Registration is open for the 64th Annual Conference scheduled for March 3-5, 2019 at the JW Marriott Resort & Spa, Palm Desert CA.

We are off and running with record levels of conference registrations processed thus far.

If you have attended a conference in the last three years, you will have received an email with the necessary voucher code needed to complete registration for the conference beginning June 1, 2018.

Once you receive the registration confirmation, you will be able to access a link provided to secure your hotel reservations. Only registered conference attendees will be able to secure room reservations at the Food Shippers of America contracted room rate. Onsite room availability is limited and overflow hotels will be made available.

If you have not attended a Food Shippers of America conference prior to 2016 please email media@foodshippersofamerica.org with your complete contact information and you will receive the needed voucher for registration within 1-2 business days.

We are limiting total attendee participation to the first 1,100 completed registrations received and as of the distribution of this eNewsletter we have over 850 registrations in place. The conference resort is at 85 percent capacity. We will have overflow room availability at the onsite Marriott Villas.

See you in Palm Desert!

Transport Topics
With rising costs in all aspects of operation including purchase payments, permits, licensing and insurance, the national average of $1.69 per mile is up 10 cents from 2016, with the highest cost-per-mile averaging $1.735 in the Northeast region.

Thank you to all of our members for your support!  

Company member listing as of October 15, 2018

With the 64th Annual Foods Shippers of America conference almost 75 percent sold out, please find our tentative agenda that Co-Chairs Earnie Seibert, Sanderson Farms and Mary Kearney, Hirschbach Motor Lines, and the committee have created for another great conference.

Supply Chain Dive
IBM has been testing its new blockchain-based food supply chain in real-time at retailers and suppliers around the country, including Walmart and Dole. The software as a system (SaaS) module is currently available for any member of the food ecosystem, but requires an array of partners in order to achieve full traceability, prompting some users to opt for a product-specific approach to the new technology.

Mark Your Calendar for Future FSA Annual Conferences! 
March 3-5, 2019 JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, Palm Desert CA.
February 23 - February 25, 2020 JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes, Orlando, FL. 
February 28 - March 2 2021, JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, Palm Desert CA.
February 20 - February 22, 2022 JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes, Orlando, FL. 
Inquires for Conference Sponsorship opportunities should be directed to treasurer@foodshippersofamerica.org

Two rounds of play Sunday, March 4 at the Wildfire Golf Club on the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa property!

Note: earlier tee times 6:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

We are excited about the upcoming conference that will be here before you know it! The always Great Time of Golf is about sold out. So please check and ensure that you have your registration completed and requested pairing noted, if any, as it will sell out shortly. We are excited to be at the Desert Springs course again as last time we were here we had a Hole in One winner for $10,000! So get out and practice, and we look forward to seeing the first 244 people who get signed up out there on Sunday to try and win some cash and bragging rights within the industry for a year.
You or your guest must be a registered conference attendee.

Please forward your questions to golf@foodshippersofamerica.org

Freightwaves
Branding – the logos and icons the public identify a company  by – are part of every company's marketing strategy. It's not just the product, its the company's name and reputation. For the transport industry, good branding is influenced by aspects such as service time, fleet appearance and office staff.

Eligible Applicants are children or dependents (including spouses) of a Supply Chain Logistics Department employee whose Company's membership dues are current.

THE 2019 JOHN J. MURPHY SCHOLARSHIPS WILL INCLUDE AWARD DISTRIBUTIONS TOTALING $22,500.

2019 Applicants- Please complete the attached application and return via email to scholarship@foodshippersofamerica.org or mail to Food Shippers of America Scholarship C/O FSA-MDI 2800 S River Road Suite 275 Des Plaines, IL 60018. completed applications and supporting documentation must be received by received by December 14, 2018.

The Packer
Estimated at between $230 to $300 million in losses, a report from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of Georgia says the numbers may go higher with secondary losses incurred from non-functioning coolers and irrigation pumps.

Food Engineering
A recent assessment of convenience chain Wawa's cold-chain supply found that the "broken links" in most cold-food supply chains often begin in the warehouses of processors. The main problem being warm or out-of-temp products being shipped, often resulting in out-of-spec product delivery and refusal of goods.