Warehouse and dispatch14 / 36

How to run the opening and closing counts, calculate the gap and record it. A worked example, the container groups to count apart, and how to trace a container held at a customer.

Check forks, floor and container base before lifting; follow the model manual for entry points and movement.

Set the second check by shipment risk and site procedure; make clear who verifies what and records it.

Do not infer waiting times from an aggregate list; confirm space by product, week and dock at the receiving site.

The three looks before the lid closes, each with its standard, and the gap calculation for a TBX 725.

In GCCA's 2026 list the top 25 operators run 219.7 million m³ of temperature-controlled space. Growth slowed to 6.3%, below the 8.3% of 2025.

Compare plate count with the dispatch plan, product needs and plate identity; do not schedule unready or uncertain stock.

The person who will fit the plates takes them out and checks three things: closure colour, time in the freezer and the state of the plate. A wrong-regime plate can be spotted on the road but not corrected there.

Show vehicle, container, plate and paperwork status in one handover record so the next shift does not have to guess.

Compare the trolley and box at their different workflow steps using a sample and route trial.

Make the record recipient, handover time and deviation contact clear in the shift procedure. Match each form to its trip and container ID.

Document condition, identity and records while closed; open where measurement and quality checks are ready and goods can be moved promptly.

For frozen food the limit is -18 °C, and a short rise in distribution may not exceed 3 °C. Because the lid opens at every stop, the box is chosen for the final stop.

Follow product requirements and a validated packout; check the container, coolant, layout and run record together.

Annex II Chapter IV is seven short points and applies to all food transport. The last one shapes cold chain equipment: temperature must be held and it must be possible to monitor it.

A hard surface, frost and an elapsed-time record do not show that the filling is solid. GEBHARDT's criterion: filling completely frozen, freezer at least 5 °C below the melting point, air gap between plates.