How can we effectively document inspections for carriers like USPS and FedEx to ensure compliance?
We do truck inspections for all of our incoming and outgoing items-Have a list of items to check for to meet food safety standards. My questions is we are doing in out sales and using USPS/FedEx and we do not do a through inspection of these vehicles. We do a quick look to verify there are no noticeable leaks or there is nothing on the floor.
Is anyone doing anything with either of these carriers as far as documentation of the vehicles?
We don't inspect ups or fed ex trucks really, but we don't ship product through them. Just mail, etc. So I don't know. If you're actually shipping your product through them to customers, may want to do the inspection bit...
agree with the above, if the vehicles are being utilized to ship product, I would be doing full inspections on them
edit to say, we do ship product in uninspected USPS/FedEx vehicles, but it is only TEST product that is usually going to corporate for shelf-life testing, getting photos taken of it for advertisements...stuff like that. It isn't product that will be consumed or put up for sale.
I agree with the members on this. A truck used to ship finish products to customers must be checked against a list ( a controlled record) and should be documented.
There can be concerns with allergens or contaminants if food is shipped in not a well inspected truck/trailer
I never had to deal with shipping large quantities through the small parcel trucks for USPS/FedEx/UPS/etc., but I imagine you could and probably should detail a separate inspection if you're shipping significant amounts through them. I don't know that a parcel truck guy can really let you on board his small truck to inspect all of the other packages for potential concerns, realistically that driver has an obligation to keep the packages secure. I'm sure none of us would want unauthorized personnel at their next stop rummaging through our boxes. And if you're using your normal full trailer inspection record, I'd wager you'd have to kick 90%+ of trucks that show up
It reminds me the LTL conversation I've seen here often. You can inspect and reject LTL trucks for having a questionable product on-board, but you're just banging your head against a wall hoping the truck comes to you first before the auto parts plant down the street from you. Once an LTL truck leaves your dock, they're going to put chemicals and soaps and poisons and all sorts of stuff into that trailer with your product. They're going to bounce your pallet around open air docks (unless refrigerated LTL obviously), sorting and resorting your pallets into different trailers to make their way across the country. My LTL checklists were always different from FTL, as were our wrapping and pallet security measures. I'd default and rely upon making sure the packages themselves are sturdy and secure enough to not be affected by whatever they're stacked amongst.
In dietary supplements, it is a standard industry practice to have documented incoming and outgoing truck inspections. However, this is not done for FedEx/UPS shipments. As an Auditor, I do not expect FedEx/UPS inspections.