REDUCING TRANSPORT DAMAGE IN TOP-ICED SHIPMENTS OF FRESH VEGETABLES IN BUSHEL BASKETS (A STUDY OF RAIL SHIPMENTS OF FRESH PEAS)

Rail shipments of fresh peas and other green vegetables packed in bushel baskets and shipped under top ice have suffered high rates of loss and damage for many years. A study of rail shipments of fresh peas showed that the major causes of damage were the shifting of unstable loads, the failure of basket components and the weight of large amounts of top ice on the loads. Laboratory studies on different types of baskets and variations in basket design showed that a continuous-stave basket made primarily of gum wood suffered less breakage in compression tests than the conventional solid-bottom baskets used for shipments of peas from California to eastern markets. In shipping tests with the two types of baskets, the continuous-stave baskets had significantly less damage than the solid-bottom baskets when both types were shipped together in the same car in the conventional loading pattern with baskets alternately inverted. When the two types of baskets were shipped together in the crosswise-offset loading pattern, the continuous-stave baskets showed less damage than the solid-bottom baskets but the difference was not statistically significant. Decreasing the amount of top ice on the loads and using half-stage bunker icing helped reduce damage in three out of four paired shipping tests, but differences were not statistically significant. Peas shipped in loads with modified icing cooled about as fast as those in the conventionally iced loads. Costs of the two types of icing service were about the same.

• Corporate Authors:

  Department of Agriculture

  Agricultural Research Service
  Hyattsville, MD  United States  20782
• Authors:
  • Breakiron, P L
  • NICHOLAS, C J
  • Stewart, J K
  • Kurtenacker, R S
• Publication Date: 1967-1

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 15 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Loss and damage; Vegetables
• Old TRIS Terms: Top icing
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00046055
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Department of Agriculture
• Report/Paper Numbers: 772
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 16 1973 12:00AM