Report Highlights: During three seasons, five airflow loading patterns were developed for bagged potatoes shipped by motortruck. These patterns use a single basic design for improving air circulation by providing a number of continuous longitudinal channels through the load. Data from test shipments showed that when the trucks operated at approximately 50 miles per hour under ventilation, the average velocity of air ranged from 141 feet per minute to 274 f.p.m. in the circulation channels and from 280 f.p.m. to 472 f.p.m. over the top of the load. Air movement through the channels provided by the stacking pattern caused temperatures throughout the load to change directly with the ambient (outside air) temperature. The air moving through the channels sometimes made it possible to remove excess moisture from damp potatoes. These patterns are easy to load in any size vehicle and provide the trucker a full payload with proper weight distribution. The patterns are stable, remaining intact during transit, and do not increase damage to containers or product.
