Crowley Logistics recently added 355 new refrigerated cargo containers to its equipment fleet to ensure equipment availability at origin for perishables moving through the cold chain.
These units are in addition to more than 500 new reefers received earlier last year, Crowley said.
The new units, which are all 40-foot-long high cubes, are built to Crowley’s standards and demonstrate the company’s focus on offering customers reliable and efficient equipment in the Central America and Caribbean markets. These units have wireless asset monitoring (WAM) technology, which provides continuous monitoring as the reefers transit from origin to destination, both at sea and over land, to ensure the integrity of the cold chain the entire time goods are moving.
“We realize the importance of having the best refrigerated equipment in the right quantities—all strategically positioned to meet customers’ needs during peak perishables season and throughout the rest of the year,” said Brett Bennett, senior vice president and general manager, Crowley Logistics. “It is a priority for us to ensure we are meeting all their needs for reliable logistics services, including the highest level of available equipment.”
Crowley’s equipment, combined with grower and farm supply chain services such as load planning and equipment sanitization, make Crowley a trusted partner for perishables shippers, the company said. In addition to providing in-transit services such as location and temperature monitoring, Crowley offers customs clearance, fumigation options, refrigerated storage and last-mile delivery to ensure quality through single-source accountability.
Upon arrival the 355 new containers in Santo Tomas, Guatemala were used to support Central America’s heavy northbound reefer season. The new containers are equipped with environmentally friendly Star Cool refrigeration units, incorporating several changes designed to boost efficiency and reliability.
Additionally, the company recently expanded its on-terminal, perishables handling capabilities by constructing a new USDA inspection dock in Port Everglades FL. The $1.6 million dock has capacity for 80 refrigerated (reefer) containers, more than double the previous size, to serve perishable shippers moving fruits and vegetables into the U.S. The dock also has individual, shoreside power plugs for each reefer, allowing for continuous temperature control, cutting cargo handling time and the need to move the container to a separate location for separate USDA inspections.
Since 2014, Crowley has invested roughly $160 million in new cargo equipment for its fleet, according to the company. Today, it operates just under 50,000 pieces of owned and leased intermodal equipment.
