Running on Ice: Blue Cube advances cold chain 

This year’s Future of Freight Festival takes place Nov. 19-21 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. But it’s not your average conference. Sure, there are wonderful speakers and fireside chats. But that’s only half the fun. F3 is set up with half days of speakers and amazing content. The other half we take over downtown Chattanooga, and there are events, networking and a lot of fun to be had by all. This year, subscribers to Running on Ice get a promo code exclusive to us! You can register with this link or use the code F3ROI24 at checkout for a discount.

All thawed out

It may not work quite as fast as tagging a player in freeze tag, but Blue Cube’s newly developed blast freezer with InnoBlast technology is expected to be 10%-12% faster at freezing compared to existing methods. A bonus: The freezer is also expected to save customers about 10% annually on energy costs.

And the evolution of the design isn’t over yet. Blue Cube is developing solutions to support environmental, social and governance goals that include the ability to add solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicle charge points: You name it. And the company has taken things a step further by pledging that for every InnoBlast unit bought by customers, Blue Cube will donate one to a worthy cause across the world. 

Managing Director Alan Hunt said in a news release: “The InnoBlast will transform results for our customers across the Food, Distribution, Pharmaceuticals and Manufacturing sectors. Our trials have shown it will freeze faster, more consistently across products and use less energy. That combination will give our customers back valuable time and money which will make a significant impact to their business, today and in the future. By also supporting B1G1 charities, the InnoBlast will create life-changing results for children and families across the world, today and in the future.”

Temperature checks

A friend of the Running on Ice community, SeaCube Containers, is making waves as the first leasing company to invest in Carrier Transicold’s new OptimaLINE reefer containers. The inaugural order is for 3,000 containers. What sets Carrier’s technology apart from others is that OptimaLINE has a variable-speed compressor with a permanent magnet motor and a variable-frequency drive, all designed for optimal energy consumption. The result is more reliable units, lower operating costs and reductions in carbon footprints.

“We’re delighted that SeaCube has chosen the next-generation, future-ready, OptimaLINE reefer containers for their latest acquisition,” said Vineet Kashyap, vice president and general manager, global container refrigeration, Carrier Transicold. “The design of the OptimaLINE unit enables us to deliver a step change in efficiency, reliability and performance for SeaCube and their customers.” 

Food and drug

The Jolly Green Giant is giving consumers something new to be jolly about. The company known for a love of vegetables has announced a new line of 12 veggie-forward frozen food options. Some of the highlights include Crispy Smashed Potatoes, Corn Cob Bites and Veggie Ramen. An expansion for the Green Giant Restaurant Style line will be added to the freezer aisle as well. Green Giant is going to start giving the pizza aisle some competition for champion of the freezer section.

Kristen Thompson, president of frozen and vegetables and senior vice president of B&G Foods, said in a news release that the new options “offer fun twists to classic favorites, while remaining a convenient and affordable option that doesn’t sacrifice taste.” She added, “We’ve seen great success with our Restaurant Style sides because consumers love incorporating high-quality veggies into their meals without having to leave home … .”

Cold chain lanes

This week’s SONAR market heads to Dallas, the Pegasus City, as reefer capacity tightens after loosening at the beginning of the month. Reefer outbound tender rejections over the past week started at 5.57% on Sept. 13, dropped to 4.33% on Monday and now have risen to 6.56%. The yo-yo style of reefer rejection rates is common for the Dallas market, but this week it brought the lowest rejection rate the market has seen in four months.

Reefer outbound tender volumes are low for this time of year. The index is down 29% year over year as there is little to indicate that there will be a big influx of volume to the market. Dallas is positioning itself as a cool market for freight, but should the ROTRI continue to increase and volume decreases, it could heat up.

Is SONAR for you? Check it out with a demo!

Shelf life

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Varcode launches enhanced Smart Tag VI with a Visual Indicator

Wanna chat in the cooler? Shoot me an email with comments, questions or story ideas at moconnell@www.freightwaves.com.

See you on the internet.

Mary

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