A large crop of pears should translate into good loading opportunties in the months ahead, especially since there’s also a big apple crop as well.
Pears (and apples) are coming out of Washington state – Yakima and Wanetchee vallies. The quality of the pears are reported good, but my only concern is shippers have had trouble selling the crop, in part because of the holidays where Christmas favorites such as citrus seem to be preferred. While this may change with the New Year, Washington pear shippers will to start having to move the crop one way or the other. If it gets serious enough some consignment shipments are possible. In other words rolling product on a truck to a destination while still looking for a buyer. That’s not good for the shipper, whose likely going to take a price beating. It could be just as bad for a trucker hauling it. Imagine you’re told you’re taking the load to Philly, but on the way you’re asked to devert to another city after a buyer is finally found. This could possibily add hundreds of miles to your haul. Then comes the question of getting paid fairly for those additonal miles. Even worse, what if you’ve committed to picking up another load in the original city to which you were destined?
I’m not saying this will happen, but just be aware. Plus, if you’re combining pears with something such as apples (which are in hot demand), it should reduce these chances of something going wrong.