Any boxes judged too warm are cooled to bring them back to their ideal shipping temperature. However, such facilities are not always available in Latin America, Camacho said. And although many trucking companies in the United States and Europe provide refrigerated trucks for beyond-airport transport of perishables, Latin American trucking companies often lack this specialized equipment. The problems don t end at the airport. Flight delays that leave flowers exposed on a tarmac can expose flowers to heat and sunlight.
Many farms schedule their shipping at night to add some protection from the harsh sun.
Aragon said Teqflor is working with Martinair Holland, the Dutch carrier that is rapid escalating its Latin American business, to address some of the growers concerns by creating an integrated process to ensure more temperature protection through the entire supply chain. Because of its base in the flower-producing Netherlands, Martinair is no stranger to perishables shipping. The airline has stepped up its flower commitment by buying a heavy stake in Tampa Airlines and building a freighter operation to tie Europe more closely to South America through Miami. With that capacity under its wing, Martinair is seeking to forge relationships with suitable surface operators to integrate an entire process. T rue reliability, argues Aragon, will only come when the floral trade works together on common worldwide standards for worldwide shipping.