The FDA`s FSMA final Sanitary rule for carriers and shippers went into effect in April

It`s been a month since the new regulation for transportation of human and animal food went into effect, but some drivers and owner operators still get surprised when loading or unloading at a facility.

The regulation is part of the Food Safety Modernization Act, and it aims to protect food “from the farm to the table.” The final rule proposed back in 2013, it was published in April of last year, but it`s officially enforced since 6th of April this year.

According to The Voice of Food Retail, the final Sanitary Transportation Rule is designed to create a risk-based framework for food safety. In other words, the primary goal of that rule is to prevent any contamination of human and animal food loads transported by rail or road vehicles.

The Sanitary Transportation Rule applies to shippers, carriers, loaders and receivers in the process of transportation.

“Among the many operations covered by the rule are shippers, loaders, carriers and receivers involved with motor or rail vehicle transportation of raw agricultural commodities (e.g., grains and oilseeds), animal feed and feed ingredients, and human food and food ingredients.”

                            NGFA’s Guide to Most Important Provisions

Thus, a proper trailer washout is mandated by the FDA in the process of transportation. Many companies do not warn their drivers and owner operators that they have to go trough the process in order to be loaded. The FDA plans to develop an online course that would meet the training requirements of this rule. The agency anticipates this course will be available before the first compliance dates go into effect

The new rule does not apply to the transportation of food that is completely enclosed by a container (sealed bag or box) Transportation operations performed by the farm are also not affected by this regulation.

“In addition to this rule, FDA already has issued regulations for produce safety, current good manufacturing practices and preventive controls for human food, current good manufacturing practice and preventive controls for food for animals, foreign supplier verification programs, and accreditation of third-party auditors.”

That is why it`s always good to be informed and plan in advance, so you don`t lose time when loaded. Truck wash facilities can be found in any area, especially out of the cities where, owners don`t have to pay for wastewater discharges. It`s desirable that when you find a truck wash, they also offer detail trailer washout. No matter how advanced are the technologies, nothing compares to hand wash and detail wash, especially when it comes to food transportation.

Finally, if you have found the right spot to wash your trailer remember it – next time you might be in need to use the services again and present the proper documentation for that. In Illinois, for example, one of the places with a strategic location is Merx Truck & Trailer Wash in Melrose Park. Minutes away from I 290, I 294 and IL 56, the facility offers truck wash, trailer washout, oil change and annual inspections.

Applications like Trucker Path are very useful for finding the closest location that offers not only truck wash but trailer washout. Also, you can see work hours, available parking spots and call the place directly from the app.