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FAQ’s

What’s the difference between good sanitation practices and a formal HACCP program?

A-Proper sanitation is only one consideration of a proper HACCP-based food safety program. Other considerations include the suitability of the equipment you are using, how your employees are trained and how they carry out their tasks, how the food products are loaded and unloaded and what happens to them in between, and what product recall procedures are in place. You must also ensure you are following the applicable Canadian regulations and Codes of Practice that apply to the food products you are transporting. And of course, all this requires proper record keeping. All these issues are taken into consideration within the Trucking Food Safety Program.

How will a shipper know if carriers (truckers) are following the Trucking Food Safety Program?

A – Carriers must undergo a rigorous audit of their food safety procedures before they can become HACCP compliant. Successful carriers will be able to display a HACCP-compliant certificate in their place of business, as well as Kasar HACCP compliant stickers on their trailers. Carriers must also under an annual audit, and are required to remove both the certificate and the stickers if they decide not to maintain the program. Kasar will maintain a mandatory listing on its website of all HACCP-compliant carriers in good standing.

Does the Trucking Food Safety Program standard meet the standards asked by shippers?

A. More and more major shippers are recognizing the Trucking Food Safety Program as the industry standard in Canada. The Canadian Trucking Alliance wanted to ensure the program was recognized as “the best practice” from coast to coast.

I’ve seen other truckers with a HACCP sticker? Where did they get it?

There is only one nationally recognized and government approved food safety program for truckers and that is the Canadian Trucking Alliance’s Trucking Food Safety Program. This is the program that is being recognized by shippers coast to coast. Carriers who have successfully implemented this program proudly display the Kasar HACCP Compliant sticker.

Who will pay for implementing a HACCP program?

A – Unless otherwise agreed to with the shipper, the carrier typically incurs the cost of developing, implementing and maintaining the HACCP program. Many carriers see this as a “cost of doing business” and are confident they can recover their investment by keeping their existing customers or by winning new contracts. Others recover their investments through savings from reduced claims and product destructions.

What does it costs to put in a program?

A -Costs are dependent on a number of factors including the size of the carrier, the number and complexity of the food products they carry, the existence of staff capacity to development and implement a program, etc. Generally the costs range from a low of $4,000-$5,000 to a high of $50,000+.

Who is ensuring carriers adhere to various regulations or codes of practice? How is it being enforced?

Regulations are mandated by the provincial and federal governments. Failure to adhere to them could result in fines and other legal actions. Codes of Practice are developed by national agencies or associations such as the Dairy Council, the Canadian Produce Marketing Agency, etc. Shippers who deal with products that impact regulations require their carriers to also follow the regulations. Many shippers are using independent third party auditors to verify the practices of their carriers and other suppliers.

Will shippers recognize this program is a cost to the carrier?

A - Shippers know there is an increased cost involved when standards are improved and implemented. Costs for HACCP compliance will need to be negotiated, as is presently done for the fuel surcharge.

What is the impact on driver time (available hours, cost) when following the Trucking Food Safety Program?

A. – There will be little encroachment on drivers time (HOS) to maintain their role in the program.  Drivers undergo a short training program on HACCP and food safety. This is completed in non-work (driving) time.  Also, any manual temperature monitoring functions required by the HACCP program will normally be conducted at regular intervals usually coordinated with the drivers rest stops (ex. Every 4 hours, or at any delivery point for LTL shipments).

How can a carrier determine if a shipment was compromised before it got on the trailer?

A – A properly implemented and monitored HACCP program will have created inspections and monitoring records of the condition of a shipment (temperature, etc.) when it was loaded into the conveyance, as well as records of all conditions the food products experienced during their transport.

How can carriers control rented trailers?

A- The Trucking Food Safety Program requires an inspection and verification of the suitability of the trailer to carry the food products that are being placed inside.  This includes construction materials, refrigeration and, sanitation conditions before loading. These steps eliminate the possibility of having unsanitary or unsuitable equipment.

Who is responsible for maintaining HACCP when you interline a trailer?

A. –A carrier that implements the Trucking Food Safety Program can only maintain the program to their first point of delivery.  If the subsequent carrier is not HACCP compliant then the shipper should be notified of this fact when the contract of carriage is being negotiated. Carriers that interline are now looking at each implementing the Trucking Food Safety Program, to enhance their “preferred” status with their shippers, and also to attract new customers to their long distance routes.

How long do records have to be kept?

A. – minimum of 1 year.

 Is there a test for drivers or HACCP coordinators?

A. –The HACCP Coordinators Course that is prescribed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has an examination at the end of training that must be passed to receive a Certificate of Completion. There is no exam for the drivers.

Would a wood floor trailer be HACCP compliant?

A. It depends on the condition of the conveyance as well as its sanitary condition. A wooden floored or lined trailer may be suitable for packaged, cased and wrapped products such as canned and packaged foods, but would be totally unacceptable for, as example, “hanging beef”.

What non-food freight can you carry with food?

A. In LTL trucking operations, mixed loads are a fact of doing business.  The suitability of different products has to be determined by a risk analysis and the factors of the delivery. The TFSP addresses this condition in the module “Mixed Loads” that deals with different food products in the same trailer or food and non-food products in the same trailer.

Could a cold wall be used to separate food from non-food?

A. YES, cold walls or “bulkheads” may be used to separate food and non-food products, depending on the circumstances.

Are pallets covered in the program?

A. – A proper HACCP based program would require the inspection of pallets before food products are loaded onto them. In most shipments, the condition of the pallets is the responsibility of the shipper.  The TFSP requires carriers that break down pallet loads onto other pallets to have a pallet inspection program in place.

What if only 25% of our shipments are food? Do we still need the program? Does it get put in to the entire company?

A. If you want to ensure your shippers of your commitment to food safety, the answer is YES. However, the program only applies to food shipments, and not to general freight, unless the two are transported together. If you have a “dedicated” portion of your fleet that is strictly for food products you may opt to implement the program in that portion.

What if a large HACCP-complaint company took over a smaller non-HACCP-compliant company? Is the larger company still HACCP compliant?

A. It is dependant on the operations and how food products may move between the 2 companies.  If the company that was “taken over” is not HACCP Compliant, then it is up to the parent company to implement the program into their acquisition and to notify shippers if food products may be carried by other conveyances that may not meet the TFSP requirements.

When is the rush to implement the Trucking Food Safety Program going to start?

A- Carriers are already moving forward with implementing the Trucking Food Safety Program. It takes several months to become HACCP compliant. The time to start is now!

How many consulting companies are available to help develop a Trucking Food Safety Program for an individual carrier?

A- There area number of reputable consulting firms available to help those in the food industry to develop and implement HACCP plans. Make sure the one you talk to understands the transportation industry. Also make sure that you don’t end up with a generic HACCP plan that does not consider the unique features of your industry of the applicable Canadian regulations that apply to the products you handle.

We at Kasar Canada obviously feel we understand the trucking industry and would welcome the opportunity to discuss your needs with you.

What are Kasar’s credentials?

A- Kasar has been developing and implementing food safety programs for leading Canadian companies since 1998. We have the ability to design practical, cost effective programs that are based on international HACCP standards. Kasar has helped trucking companies from coast to coast solve their food safety issues

Kasar developed the Trucking Food Safety Program for the Canadian Trucking Alliance and is the exclusive distributor for the program, as well as the official compliance auditor. Kasar is also the first Canadian owned professional services firm to develop a national HACCP program for distribution centres. This program is now being used in 28 D.C.’s across Canada.

Kasar has specialists in such accredited programs as Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), the United Sates Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) National Seafood HACCP Alliance, the International Meat and Poultry HACCP Alliance and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Food Safety Enhancement Program, as well as ISO9000, ISO9001 and ISO14002.

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