The pallet for the first delivery is loaded onto the vehicle last, and the most temperature-sensitive product leaves the controlled area last. The two rules serve one aim: a product should wait outside the controlled area for as short a time as possible, and the pallet needed first at the door should sit where it is easiest to reach. That order holds only for a compatible, stable load.
Compatibility and stack safety come first
Products sharing a pallet must suit each other in temperature requirement, packaging and hygiene rules; fresh, frozen and dry goods on one pallet are a problem for both temperature and hygiene. Heavy goods stay at the bottom, the pallet must not tip and cartons must not be crushed. These come before any temperature sequence: putting a sensitive product on top or palletising it last does not make an unstable stack safe. For products needing different temperatures, separate compartments alone are not enough; each product's condition has to be held throughout the journey.
When the clock starts
Waiting starts when the product physically leaves the temperature-controlled area; palletising inside a controlled room does not start the clock. Picking, packing, quality release, exit from the area, loading and first delivery are separate events, and each goes on record. Example: pallet A leaves the area at 09:00 and is loaded at 09:40, so it waits 40 minutes; pallet B leaves at 09:25 and enters the same loading, so it waits 15. That is why a pallet is brought out of the area when its turn to load arrives. The acceptable time depends on the product, its packaging and the surroundings, and is set from measurement records.
| Event | Place | Recorded | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preparation complete | Controlled area | Product and pack acceptance | Preparation lead |
| Physical exit | Area exit | Exit time, consignment ID | Warehouse |
| Palletising | Pallet area | Compatibility and stack check | Warehouse team |
| Loading | Vehicle or container | Start and finish time | Loading lead |
| First delivery | Route point | Delivery time | Driver |
Build the order together with delivery
Once compatibility and stability are settled, the route order follows. The pallet for the first delivery is loaded nearest the door; door layout, neighbouring loads, weight distribution and safe unloading also enter the sequence, so the last pallet loaded is not always the first one unloaded.
For each consignment the sequence card records preparation and release time, pallet ID, exit from the area and loading time, lid or door events, first delivery and any deviation. The FAO HACCP monitoring guidance asks for a defined method, frequency and responsible person, and for records to be reviewed by a designated person; when a deviation occurs, the fate of the affected product is assessed apart from the process fix, as set out in the corrective-action guidance. If the earlier time is unknown, the clock is not reset; the event and the decision go on record.
