los Angeles, California, without problems. Once your shipments arrive at the warehouse of a freight forwarder, the freighter will work on getting them to their final destination for you. In most cases, freight forwarding services give you multiple options when handling products such as ocean transportation and air shipping. In addition, the shippers can usually track any shipment through one secure web portal throughout its whole trip.
It would help if you had a good idea of what different 3PL service providers can offer you.
Having a good idea of how different logistics providers work and how they differ in terms of services, fees and margins will ensure you avoid costly mistakes. Choosing the right 3PL service provider is vital in determining whether or not your goods will reach their destination on time and at the right price.
You have a good understanding of the different types of 3PL service providers. But, more importantly, you should have an idea of what each type can offer you. This will give you a better sense of where they fit in your supply chain and how they will help improve your overall logistic process. By doing this research, you’ll be able to use a 3PL provider throughout your business’s operation with finesse and efficiency.
There are dozens of logistic companies, given that food manufacturers cannot hope to survive without them. If you’d instead collaborate with a temperature-controlled transport operation than start from scratch, you might want to consider TreeLogs. With a fleet of vehicles outfitted with refrigeration systems, experienced drivers, and dedicated food-management teams, we have been delivering both quality and safety since 2018. We offer multiple options to fit your needs, so fill up our contact form to get started.
Finding a Logistics Service Provider Singapore
Guide to Choosing a Logistics Service Provider
You know that Singapore’s reliable logistics service provider is vital to your F&B business’ success if you’re a manufacturer. This is because the very last leg of your product’s journey can ultimately determine its success or failure. For example, the speed with which you get the product from the factory/storage to the consumer can differ between generating additional revenue and incurring losses.
Logistics Can Make or Break your Business
Product development has evolved immensely over the past couple of years. From crowdfunding trends to lean methodologies, product development has seen its ups and downs in growth. However, one of the most critical aspects of this development has been how retail food distributor companies choose their distribution channels.
A single logistics partner can make or break a product. This is especially true in the startup world, where offering top-tier customer service can be the key differentiator between keeping and losing customers. While it is common knowledge that logistics plays a vital role in a product’s lifecycle, it tends to get overlooked in the grand scheme of things. For example, if you choose your shipping partner poorly, you could face delivery delays. In the retail world, speed is critical, and even a few extra days’ delays can cause you to lose thousands in sales. In any business scenario, on-time delivery is crucial to maintaining customer satisfaction.
There are many ways a logistics provider can impact the success or failure of F&B suppliers in Singapore. Let’s discuss some critical criteria to consider so you feel more confident of your choice.
Evaluate the viability of managing some aspects internally and outsourcing others.
One of the first considerations in choosing a logistics partner is how much of the process you want to manage internally versus outsourcing. The following are some of the critical questions you should be asking yourself:
- Do you have the necessary internal resources and expertise to manage all aspects of your supply chain effectively?
- What value can an external partner add that you cannot provide internally?
- Is your team capable of handling multiple service providers, and is it worth the added complexity?
Determining which aspects of your supply chain management (SCM) should be managed internally versus outsourced is critical for reducing execution risk, improving cost-effectiveness, and ultimately, providing a better customer experience.
Look for a dedicated partner who has experience working with companies like yours.
A logistics partner who understands your industry will often be best suited to understand your company’s needs. A provider who works in your specific sector can also offer valuable insight into market trends and even help you identify cost savings and growth areas.
For example, if you sell perishables, a logistics provider that has worked with other food and beverage companies is a good fit. Companies that sell food products may need to work with a provider specialising in cold chain logistics solutions and fast delivery. A provider that understands your industry’s requirements can help ensure the safe delivery of your products within a reasonable time frame. They can also advise on regulatory compliance issues, labelling requirements, and product packaging best practices.
It would help if you also considered the bigger picture. Your business will likely evolve, and you’ll need to be able to scale into new markets as you grow. If your product is well received, will your logistics partner be able to scale their services alongside you?
Your preferred logistics partner should offer a full suite of services, from sourcing and transport to warehousing and delivery. This can help simplify the process and reduce execution risks by dealing with one point of contact instead of several.
Decide if you require a one-stop shop or multiple providers.
Doing business with one partner may offer more simplicity, but it can also mean less flexibility. For example, a single logistics provider will coordinate all supply chain elements, from sourcing to fulfilment and delivery. However, if that provider doesn’t meet your needs in any area, you might be forced to accept their limited services.
If you need specialised services, such as warehousing for hazardous materials or perishable products, a single provider may not be able to accommodate those needs. In this case, it’s best to work with a partner with those capabilities.
There will be cost advantages in using a single vendor over multiple partners — especially when they provide good services to handle all aspects of your supply chain. On the other hand, if a one-stop vendor doesn’t offer competitive pricing or quality of service in certain areas or specific geographical locations, it might make sense to split up responsibilities among multiple logistics providers.
If you choose the right logistics provider, you can rest easy knowing that your product will be well cared for at every stage of the shipment process.
There are dozens of logistic companies, given that food manufacturers cannot hope to survive without them. If you’re still looking for a reliable logistics service provider, you might want to consider TreeLogs. With a fleet of vehicles outfitted with refrigeration systems, experienced drivers, and dedicated food-management teams, we have been delivering both quality and safety since 2018. We offer multiple options to fit your needs, so fill up our contact form to get started.
Temperature-Controlled Trucks and Goods
What you Need to Know on Temperature-Controlled Goods
A temperature-controlled product requires a specified temperature to preserve its quality. The products may be perishable goods or require a particular temperature for storage. Perishable goods include items that can spoil, decay, or become unsafe for consumption within a short time at ambient temperatures. They are usually kept under refrigeration and transported at specific temperatures with the help of temperature-controlled trucks.
Why Temperature Control is Important for Perishable Goods
Temperature-controlled food supplies require a controlled environment during transportation, e.g., frozen or chilled goods. In addition, the temperature-sensitive products usually have to be kept at a specific temperature to avoid growing bacteria, perishing, or going bad. These items may include dairy products, meat, fish and seafood, plants, medicines, and fruit and vegetables.
Most Temperature-Sensitive Food Supplies
Frozen foods like meat and dairy products need a low temperature during transit to retain their freshness when they reach the consumer. This leads to greater customer satisfaction and increased sales for the retailer. Moreover, food supplies should be delivered in the freshest possible condition, not bringing about any adverse health impact on the consumer. Some of the most temperature-sensitive food supplies include:
Wine – Heat, and wine do not mix. The good rule of thumb is the hotter you store your wine, the faster its aging process will be. However, there is a difference between quality wine and flat wine overexposed to elements. If your wine takes a long time to arrive at its destination, you better ensure it is equipped to handle the fluctuating temperatures.
Ice Cream -This one is pretty obvious. Ice cream needs to remain below freezing at all times. Ambient heat must be kept out, so the ice cream doesn’t melt. Melted ice cream overflowing in the tub has a higher chance of contamination. Re-frozen flavour has more crystallisation, so losing the original flavour is inevitable.
Fresh Fruit – Fruits are very temperature-sensitive, especially the berry types or those with thinner skins. Incorrect packaging of fruits and vegetables leads to bruising, so customers skip them, and they end up as food waste.
Meat – Fish, poultry, pork, and beef: these perishables should be stored at 0°C or below in transit since they can quickly go wrong if not kept in the right conditions. These supplies require consistent temperatures during their entire transportation process, from where they are produced to where they are sold and when being cooked.
How to Maintain Temperature Control
The products must be in their optimum conditions, so the temperature must remain as required throughout the entire journey. A supply chain logistics service may have to think about how they load products and if there are multimodal forms of transport needed for a trip from the place of production to the market.
When shipping temperature-controlled goods, refrigerated containers should be used. Goods must be stored in an insulated container such as a reefer (refrigerated trailer) or a temperature-controlled environment at all times, even if it’s not being carried by vehicle (e.g., in direct sunlight). Ice packs will do the job as well if a shipment is only going on a short distance journey, but this can only go so far!
What can Disrupt Temperature Control for Perishable Goods
Temperature-controlled goods and perishables present a great deal of risk in terms of loss of value or even waste. We have already established that it is vital for temperature-sensitive products to be kept at the required temperature conditions every step of the way. However, specific problems can happen along the way.
These products may be loaded in the proximity of other items that may cause a problem, i.e., heat from another product. To avoid worst-case scenarios like this, a cold chain logistics solution provider will have to create a plan for shipment and make sure the journey is set up perfectly for the product to be received. It’s the temperature control that has to be precise and the packaging. To avoid failing during transit, packaging needs to be sturdy and safe while adhering to food safety regulations. These are only considerations to ensure products arrive at their destination in sellable conditions and are safe to be consumed.
There are dozens of logistic companies, given that food manufacturers cannot hope to survive without them. If you’re still looking for a reliable logistics service provider, you might want to consider TreeLogs. With a fleet of vehicles outfitted with refrigeration systems, experienced drivers, and dedicated food-management teams, we have been delivering both quality and safety since 2018. We offer multiple options to fit your needs, so fill up our contact form to get started.
Importance of Temperature-Controlled Trucks
Significance of Temperature-Controlled Trucks in the Food Industry
In today’s online shopping-centric world, food is shipped all across the globe. Many of these shipments involve temperature-controlled trucks to ensure that perishable goods arrive at their destinations in good shape. This is no easy task—temperatures in these trucks need to be carefully monitored and controlled during transit.
General Purpose of Refrigerated Trucks
Refrigerated trucks can be used for several reasons, such as shipping food, medicine, and other perishables, but an essential explanation is providing temperature-controlled transportation.
Refrigerated trucks are used to transport everything from food and beverages to pharmaceuticals and blood. These trucks work by maintaining a constant temperature, whether cooling or heating the car. Refrigerated trucks come in various shapes and sizes but are often used by companies that transport perishable goods.
What Makes Refrigerated Trucks Different
Most refrigerated trucks in supply chain logistics are equipped with adjustable thermostat systems, which allow the driver to raise or lower the temperature as needed while they’re on the road. The most common type of refrigerated trailer is a dry cargo box trailer with a temperature-controlled semi-trailer.
These trailers consist of an insulated box, usually made of aluminium or stainless steel, with a built-in refrigeration system, typically mounted at the front of the trailer near the cab, while a door and access ramp allow cargo to be loaded into the rear of the unit. There are many ways in which they can be attached to the cab and towed, such as in a B-train configuration, where one trailer can be attached to another through the use of a fifth wheel coupling device.
Three Main Refrigeration Units
There are three main refrigeration units typically used in refrigerated trucks: vapour compression, absorption cooling, and engine cooling.
Vapour compression is the most used refrigeration method. Vapor compression systems use mechanical energy input to drive the process. They can be air-cooled (which uses air directly from outside) or water-cooled (the most common type that uses water from rivers or lakes). The energy needed for the process is supplied by an electric motor that drives the compressor. This method is suitable for road transport applications because it can be operated on electrical power or a diesel engine drive.
Absorption cooling uses heat instead of mechanical energy input to drive the process. The operating principle behind absorption cooling is similar to that of distillation. It uses heat as its energy source and is often powered using a gas engine. The only moving parts in this system are a pump and a fan, making it very reliable.
Engine cooling is only suitable for small vehicles because it relies on the heat produced by internal combustion engines for heat rejection.
Refrigerated trucks are beneficial for transporting food and other goods that are more perishable than others. For example, it would be nearly impossible to transport meat across long distances if it was not done with a refrigerated truck or trailer. Any delay in the shipment could cause a risk for contamination or spoilage and have devastating effects on consumers and retail food distributor businesses alike.
TreeDots has developed a new business arm, TreeLogs, that focuses on providing cold-chain logistics support to provide food market bargains and delivery as your one-stop shop for temperature-controlled food supplies. So whether you’re here for the group buys or looking for procurement for your F&B business, sign up with us now to find a suitable service for your needs.
Temperature-Controlled Logistics and Cargo
Rely on Temperature-Controlled Logistics for Quality and Safe Food
Temperature-controlled logistics is the preferred mode of transportation for temperature-sensitive goods such as food supplies prone to bacterial contamination once exposed to mid-range temperatures. Just think of it as keeping cargo refrigerated or at least maintaining the ambient temperature through a vehicle’s built-in temperature control systems to avoid compromising food safety.
How Does Temperature-Controlled Logistics Work?
Temperature-controlled transport operations deal with all kinds of products from fruits and vegetables to beverages and even medications that need to be transported as temperature-controlled cargo to ensure that the cargo’s condition is preserved throughout the journey from one point to another.
Temperature-Controlled Transport
These temperature-controlled vehicle units are specially designed with custom specifications such as onboard electronic temperature monitoring systems called gensets (generator sets). For the cold chain to stay uninterrupted along the journey, not only should there be specialized vehicles to maintain the appropriate temperature levels for the cargo, but the staff involved in the loading and unloading should also be well-versed in handling these types of cargo.
Temperature-Controlled Docks
As an extra measure to safeguard the cargo, some cold-chain logistics companies have several temperature-controlled docks dotted along a specific route to keep the optimal temperature until the delivery truck is ready to move. This is especially helpful in longer passages where the risk of interrupting the cold chain increases.
Transport Specifications
Another essential feature to consider is the specification of your transport. You should be able to discuss specific temperature guidelines with your chosen carrier. Be as straightforward as possible so the airline can follow the parameters you’ve set down to the letter. Particular instructions are primarily about the optimal temperature levels for your goods. Different types of products have either slightly different or widely contrasting temperature requirements; you need to provide this information upfront.
Trained Truck Drivers
People often overlook this, but the drivers of these temperature-controlled trucks must practice keeping the doors closed until the very last moment when you need to unload the packages. This simple action can significantly reduce temperature changes inside the trailer. For particularly sensitive cargo such as pharmaceuticals, any temperature change can make or break the shipment’s integrity.
As a food and beverage business owner or retailer, we are choosing a cold-chain logistics solution can be a daunting challenge with so many considerations to keep in mind. For example, improper temperature control exposes TCS products (Time and Temperature Control for Safety Foods) to conditions that stimulate the growth of harmful microorganisms and toxins that lead to food-borne diseases. Check out TreeLogs services now and discover how we optimize our delivery processes, all while adhering to food safety guidelines.
Regulating Temperature-Controlled Food Supplies
Importance of Temperature Control in Food Safety
Temperature control is highly relevant in the food industry. Without it, both food safety and food quality are compromised. In addition, temperature-controlled food supplies are regulated because they run high risks of bacteria growth.
What foods are considered potentially dangerous and require careful temperature control? Some of these foods include the following:
- Food with either raw or cooked meat as an ingredient
- Seafood
- Dairy products and processed foods with beans, nuts, and eggs
- Pre-processed fruits and salads
- Pre-cooked rice and pasta
Once they are kept at a specific temperature, it minimizes the growth of pathogens and harmful toxins that cause food-borne illnesses. Controlling temperature prevents food from getting spoiled and from culturing bacteria that can cause disease. High temperatures are known to kill bacteria, so cooking them under the appropriate temperatures is vital. Bacteria tend to multiply at a fast rate under mid-range temperatures, while low temperatures inhibit the growth of bacteria and stop it from reaching dangerous levels.
For safety, perishable foods must be held at proper cold temperatures to inhibit bacterial growth or cooked to temperatures high enough to kill harmful microorganisms.
There are four general temperature zones that you should keep in mind.
- Hot Food Zone – As a general rule, food on a temperature reaching 74°C / 165°F or more. However, the temperature mustn’t drop below 60°C / 140°F once displayed or served.
- Cold Food Zone – 0°C to 4°C / 32°F to 40°F is the standard temperature for most refrigerators.
- Frozen Food – This zone is normally held at -18°C / 0°F or even lower.
- Temperature Danger Zone – This is when the temperature drops between 4°C and 60°C / 40°F to 140°F.
Food safety mandates staying far from this danger zone where bacteria proliferate. Perishable foods must either be stored at cold temperatures to halt the growth of pathogens or cooked in high temperatures to kill off the microorganism that might have developed. It must be noted that bacteria can still grow and thrive between 5 – 65 °C (41 – 149 °F). However, harmful bacteria tend to survive best in the aforementioned danger zone.
An Alternative to Temperature Control
Besides temperature control, you can also use the time for food safety maintenance. Known as the two hour/4 hour guide, you must keep records. Similarly, potentially dangerous foods should be held at five °C or colder or above 60 °C wherever possible. Still, ready-to-eat foods are considered safe for consumption between 5 °C and 60 °C for up to four hours. The reason is it takes more than four hours for food poisoning microorganisms to reach dangerous levels. Therefore, while the two hour/4 hour guide can be helpful, it applies strictly to both potentially hazardous and ready-to-eat foods. Another thing to note is the duration mentioned refers to the total lifetime of the food, which includes preparation and cooling, and is not limited to the time it was displayed.
How to Maintain Temperature Control During Transport?
If you are involved in the procurement/preparation of food supplies in Singapore, it’s your responsibility to ensure that food safety guidelines are strictly followed. How do you ensure that temperature control is still maintained from the transport of food supplies from one point to another? A cold chain logistics solution can help you with this. Providing uninterrupted cold storage or ambient temperature, you can rest assured that your food supplies get delivered with quality and safety intact.
TreeDots has developed a new business arm, TreeLogs, that focuses on providing cold-chain logistics support to provide food market bargains and delivery as your one-stop shop. So whether you’re here for the group buys or looking for procurement for your F&B business, sign up with us now to find a suitable service for your needs.