MEDITERRANEAN SHIPPING COMPANY DEPOTS (PTY) LTD T/A MEDLOG

Reg. No. 1987/006165/07

MSC COLD STORE

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES – CITRUS and
DECIDUOUS

1. Intakes and receiving

• All intake trucks arriving at the facility must be booked on the MSC truck booking system daily before 16h00 to
secure intakes for the next dayshift.
• Alternatively, an email can be sent to our group email address: [email protected]
16h00 on the day prior to arrival.
• All load arriving at MSC Cold Store must be accompanied by Original Copies of the following documents. NB
these documents has to be made out to MSC Cold Store.
• Original copy of the intake Documents stamped by PPECB.
• Original copy of the Out -Consignment Note stamped by PPECB.
• Original copies of the Accompanying documents/Sample documents stamped by PPECB – only applicable to
Phyto Markets and Phyto Inspections.
• Customers need to ensure that the PO Files, per dispatched document is sent to MSC Cold Store electronically
via EDI, and also emailed to MSC cold store in cases where the PO Files do not get sent to the cold store. All PO
Files to be emailed immediately after dispatch: [email protected]
• MSC cold makes use of the PO Files sent from the pack house to put the pallets onto their stock system to
ensure quick turnaround of trucks and alleviate any possible incorrect information being captured at the cold
store.
• All customers including their producers and transporters must comply with all the citrus protocols and
standards for export i.e. FMS and RMS, as set out by the local governing bodies i.e. DALRRD and PPECB.
• All bookings will be captured at the cold store and trucks will be offloaded in the order that they arrive at the
cold store. All trucks and or arrivals that were not booked, will only be offloaded once all booked trucks have
been completed. In cases where there are too many booked trucks at the store, they will only be slotted in the
queue 24 hours after arrival or when they can be accommodated.
• Bookings can be done via email 24 hours a day from Monday to Sunday. Trucks booked before 16H00 on the
day of booking will be acknowledged as booked trucks for the next dayshift as per shift schedule below. All
trucks booked after 16H00 on the day of booking will be accommodated once all booked trucks have been
offloaded.
• Records of all deviations and damage reports will be shared/communicated with customers within 24 hours of
first intakes on system.
• MSC Cold Store may prioritize and schedule offloading based on operational, risk and throughput factors.
Customers will be informed of changes that affect them.

2. Dispatch
• All Commercial Bookings/Load out instructions must be confirmed with the Planning Department at least 48
hours prior to loading of the containers to ensure that you are accommodated with a timeslot. Refer to
annexure A
• MSC cold store will not be held responsible for missed shipping opportunities and any additional costs that
may arise due to receiving of late instructions from clients or late arrival of pallets (enroute) that are not on
temperature at time of loading.

Page 1 of 3

Sensitivity: Internal
 • Once the load specification for the commercial load outs are confirmed, the Planning Department will load the
specification onto the system to ensure that clients are able to see their allocations when they receive the next
automated stock report. All changes made to commercial loading specifications must be communicated via
email and with the nominated parties. Refer to annexure A.
• All Steri Bookings/Load out instructions, must be sent to MSC planning, 96 hours prior to loading of the
containers to ensure that the pallets have sufficient time to reach the target temperature. Steri Pallets need to
be in cooling as per the minimum requirements best out in the PPECB Yellow Card.
• Once the load specification for the steri load outs are confirmed, the Planning Department will load the
specification onto the system to ensure that clients are able to see their allocations when they receive the next
automated or ad hoc stock report.
• For steri, once the load specification is confirmed and the pallets are loaded into the steri cycle, the specs
cannot be amended due to the steri cycle protocols. If specs are amended then the steri cycle of 72-96 hours
will start again from the time the new load has started the cycle.
• All placing times for Containers and Trucks must be confirmed with the Planning Department on the day prior
to loading.
• All load out specifications, excluding pallet information must be confirmed 24 hours prior to loading. The may
include but not limited to, void plugs, temptales, dunnage bags etc.

3. Steri procedure
• The sterilization cycle and cut-off times must be confirmed with the Planning Department 48 hours prior to the
start of the Steri cycle.
• Fruit that has already undergone the steri cycle, and then changed to another market will still be charged at
the agreed Steri rate.
• A Steri rejection fee per pallet will be charged if pallets have been rejected by DALRRD for a specific market
that it was packed for.
• In the event of rejections and target market changes, the steri rate will apply if the fruit has already been
under cooling.

4. Inspection procedures
4.1 DALRRD/PHYTO

• DALRRD normal operating hours is from 08h00 to 16h00, Monday to Friday.

• Overtime charges will apply for any inspections requested outside these hours.
• It will be the responsibility of the client to pay for any overtime charges that are incurred due to the late
booking of DALRRD inspections that need to be done as a matter of urgency .All applications for DALRRD
inspections and any overtime requests must please be faxed to DALRRD offices and the cold store before
14H00 the previous day to ensure that inspectors are allocated to the cold store by the DALRRD Supervisors.
• MSC Cold Store will confirm and facilitate the time of inspection.
• Customers must have valid accounts in place with DALRRD.

4.2 PPECB

• PPECB normal operating hours is from 08H00 to 16H00, Monday to Friday.

• Overtime charges will apply for any inspections requested outside these hours.
• It will be the responsibility of the client to pay for any overtime charges that are incurred due to the late
booking of PPECB inspections that need to be done as a matter of urgency.
• All applications for PPECB inspections and any overtime requests must please be emailed to PPECB offices
([email protected]) and the cold store ([email protected]) before 14H00 the
previous day to ensure that inspectors are allocated to the cold store by the PPECB Supervisors.
• Pallet Id’s for PPECB first inspections and re-inspection must be submitted 24 hours prior to the required
inspection time to ensure that the cold store have sufficient time to stage the load/re-label pallets in time for
inspections to commence.

Page 2 of 3
 • All weekend inspections booked with PPECB will be accommodated by the cold store if the client can make
prior arrangements with PPECB and the MSC Cold Store Planning Team by 14H00 on Friday.

4.3 Customer or their nominated 3rd party

• All requests/pallet ID’s for third party inspections that need to be done at MSC Cold Store need to be emailed
to the Planning Department ([email protected]) 24 Hours prior to the required
inspection time to ensure that the cold store have sufficient time to stage the load/re-label pallets in time for
inspections to commence.
• Confirmation via email will be sent to the client/agent agreeing on a suitable time.

5. Labelling Procedure
• MSC Cold Store does not allow any third party or agent to label any pallets onsite
• For labelling requests, please send an email to the Planning Department
• ([email protected]) who will then advise our labelling department with the request for
labelling of the pallets.
• MSC Cold Store prints the labels and applies the labels on the cartons on their behalf, as requested by the
clients.
• If the client supplies his own labels then MSC Cold Store will do the applying of the labels only.
• For trace ability and control purposes, operating on pallets/cartons for labelling purposes by customers and or
their agents is not allowed.
• Label designs are sent to customers for approval prior to accepting and executing the instructions.

6. IT Systems and EDI File Transmissions

• MSC Cold Store has implemented a WMS system called BOLTRICS. It is a 3PL operating system with a Dynamics
365 Business Central platform.
• MSC Cold Store has an agreement with PALTRACK for utilization of their D2 services for transmission of all EDI
files.
• An FTP site will be made available for customers that do not make use of PALTRACK D2 services.
• Stock reports will be automated daily according to the customer’s request.
• A customer portal module will allows customers access to their receipt, dispatch, and stock information with
an option to email reports. This functionality will be explained and set ups done individually with customers.
• The system allows for online truck bookings.

7. Operating Hours
Dayshift
Monday to Saturday 07h00 – 17h30

Sundays Ad hoc

Nightshift
Monday to Saturday 18h00 – 06h00

We do pack cutrus and deciduous

Page 3 of 3