Freight rates are higher than many companies have ever seen. The combination of a greater truck demand and a tighter supply of trucks and drivers are giving concern to a number of industries not only over the cost of shipping, but the reliability of on-time delivery.

Much of the concern is over the declining interest in actually becoming a truck driver. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the average age of current drivers as 55, and it appears young career seekers don’t find the long stretches away from home as appealing as previous generations.

Obviously, trucking companies are working to attract quality drivers and looking into other shipping methods to make sure they continue to thrive, but in the short-term, you need confidence you’ll get your shipments on time.

Bremer’s Efforts to Mitigate the Issues
Of course, we can’t pretend to be totally immune to this issue. The entire industry is affected by it, and that includes us. However, we have and are taking steps to make sure any impact felt by our customers is minimal.

We’ve always employed our own drivers and fleet of trucks to manage distribution. This means, no matter how chaotic the trucking industry gets, if you order something we have on our floor, you’re going to get it on time, as always.

In an attempt to keep an ample supply of ingredients in our warehouse, we’ve expanded our own product sourcing, taking advantage of rail shipping in many cases while still being able to give you the best possible pricing.

The freight shortage is a difficult obstacle for many businesses. We will continue doing everything we can to keep this industry problem from affecting your business.

Bremer Authentic Ingredients (bremeringredients.com), a wholesale food ingredients distributor based in Zeeland, Michigan, announced that they have been awarded Safe Quality Food (SQF) 2000 – Level 3 Certification by NSF International on behalf of the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI).

The SQF Program is a globally trusted, recognized, and accepted food safety and quality certification program and management system designed to meet the needs of buyers and suppliers worldwide.

SQF 2000 – Level 3 is the most stringent and highest level certification awarded by SQFI, encompassing HACCP Analysis, Food Defense, Business Continuity Planning, as well as Food Quality and Safety.

“SQF certification demonstrates our commitment to be a leader in wholesale food ingredients distribution, providing the safe, quality food ingredients our customers expect,” said Tim Malefyt, General Manager.  “Everyone here at Bremer worked hard to get this in place and I’m proud their efforts.”
“Consumer demand for increased food safety and quality requires that we prove that control systems have been effectively implemented.  SQF Certification provides that proof,” said Todd Gifford, Sales Manager.

ABOUT BREMER AUTHENTIC INGREDIENTS
For over 65 years, Bremer (bremeringredients.com) has provided commercial customers with whole food ingredients.  From their warehouse in Zeeland, Michigan, Bremer proudly delivers sugar, flour, salt, and other authentic ingredients to bakeries, meat processors, food manufacturers, and more.

ABOUT NSF INTERNATIONAL
NSF International (nsf.org) has been testing and certifying products for safety, health and the environment since 1944. As an independent public health and safety organization, NSF’s mission is to protect human health and the environment through standards development, auditing, testing and certification for the food, water, build/construction, retail, consumer products, chemical and health science industries.