THE CASE FOR CASE WEIGHT LIMITS

CHRIS O'LEARY

Retailers and wholesalers enhancing material handling programs are cracking down on manufacturers who clog the supply chain with heavy cases.

Distributors are starting to penalize manufacturers who ship cases weighing more than 50 pounds. Such penalties are adding teeth to the industry's voluntary weight limit that some manufacturers are exceeding.

This year, such leading distributors as Penn Traffic Co., Syracuse, N.Y., and Fleming Cos., Oklahoma City, are beginning to fine manufacturers who violate a maximum limit of 50 pounds. Some retailers told SN they'd like to see even more stringent weight limits set, perhaps at 40 pounds per case.

In addition, industry organizations like the Food Marketing Institute, the Grocery Manufacturers of America, both of Washington, and Food Distributors International, Falls Church, Va., are tackling the issue.

"We support the principle of keeping these weights down to a level that's reasonable," said John Block, FDI president (formerly NAWGA/IFDA). "We don't want to see employees injured, and there's an economic reason: because injuries are costly."

Retailers who feel they lack the clout of a Penn Traffic hope such industrywide pressure will result in fewer heavy cases coming into their warehouse.

"We're trying to continually work with vendors to reduce the pounds," said Jack Luster, director of warehousing and distribution at City Market, Grand Junction, Colo. "We hope the pressure will come down on the vendors enough that they will eventually start responding."

One retailer who wished to remain anonymous said his chain has begun rejecting new items that violate its 50-pound weight limit.

"We try to work with each vendor to try to give them suggestions to reduce the weight of their packages," he said. "We've had some good success. Flour has gone down to 40 pounds from 50, and we've got cat litter down."

Hy-Vee Food Stores, West Des Moines, Iowa, would like to see maximum case weights reduced even further, to 40 pounds or less. "We would like to see that, but I'm not sure economically how it would work" for manufacturers, said Marty Baker, director of warehousing.