Keeping Food Fresh: Reliable Inland Transport for Fruits in the Philippines

Trust and reliability are the foundations of agro-logistics. The journey of fresh produce like fruits — from farms to supermarket shelves — depends on seamless coordination and efficient inland transport among stakeholders who recognize the high stakes of handling perishables.

For Choice Harvest Marketing Inc. (CHMI), one of the Philippines’ leading fruit wholesalers, finding a reliable, trusted agro-logistics partner has enabled them to grow and consistently deliver quality food to Filipino families.

From Farms to Supermarkets

CHMI imports fruits from across the globe. It sources from Australia, Korea, China, Thailand, and Vietnam while also purchasing directly from local farmers. The company consigns its products to one of the Philippines’ largest mall chains, ensuring Filipino families have consistent access to high-quality, nutritious food.

A family-owned business led by siblings Philip Dela Cruz and Ailynn Dela Cruz, CHMI plays a vital role in the Philippine food supply chain by supplying imported and locally sourced fruits to supermarkets within the National Capital Region and key cities in Luzon. 

Products are transported from CHMI’s warehouse in Quezon City to supermarket branches and retailers across Metro Manila, Bulacan, and Pampanga. CHMI also supplies fruits to retail stores across Batangas, Laguna, Quezon Province, and the Bicol Region.

“We are proud of the work we do in bringing fresh, quality food to Filipino households. CHMI is not just a business for us but a family legacy of making food accessible and reliable,” says Philip.

“But this responsibility also means we need a logistics partner that understands the food supply chain, and helps us meet the requirements of major supermarket chains.”

Inland Transport Solution for Fruits 

Inland transport is one of the most critical links in the agro-logistics chain. It ensures that fruits, vegetables, and other produce move seamlessly from farms and warehouses to retail stores. For perishables like CHMI fruits, timeliness and careful handling can spell the difference between meeting buyer standards and losing revenue.

This need prompted CHMI to work with FAST Logistics Group — a leading end-to-end logistics provider operating the Philippines’ most extensive trucking fleet of over 3,100 units — to secure consistent and reliable fruit deliveries for their retail partners.

The collaboration between CHMI and FAST began in the last quarter of 2022, when both companies identified opportunities for collaboration.

CHMI initially entrusted FAST with two daily trips while still operating its own trucks. The reliability of FAST’s inland transport solutions quickly proved valuable. By mid-2023, CHMI gave FAST seven delivery trips per day.

Yet managing an in-house fleet also meant dealing with operational challenges such as truck maintenance, driver scheduling, fuel costs, and unexpected breakdowns. And all of these can disrupt delivery timelines. A year later, CHMI entrusted FAST with 100% of its transport requirements, allowing the company to focus on its core business.

CHMI and FAST: Reliability and Precision from Warehouse to Supermarket

Today, FAST manages a minimum of 17 CHMI trips per day, deploying AUVs, four-wheelers, and six-wheelers to service supermarket branches across Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon. This growth reflects CHMI’s confidence in FAST’s capability to deliver reliable and scalable logistics solutions.

FAST’s dedicated account manager also plays a key role — anticipating operational needs, resolving issues promptly, and deploying extra support during high-volume periods to ensure uninterrupted supply.

“Commitment to customer satisfaction by meeting business requirements is an important facet of our organization,” says Sharon Quiatchon, FAST Business Development Manager. “For CHMI and our other clients in the agriculture sector, precision and reliability in transport solutions are essential to achieving business success.”

CHMI’s decision to entrust FAST with its entire transport requirement highlights that reliability builds long-term trust. With supermarkets depending on CHMI for fresh produce, and consumers depending on supermarkets for their daily needs, every delay or disruption can have a ripple effect across the supply chain.

FAST Logistics Group: Top Agro-Logistics Provider in the Philippines 

While FAST primarily caters to multinational companies and leading conglomerates, it also supports agri-producers, wholesalers, and companies in the fresh food business. Transporting essential supplies and Filipinos’ preferred brands has long been FAST’s expertise, and this capability extends seamlessly to fruit wholesalers like CHMI. Here are the key strengths of FAST that make it one of the most trusted agro-logistics providers in the Philippines.

Expansive Transport Fleet and Nationwide Reach

FAST operates the largest trucking fleet in the Philippines, with over 3,100 units serving Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Its vehicle mix — AUVs, four-wheelers, six-wheelers, and 10-wheelers — enables efficient handling of various load sizes and delivery schedules. FAST’s expansive transport fleet and nationwide reach are complemented by agro-logistics innovations such as Transport Management System (TMS), a software solution that enables real-time tracking, route optimization, truck utilization planning, and data-driven visibility.

Because of its strong network and capacity, FAST maintains consistent operations even during peak seasons. For CHMI, this means fruits arrive fresh, on time, and compliant with retail receiving standards for supply availability.

Multi-Modal Transport and ColdChain Capability

CHMI trusts FAST for its inland trucking solutions. As an end-to-end provider, FAST also supports the inland trucking, RoRo, sea freight, and air freight requirements of other companies. This multi-modal capability strengthens supply chain resilience, especially for perishable products that require rapid delivery to markets.

For agri-products that require strict temperature management, FAST provides temperature-controlled warehousing and refrigerated transport. While CHMI’s operations currently do not require refrigerated transport, FAST’s capability allows them to scale in the future — particularly if product lines or handling requirements evolve.

Expertise in Retailer Receiving Windows and Compliance

FAST has extensive experience servicing supermarket chains, groceries, shopping malls, and distribution hubs nationwide, making it well-versed in retail receiving schedules, unloading protocols, and strict buyer compliance standards. This facilitates smoother inbound coordination, providing a significant advantage for CHMI in efficiently delivering fresh fruits to store shelves.

Strong Partnership, Strong Food Supply Chain 

Beyond business, the partnership between CHMI and FAST reflects the critical role of agro-logistics in ensuring food security in the Philippines. In an archipelago like the Philippines, reliable inland transport ensures that quality food moves efficiently from suppliers to consumers.

By investing in robust partnerships, companies like CHMI contribute to the broader goal of keeping Filipino households well supplied. For CHMI and FAST, their collaboration means high-quality, nutritious food is available at supermarket shelves. With reliable inland transport for agro-logistics, FAST enables CHMI to bring fresh produce to Filipino tables every day.

FAST is the Philippines’ leading end-to-end logistics solutions provider, with over 50 years of industry leadership. Connect with our Solutions Experts to explore tailored solutions for your business.