Posts Tagged “Florida”
While many Florida veggies, such as pepper and squash shipments are 
seasonally finished, items ranging from potatoes to tomatoes and watermelons are moving in good volume. Heaviest volume out of Florida is now with central area watermelons, which is approaching 2,000 loads per week. There’s moderate volume with tomatoes, followed by potatoes. But in the overall scheme of things, Florida produce volume is in a seasonal decline.
Georgia is entering perhaps its most active time of the year for produce loads. There’s light volume in the Southern part of the state with blueberries, and heavier tonnage coming from mixed vegetables….About 400 truckloads of Vidalia sweet onions are being shipped weekly. In the Ft. Valley area, Georgia peach hauls are limited, resulting in a lot of multi drop loads as the season hasn’t really kicked in yet and shippers are trying to please as many customers as possible.. But come June that will change rapidly and more straight loads of peaches will become available.
South Carolina peach loadings are only a few days behind those in Georgia.
Georgia vegetables – grossing about $2600 to Chicago.
Florida watermelons – about $4200 to New York City.
For owner operator Ruben Velez, nothing has been given to him. He has worked hard all his life.
“I didn’t finish high school because I grew up working to help my mother pay the bills,” Ruben says.
HaulProduce caught up with the resident of Orlando, FL several weeks ago at The Polish Shop, located at exit 2 along I-75 at Lake Park in far southern Georgia. Ruben has his 2012 386 model Peterbilt polished here about three times a year. This blue beauty, with only 90,000 miles, houses a 455 h.p. Paacar diesel, featuring a 13-speed tranny, and a 242-inch wheelbase. He pulls a 53-foot Utility trailer mounted with a Carrier reefer unit.
Ruben primarily hauls tomatoes out of Southern and Central Florida. He had recently delivered a load of Florida tomatoes to New Jersey. He was returning to Florida with a load of dry freight. It had six drops. He’d already unloaded some of the freight in Atlanta, with further drops set for Lakeland and Deerfield, FL. Then he planned to pick up more Florida tomatoes to haul back north.
Ruben, 43, started trucking as a company drive at age 18. He’s been an owner operator for the past 18 years, owning nothing but Petes. Although he hauls a lot of tomatoes, his favorite loads are with frozen foods. He cites no particular reason, except, “I’ve always hauled it.”
Among his concerns as a small business owner, is the high cost of diesel fuel. “The high price of diesel is hurting me and everyone,” he notes. As for fuel surcharges, the trucker says he receives them, primarily on dry freight, but it is often too little and lags behind the increasing cost of fuel.
Ruben states trucking is becoming more difficult, not only for new entries into the profession, but the veteran drivers as well.
“This (trucking) industry has ate up a lot of guys,” he says. “If you’re entering this industry, go to work for a carrier where you have the benefits. The fuel, tolls, insurance, etc.; all of these costs are very high.”
Asked about his biggest challenge as a trucker, Ruben cites dealing with the inexperienced drivers on the road, both four wheelers and operators of the big rigs. “A lot of them are out there driving while texting, talking on their cell phones; not paying attention.”
His favorite aspect of trucking is a very common answer among long haul drivers — being on the road, enjoying the scenery and just seeing a lot of different things.
As for keys to surviving and making a living in trucking, Ruben cites not only being willing to work hard, but to deal with good, honest shippers, brokers and receivers. He uses his own operating authority to get most of his dry freight hauls, while using reliable, honest truck brokers to obtain his produce hauls.
In Florida while some vegetable shipments, such as peppers are on the 
decline, items such as potatoes, watermelons and tomatoes are providing better loading opportunities.
Florida is shipping about 500 truckloads of potatoes weekly and product is now coming out of the Hastings/Palatka area…..Watermelons are moving in much heavier volume, over 2,200 truckloads a week, from southern and central Florida. There also is good volume with tomatoes from the southern and central parts of the state.
If you are in Florida and need to fill out the truck, southern Georgia continues to ship greens, squash and other vegetables….Vidalia onions are now moving in good volume….In the Ft. Valley area, peach shipments have started…..Peaches in South Carolina are only a few days behind Georgia and both states should provide good loading opportunities – especially through the month of June.
South Carolina also has light to moderate volume with greens, sweet onions, cabbage, parsley and cilantro. Coming in June will be shipments of corn, tomatoes and peppers.
Looking ahead, North Carolina loading opportunities for watermelons and cantaloupe will be coming the last half of June.
Southern New Jersey continues to ship light amounts of lettuce and asparagus. These items will be winding down with the month of May, but will be replaced in June with vegetables ranging from bell peppers, cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes, as well as blueberries and peaches.
Central Florida tomatoes, watermelons – grossing about $4100 to New York City.
Georgia vegetables – about $2700 to Philadlephia.
Going from East to West with U.S. produce shipping areas, in Florida I’m not sure why 
rates are little, if any more to Boston than to New York City. Afterall, you’ve got another 200 miles to Boston from Florida. Of course, Boston traditionally offers fewer return loads. So if you can gross $3600 to New York, surely a load of Florida vegetables, melons etc. should be getting close to $4000.
Southern Georgia shipments are cranking up with peppers, squash, greens and cabbage, while Southeastern Georgia Vidalia onions are in full shipping mode. Overall, expect Vidalia onion loadings to be off 20 to 30 percent this season due to disease.
In South Texas, sweet onion shipments are two to three weeks ahead of schedule and should be pretty much finished around May 10th. The Lower Rio Grande Valley also is loading items ranging from citrus, to beets, greens, cabbage, etc.
There are steady shipments of Idaho potatoes — grossing about $4200 to Atlanta.
The same holds for storage onions from the Idaho and Malhuer County, Oregon region — grossing about $5400 to Baltimore.
South Texas produce – about $2800 to Los Angeles.
Vidalia, GA onions – about $2600 to Chicago.
Supplies of refrigerated a equipment are tightening some as we get further into 
spring. How big a shortage of trucks for hauling produce will be this year will start to reveal itself in the weeks ahead and should be really interesting by late May and onward through the summer.
In Florida, blueberry loadings from Central and North Florida are now in good volume and hauls are available into June….Meanwhile, Georgia “blues” are right behind Florida. Good Georgia blueberry shipments should be available by next week….Back to Florida, rates for hauling watermelons out of the southern part of the state have jumped 20 percent in recent days. Vegetable volume from Florida continues to be heavy.
In South Texas, vegetables continue to be loaded, combined with a lot of veggies and tropical fruit from Mexico crossing the border into Texas. Cantaloupe shipments have started from the Rio Grande Valley. There’s still no overall damage reports on storm-hit watermelons in South Texas. There will be fewer loads, but who knows how much less? Loadings are light, but will be increasing and continue into mid-June.
In California, the Imperial Valley is quieter with the seasonal end of vegetable shipments. However, cantaloupe shipments will start in mid-May….About 300 truckload equivalents of carrots are being shipped weekly from the Bakersfield area.
Southern California continues to ship good volumes of avocados, strawberries and citrus…..The Santa Maria district, along with the Salinas Valley will become more active with produce shipments in the weeks ahead.
In Washington state, there are steady loadings of apples and pears from the Yakima and Wenatchee valleys.
Washington state apples and pears – grossing about $4200 to Chicago.
Southern California produce – grossing about $5000 to Chicago.
South Texas produce – about $4800 to New York City.
South Florida veggies – about $3600 to New York City.
California peach, plum and nectarine shipments, which were expected to start 
in a few weeks, will be reduced due to an April 11 hail storm. The affected area ranges from Hannaford to near Oros, with the Traver area hit hardest. Damage assessements and how much shipments will be affected are still being assessed…..Meanwhile, lettuce shipments continue from Huron in the San Joaquin Valley. Light to moderate vegetable loadings are taking place from Salinas.
In Florida, red potato loadings continue increasing from southern and central parts of the state. However, it is various spring vegetables still providing the most volume….The Sunshine state is still shipping citrus. Orange loadings should total 145 million boxes, up from 139 million a year ago. Florida grapefruit volume should hit 18.8 million boxes, up slightly from last year.
Steady shipments of Idaho potatoes continue, averaging about 1700 truckload equivalents per week.
Idaho potatoes – grossing about $4000 to Atlanta.
California Huron area lettuce – grossing about $7000 to Boston.
Central Florida vegetables – about $2600 to Philadelphia.
Your best bets for getting quickly loaded these days are Southern California, South and Central Florida, as well as Nogales, AZ.
In Southern Cal, whether talking strawberries, oranges, avocados and some
vegetables, the best volume is here, although there’s increasing activity in the San Joaquin Valley, Salinas and Santa Maria….Mexican produce crossing the border at Nogales continues in brisk volume, although we’ll start seeing a seasonal decline the further we get into April. By late April or early May imports of grapes from Mexico will start taking center stage.
In Florida, volume will should follow a similar path of Mexican imports at Nogales. There are large variences in Florida produce rates depending on the area, and the commodities you are hauling, and to a certain extent when you are available to load and how bad the shipper needs a truck. For example rates to New York are varying anywhere from $3000 to $4000.
In south Texas, hail damage a couple of weeks ago wiped out 20 to 30 percent of the areas 10,000 acres of watermelons. Some onions also were hit, but not as much. The Lower Rio Grande Valley also is a big shipper of grapefruit and oranges. But it’s going to be awhile before we’ll know how much shipments starting next fall will be affected.
Nationally, three percent more apples remain in storages for shipping, with much of that fruit being in Washington state. Steady shipments should continue through the summer.
Yakima Valley, WA apples – grossing about $5700 to Pittsburgh.
South Texas veggies – about $1600 to Oklahoma City.
Central Florida veggies – about $3500 to New York City.
Southern California produce – about $5000 to Chicago.
Florida tomato shipments have been heavy, but loadings are expected to
gradually decline some this week and continue this trend through April. Florida blueberry volume from central and northern areas of the state continues to increase. South Florida potatoes loadings continue to increase, while the biggest volume is building with various vegetables from the southern and central parts of the state. Favorable weather has most items ahead of schedule this year. Loading opportunities in Florida overall should be excellent this spring through May, or at least until hot summer weather starts taking its toll of the vegetables.
Florida vegetables – grossing about $3300 to New York City.
A mild winter, great spring and increasing produce volume is gradually 
increasing demand for refrigerated equipment in several areas of the country. This is resulting in rising freight rates, although higher diesel fuel prices is certainly putting a damper on many truckers getting too excited about these changes.
In Florida, we’ve seen rate increases of 10 to 15 percent in the past week as volume continues to build for spring vegetables, and red potatoes. Watermelon shipments are underway, but we’re another week or so away from good volume.
In southeast Georgia, light shipments of Vidalia onions are occurring, but decent volume won’t hit until around April 15th.
On the West coast, we’re seeing a few more $7000 freight rates to New York City and Boston, but the majority of rates remain a few hundred dollars less. But this is an indicator of what’s coming as volume continues to build from Southern California, the San Joaquin Valley as well as the Salinas area.
Mexican vegetables, melons and mangos crossing the border at Nogales, AZ are showing small rate increases as this area enters it’s final peak volume month for shipments.
I keep hearing about shortages of equipment for hauling sweet potatoes out of eastern areas of North Carolina, but there seems to be no increases in the freight rates. Could there be a correlation? Duh!
North Carolina sweet potatoes – grossing about $2250 to Chicago.
Southern California, avocados, berries, etc – about $6800 to New York City.
Nogales vegetables – about $5800 to Philadelphia.
South Florida veggies – about $3600 to Boston
As we move further into spring and there are shipping gaps with some fruits 
and vegetables, one of the most consistent items on a year around basis are potatoes. They certainly don’t always pay the highest of freight rates, but they are dependable, and usually less perishable; meaning less risk to the hauler and hopefully less chance of dealing with “claim happy” receivers looking to shaft you with a unfair deduction or rejection.
All potato shipping areas combined around the country are loading over 4,700 trucklload equivalents of spuds on average per week right now. Idaho is accounting for around 1750 truckload equivalents weekly. Other leading states currently shipping spuds are Colorado’s San Luis Valley, the Columbia Basin in Washington state and the nearby Umatilla Basin in Oregon, as well as South Florida and Central Wisconsin. Much fewer shipments are occurring from Western Michigan, Aroostrock County, Maine, as well as from the Imperial and O’Neill areas of Nebraska and the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnestoa.
Twin Falls Idaho area – grossing about $5300 to New York City
San Luis Valley – $1600 to Dallas.
South Florida – $2700 to Baltimore
NOTE: The new U.S. potato season usually kicks off around late July or August. A peek at the upcoming year for potatoes shows potentially good news if you haul the product, or if you are a consumer. Potato farmers in the Northwest once again can’t resist the urge (or is it greed?) to plant an additional 30,000 acres of spuds for the 2012-13 season. That will probably more loading opportunities and lower retail prices. It could also mean a disasterous season for growers if too many spuds end up in the distribution pipeline.