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Oakland adds distressed load capacity

[ November 10, 2020   //   ]

Food logistics specialist Oakland International is increasing the capacity of its Distressed Loads service, which deals with the aftermath of clandestine immigrants being discovered inside trailers arriving in the UK from the Continent.

Launched in 2002, it was the first registered and recognised service for inspecting and the sortation of consignments where product safety could be affected by clandestine infiltration or other contamination issues with encompassed approved scientific methods for measuring surface contamination. It is a BRC accredited and an EHO approved solution for same day or next day treatment of distressed loads.

The service can typically recover around 80% of affected loads, safely and hygienically, says Attwell, reduces food waste and the scope for food to be diverted to less safe backstreet channels. Brand owners and insurers are quite rightly very aware of the potential risks associated with stowaways damaging or contaminating stock in transit, but throwing away the whole consignment and then seeking to claim off insurers has resulted in an ever increasing burden on insurers and hauliers. It also led to significant food waste, which otherwise would be fit for human consumption. 

Oakland is now increasing capacity of the distressed load service, laying on additional resources and space at its UK sites in Redditch, Corby, and Bardon to handle an anticipated increase in demand over the coming months. It is also investing in a dedicated facility for distressed load management, which incorporates a CCTV monitored rework area as well as dedicated multi-temperature chambers to store work in progress and in-quarantine products.

With the onset of Covid-19 Oakland installed a box sanitising tunnel which offers additional reassurances for brand owners and removes potential secondary risks of pandemic transfer via stock, with instant digital reports ensuring rapid information transfer flows to key stakeholders. Oakland’s DLM solution also works with and treats damaged loads, metal contamination, shot loads, temperature abuse and pest contamination such as flies as part of its service offering.

Oakland anticipates that Brexit will have a major impact depending on delays caused at ports which handle UK-bound traffic, and throughout the transition period into 2021. Demand for the service tends to fall away in summer as immigrants are tempted to make hazardous Channel crossings in small dinghies rather than break into UK-bound but stowaway attempts and resultant contamination of cargo rises with the onset of winter.

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