Most packers use movable stands to hold the cartons during packing, with filled cartons being rolled off the stand onto a conveyor to be pelletized. The packing stand can be equipped with knee joints that can be tripped by the packer to automatically transfer filled cartons to the conveyor. Some packinghouses place the filled-container conveyor under the rollboard tables to better utilize space. Post-packingline Operations Following packing, the packed fruits are placed on pallets and assembled into orders for loading and shipping. Containers may be stamped for size, grade, count, variety or other reasons as they move along conveyers to the pallets.
Samples can be spot-checked for weight and grade verification.
Containers are stacked by hand and secured onto pallets for subsequent handling. Most Texas citrus is shipped in refrigerated trucks, although some export movement is by ship after truck-transfer to the dock. Some citrus is particularly sensitive to chilling injury in which sunken lesions or pits coalesce on the peel. Browning, water breakdown and scalding also are symptoms of chill injury. Grapefruit is quite sensitive to chill injury, but it can be stored successfully at lower temperatures by progressive pre-conditioning at higher temperatures.