BN-7912 



Figure 6. --Rear of test load showing efficient and 

 economical bracing consisting of two 1-inch thick 

 upright boards and three 1-inch thick crosswise 

 boards with a load lock behind each of the latter 

 to hold load in place. 



There would have been less likelihood of damage to the master boxes of 

 nine 4-pound or twelve 3-pound plastic film bags of apples if they had been 

 loaded in the middle or forward part of the trailer, where there was less 

 jolting of the load, instead of at the rear of the trailer, where the vertical 

 vibrations are of greater intensity. The apples in the plastic film bags 

 were jumble packed and loose and did not always completely fill the bags be- 

 cause of the irregular sizes of fruit. The apples in these bags had a tendency 

 to rotate when subjected to continuous vibration from the vehicle motion. 

 Since the bags did not fill the large cells in the master boxes completely, 

 these boxes were not so rigid a package as the regular cell-pack boxes, such 

 as those of the 120- and 140-count boxes, and their flexibility contributed 

 to more fruit bruising and container damage, especially when loaded in the 

 rear of the trailer. 



Effect of Loading Containers of Different Sizes 



Generally, the receivers were well pleased with the condition of the test 

 loads of apples on arrival. Some, however, said there were too many boxes of 

 different dimensions even for the boxes containing the same number of apples. 

 The mixing of irregular size boxes resulted in loose loads which contribute 

 to container damage. 



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