As the news continues to be saturated with images of overflowing containers and clogged ports, the public is getting used to hearing that the world’s supply chains are a hot mess – but the situation this fall has become more alarming than ever. Delayed and missed deliveries have become the reality for many Americans, and prior expectations have slipped, even for next-day delivery junkies. As the world’s consummate consumers, we are becoming surprisingly tolerant of what seems like a long-term state of affairs. What happens, though, when a shipment is not just delayed, but it never arrive ..read more

This is the time of year when temperatures across the country widely vary. Higher elevations are already snow-covered while areas of the East Coast can still be in the eighty-degree range like they were just a week ago. For any given cross-country shipment, the ambient temperature outside the trailer during the spring and fall months can go through multiple changes along the route. If the reefer unit has not been regularly serviced or the trailer is in disrepair with leaks or holes, the safety of the cargo may be in jeopardy.  It is during these months of unpredictable weather swings tha ..read more

It is hard to believe it has been almost two years since the onset of the pandemic. We still don't fully understand the extent of the disruption that has overwhelmed the global supply chain, nor do we know what to expect in the coming year. It is uncharted, unfamiliar territory.  From short supplies and depleted inventories to delayed shipments and order backlogs, the movement of goods has never been so unpredictable and stress inducing. But the biggest issue for shipping managers, and dare I say, the elephant in the room,  is not so much the daily struggles that come with tight cap ..read more

Never before has the American consumer needed so much of everything, and needed it so immediately. Partially caused by the shortages at the beginning of the pandemic, and also driven by people working from home and shopping online, consumer behavior has changed drastically over the past year.  News coverage of the massive congestion at U.S. ports has made its way from niche industry publications to mainstream news media. Why? Because supply chains hold the strings to what we eat, drink, wear, live in, and consume. In the past six months, a rapid series of disruptions have created a colos ..read more

"Regarding location, there are two areas in a trailer that placing a temperature monitoring device (TMD) is not recommended. You never want to put it on the south-facing wall because the south wall is always warmer. The TMD is not going to give you an accurate reading in that location."  -Doug Thurston, Vice President Sales, Emerson If you are just chiming in on this blog post, it is important to note that this is the second half of the two-part series, Myth or Fact? The Truth About Refrigerated Shipping. Part one can be found here. The Experts Moderator: James Lee, Choptank Tr ..read more

"Maintaining the cold chain means looking at the entire shipping process from start to finish. Once the products have been cooled, you can never allow them to warm. When the cargo is allowed to warm anywhere in the distribution system, it is almost impossible to cool it back down again. If you let that happen, you will have a negative effect on the quality and the shelf life of the freight." - Professor Jeffrey K. Brecht, University of Florida This blog is the first of a two-part series taken from our 2020 webinar, Myth versus Fact: The Truth About Refrigerated Shipping. Part two will be post ..read more

Shipping temperature-controlled freight can be a risky business even on the best of days, but when outside temperatures soar to record-breaking highs, (most recently putting 13 million Americans under a severe heat advisory), it is time to pay extra attention to your cold freight shipments. The past month was the hottest June in North America on record. In recent days, California, Nevada, and Arizona all surpassed previous record temperatures. It has been so hot in the Pacific Northwest that roads are actually buckling. What does this mean for shippers and carriers ..read more

Cross-border freight movement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico was affected by the global pandemic just as much as the rest of the world. In 2020, overall freight was down by 13% compared with 2019. If you are looking at just truck Canadian truck freight, it declined by 10% during that same timeframe. But in 2021, things seem to be getting back on track. The concept of reshoring and near-shoring has gained popularity after commodity shortages along with inventory deficits spurred on a sourcing frenzy to find vendors closer to home. 2020 taught us the full risks of offshoring in t ..read more

Choptank Transport has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to corporate responsibility for more than twenty years, and it is excited to announce its plan to provide a customer-facing environmental initiative as well.  We all want future generations to enjoy the world we currently live in, and many are willing to take measures to curb carbon emissions and stop excessive pollution to ensure that future. Choptank is one of those companies.  According to a 2004 EPA study, 23% of the total greenhouse gas emissions from transportation come from heavy- and medium-duty trucks. At Choptank ..read more

It is always surprising how a garden planted with the same array of annuals and perennials every year can look entirely different from one Spring to the next. It all depends on rainfall, temperatures, soil nutrients, and a multitude of other factors, but that is the beauty of it! Every growing season is uniquely it is own ..read more