Author Archive
Digi International has introduced a wireless temperature monitoring system for perishable foods.
The Minnetonka, Minn.-based company’s trademarked Digi Honeycomb is marketed as an easily deployed, reliable and cost-effective service that continuously monitors product temperature and alerts users if the proper temperature is not maintained.
Transportation companies, restaurants, retailers, convenience stores, and warehouses can use the system to prevent spoilage and loss, lower labor costs and comply with public health requirements and food safety regulations, according to a news release.
A subscription-based service, Digi Honeycomb is comprised of handheld probes, wireless sensors, gateways and software that allows temperature data to be monitored, logged and retrieved and be easily integrated into back-office systems, according to the release.
The product encompasses a businesses’ front and back-of-house environments and allows organizations to address major challenges including food safety, chain-of-custody verification, loss prevention, proof of compliance and labor costs, according to the release.
With the Bluetooth-enabled system, automatic alerts can be set for all types of temperatures, including refrigerated, ambient, hot-holding and frozen.
Sensors can be installed in a variety of office equipment including walk-in refrigerators and freezers, under-counter coolers, showcase units and sandwich lines.
The Honeycomb gateway collects and uploads temperature data for processing, eliminating the need for staff to manually record or enter temperatures into a computer at a later time.
Quality issues are being reported with late season Chilean imported grapes as Mexico’s table grape exports are arriving in the U.S. in light volume. Mexican grape shipments are expected to be down 18 percent this season from 2015.
In 2015, Sonora, Mexico exported 17.22 million cases of table grapes. This year loadings are expected to hit 14.17 million, a drop of 3.05 million boxes, or 18 percent.
Early green seedless grapes are the only Sonora category of grapes expected to increase in volume this season. These are estimated at 871,000 cases, up 15 percent from 2015.
Here are the estimates for shipments of other Mexican grape varieties:
Flames: This red seedless grape may be down over 1 million cases from a year ago. In 2015, Sonora exported 8.6 million cases; the estimate for this year is 7.6 million boxes, which is a drop of 12 percent.
Sugraone: This green seedless variety is expected to drop 26 percent, to a total of 3.1 million boxes. This is down almost 1.1 million boxes from 2015, when 4.17 million were exported.
Perlettes: This white seedless grape is expected to be down 21 percent in 2016. There is a drop of 314,222 in the estimate from the 2015 export crop of 1.464 million. It is estimated that 1.15 million cases of Perlettes will be exported in 2016.
Red Globes: This variety faces the largest percentage of volume drop of all Mexican grape varieties in 2016. The Red Globe export estimate for 2016 is 400,000 boxes — a sharp decrease from the 825,848 boxes of Red Globes exported from Mexico last year.
Black grapes: The volume from Sonora is expected to be 650,000 cases, down 26 percent from 877,872 in 2015.
Other grape varieties will cumulatively be down 14 percent to 400,000 cases in 2016. This is a drop of 67,000 boxes from a year ago.
There should be good volume with grapes at Nogales the week prior to the Memorial Day weekend.
There is light volume with vegetables and mangoes, with rising grape volume crossing the border at Nogales – grossing about $3200 to Chicago.
The anthocyanin-rich nature of strawberries may help improve insulin sensitivity, according to a new study published in the February issue of Molecular Nutrition and Food Nutrition. The finding is important because research has shown prolonged insulin resistance (IR) can lead to Type 2 diabetes.
Researchers gave obese adults with insulin resistance a meal high in fat and carbohydrates paired with a beverage that contained freeze-dried whole strawberry powder (equivalent to 3 cups of strawberries) to test the effects of anthocyanins, Subjects who drank the most concentrated versions of the strawberry drink produced less insulin.
Thanks to the strawberry shake, it appeared the body didn’t need much insulin to metabolize their meal. Researchers note that while the exact reason strawberries have this effect remains unclear, it may be that anthocyanins alter insulin signaling at a cellular level.
Strawberries are listed as one of the top ten superfoods to be included in a diabetes meal plan by The American Diabetes Association lists. Low in sugar — but loaded with antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins — strawberries are a highly beneficial berry for both diabetics and non-diabetics.
Experts say eating just eight medium-sized strawberries a day may improve heart health, help manage diabetes, support brain health, and reduce the risk of some cancers.
From Georgia peaches, to sweet onions loadings around the country, to potatoes and sweet potatoes, here are some produce loading oppportunities.
Vidalia onion shipments have gotten off to a fast start. Much of the reason is due to light supplies from areas creating a larger demand for the sweet onion from Southeastern Georgia…. Onions also are experiencing brisk shipments out of the California desert area of the Imperial Valley…..Sweet onion shipments out of Walla Walla Washington are expected to get under way about June 20th.
Georgia Peach Shipments
Peach shipments from Georgia are expected to get underway the third week of May from the Ft. Valley area. Georgia is expecting its best season in a decade.
Colorado Potato Shipments
Walked into my local Wal-Mart supermarket in northeastern Oklahoma May 5 and the first thing customers saw were of bins of Colorado russets. They were priced at 75 cents for a 5-pound bag. Why don’t they just give them away! The San Luis Valley of Colorado is shipping over 600 truck loads of potatoes a week.
Colorado potatoes – grossing about $1600 to Dallas.
Wisconsin Potato Shipments
Potato loadings are coming out of Central Wisconsin. Volume is averaging around 250 truck loads per week.
Wisconsin potatoes – grossing about $950 to Chicago.
North Carolina Sweet Potato Shipments
Sweet potato shipments, primarily from Eastern North Carolina, are having pretty steady volume from week to week. The Tarheel State is averaging about 250 truck loads being shipped a week.
The Northwest United States, including British Columbia, is shaping up to be an excellent season for produce haulers to haul cherries.
With a very early start expected for Northwest cherry shipments, the prognosticators expects to ship 20.7 million 20-pound boxes this season. Initial cherry shipments from the Northwest should get underway between May 23 and May 25. A total of 200,000 boxes could be shipped in May alone.
If this estimate holds, Northwest cherry loadings would be 7 percent above last year’s 19.3 million boxes, but short of the record 23.2 million boxes shipped in 2014. Rainier cherry shipments in 2016 are expected to total 1.7 million 15-pound boxes, about the same as last year.
The total Northwest cherry industry has the potential to ship 11 million boxes in June and another 9 million in July. Good volume cherry shipments are expected to start in early June, with significant cherry volume by the week of June 15th. Peak cherry shipments are expected between the middle of June and continue through the middle of July.
Yakima Valley apple shipments – grossing about $6000 to New York City.
B.C. Cherry Shipments
British Columbia cherry shipments will start in early June. Record shipments are predicted this season with 12 million pounds being estimated. This volume would be up from the 10.5 million pounds in 2015. Most British Columbia cherry shipments are destined for markets in Western Canada and the United States.
California Cherry Shipments
California cherry shipments are now in full throttle from the San Joaquin Valley. A good, but not record crop is now being shipped and will continue for another couple of weeks.
San Joaquin Valley produce shipments- grossing about $4400 to Chicago.
A new study shows that eating a handful of almonds everyday can improve a person’s diet quality which may have numerous lifelong health benefits.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Florida. included 28 parent-child pairs: the parents were instructed to eat 42 grammes of whole almonds each day during the three-week intervention portion of the research period. The children were encouraged to eat 14 grammes of whole almonds or an equivalent amount of almond butter each day.
At the beginning of the 14-week research period the participants’ average Healthy Eating Index scores were 53.7 for the parents as well as children. The Healthy Eating Index is a measure of diet quality that assesses conformance to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
A score below 51 is reflective of a poor diet, a score between 51 and 80 reflects a need for improvement and a score greater than 80 indicates a good diet.
After the study, the average Healthy Eating Index score for parents as well as children increased to an average 61.4.
They increased their Healthy Eating Index component scores for total protein foods and decreased the intake of empty calories.
The results suggest whole food approaches, like adding almonds to one’s diet, may be an achievable way to improve overall public health.
Des Moines Truck Brokers introduces a brand new app for truck drivers. Proprietary to DMTB, the app is FREE to drivers. This innovative new convenience is now available at both Apple and Android App Stores.
Just go to the store on your phone and put in – DMTB. The new app puts drivers in charge! It will deliver load information. Rate confirmations can be signed and automatically sent back right from the app.
Drivers will be glad to hear that comments and reefer temperatures can be added. Check calls become automatic for pick up, delivery and enroute. The driver can do it all anytime, from anywhere.
“No more wasting time and money faxing from truck stops,” says Account Manager Eric Davis, CTB. “Drivers can take photos of BOLs and easily send them to DMTB and their dispatch.”
The DMTB Driver App is free to carriers and drivers. It provides access to the DMTB load board and quick links to DMTB social media. It even shows locations of nearby truck stops, Walmarts and weather.
“We are encouraging all drivers to download the free DMTB Driver App,” stated DMTB President Jimmy DeMatteis, CTB. “We think you will find it saves time and makes life on the road just a bit easier.”
This article was reprinted from the April 2016 issue of Dashboard, the online publication of Des Moines Truck Brokers.
About DMTB:
Des Moines Truck Brokers, Inc. was started over 46 years ago and is a full service third party transportation logistics provider. Our professional staff offers over a century of transportation and traffic management experience to assure excellent customer satisfaction. The company delivered over 10,000 truck loads last year. Over 98 percent of these loads were on time. Our reputation for paying carriers fast is second to none. Also, we have a claims ration of less then ½ of 1 percent over the past five years. Des Moines Truck Brokers, Inc. knows that Service is all we have to sell.
Florida watermelon shipments are gaining in volume, while California’s Salinas Valley is still struggling to get consist, good quality and decent volume vegetable shipments.
Florida watermelon shipments got off to a slow start at best in April, but decent volume is expected by mid May leading up to the important Memorial Day weekend, May 27-30. Some shippers are reporting supplies are off as much as 20 percent due to weather conditions. While initial shipments start out of southern Florida, central Florida watermelon shipments should get underway around May 10-15.
Demand for trucks have recently increased significantly in Florida, although no serious shortages of equipment has been reported. Rates also have increased by 10 to 15 percent to New York and Boston on mixed loads.
Southern Florida watermelons, tomatoes and vegetables – grossing about $3200 to New York City.
Georgia watermelon shipments typically start as Florida begins winding down. Georgia loadings should get underway around June 10th.
Southern Georgia greens, cabbage, carrots and squash – grossing about $2200 to New York City.
California Vegetable Shipments
The coastal district of Santa Maria is shipping about 450 truck loads of strawberries a week, but Watsonville strawberry shipments are increasing and will surpass Santa Maria any day now. Mother’s Day (May 8) is one of the biggest times for strawberry shipments. After a shaky first quarter of the year weather wise, Mother Nature is showing more cooperation and berries of all types are showing better quality, and volume.
Salinas Valley broccoli and cauliflower shipments got off to an early start, but there have been peaks and valleys regarding volumes. The roller coaster ride could continue for several more weeks. When produce loadings here start a week or two ahead of schedule, as it did this year, it is often followed by periods of heavy and light volumes.
Shipments for both broccoli and cauliflower had been decent, but another dip in loadings started in late April and continues into May. Most crops are experiencing issues with yields and volume is very uneven compared to “normal” shipping conditions.
Quality issues due to the weather has resulted in problems for drivers and shippers, upon delivery to the East Coast.
Salinas Valley lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower – grossing about $6700 to New York City.
Eating grapes may help protect eye health, according to new research published in the journal Nutrition.
The laboratory study was conducted at the University of Miami, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and showed that a grape‐enriched diet preserved the retina’s structure and function against damaging oxidative stress.
Natural components in grapes that help promote antioxidant activity are thought to contribute to these beneficial effects. The retina is the part of the eye that contains the cells that respond to light, known as photoreceptors. Degeneration of the retina causes progressive photoreceptor death and irreversible vision impairment, including blindness, affecting millions of people in the U.S. Oxidative stress is strongly associated with retinal disease.
Study results showed that the group consuming the grape‐enriched diet maintained retinal thickness, the quantity of photoreceptors, and the amount of photoreceptor activity, despite the oxidative stress insult. Conversely, in the non‐grape consuming group, retinas were damaged, displaying holes and lesions, and with a significant decrease in thickness. Additionally there was a 40% reduction in photoreceptors and significant loss of photoreceptor activity.
“Adding grapes to the diet actually preserved retinal health in the presence of oxidative stress in this study,” said Dr. Abigail Hackam, lead investigator of the study. “These results are very exciting and build on the growing evidence that suggests a very real benefit for grape consumption and eye health.”
ATHENS, GA. — Carrier Transicold has expanded its line of Thin Film Flexible Solar Panels designed to help maintain peak performance of transport refrigeration unit (TRU) batteries in a more environmentally sustainable way. The company
is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).
Carrier Transicold now offers 18.5 watt (1.2 amp) and 9.24 watt (0.6 amp) solar panels, in addition to its original 28 watt (1.8 amp) panel, accommodating a wider range of user needs and budgets. The solar panels are designed specifically to maintain TRU battery charge and can be easily installed on the roofs of trailers, truck bodies and refrigerated rail cars chilled by Carrier Transicold or other systems.
Solar panels can offset the draw from accessory electrical devices, significantly reducing callout charges related to the battery. Solar panels can also help conserve fuel by minimizing the need to run the TRU engine to charge the battery.
“Our amorphous silicon, or a-Si, solar cell technology provides high performance in real world environments where daylight may be indirect or low,” said Jason Forman, marketing manager, Performance Parts, Carrier Transicold. “Unlike some other solar technologies that require several days of sun soaking to bring the panels up to full functionality, a-Si panels deliver maximum performance without sun soaking. They also begin charging at a higher voltage at a lower angle of light than some other technologies, allowing charging over a longer portion of the day, which is especially helpful in northern regions and in the winter.”
“Fleets located farther south in warmer climates will appreciate that a-Si panels do a better job of retaining their efficiency on hot days, in contrast to some other types of solar panels that can lose considerable efficiency when their temperature increases,” he added.
When exposed to daylight, the solar panels continuously charge TRU batteries, ensuring ample power for system starts and helping to avoid issues and costs associated with a weak or dead battery. Refrigeration system batteries are often tapped to power additional trailer electronics such as telematics devices, fuel-level sensors, interior lighting and other accessories. If the TRU has not been operated for some time and these accessories continue to draw power while the unit is off, its battery might not have enough charge to start the engine.
Carrier Transicold solar panels are lightweight, highly flexible and measure less than one-eighth of an inch thick. Designed to withstand the harsh transportation environment, they are waterproof and puncture-resistant and have a five-year limited warranty on power output.
To learn more about the new Thin Film Flexible Solar Panels, turn to the experts within the Carrier Transicold dealer network or visit www.carrier.com/tru-solar.
About Carrier Transicold
Carrier Transicold helps improve transport and shipping of temperature controlled cargoes with a complete line of equipment and services for refrigerated transport and cold chain visibility. For more than 45 years, Carrier Transicold has been an industry leader, providing customers around the world with advanced, energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable container refrigeration systems and generator sets, direct-drive and diesel truck units, and trailer refrigeration systems. Carrier Transicold is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp., a leading provider to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide. For more information, visit www.transicold.carrier.com. Follow Carrier on Twitter: @SmartColdChain.
Digi International has introduced a wireless temperature monitoring system for perishable foods.
The Minnetonka, Minn.-based company’s trademarked Digi Honeycomb is marketed as an easily deployed, reliable and cost-effective service that continuously monitors product temperature and alerts users if the proper temperature is not maintained.
Transportation companies, restaurants, retailers, convenience stores, and warehouses can use the system to prevent spoilage and loss, lower labor costs and comply with public health requirements and food safety regulations, according to a news release.
A subscription-based service, Digi Honeycomb is comprised of handheld probes, wireless sensors, gateways and software that allows temperature data to be monitored, logged and retrieved and be easily integrated into back-office systems, according to the release.
The product encompasses a businesses’ front and back-of-house environments and allows organizations to address major challenges including food safety, chain-of-custody verification, loss prevention, proof of compliance and labor costs, according to the release.
With the Bluetooth-enabled system, automatic alerts can be set for all types of temperatures, including refrigerated, ambient, hot-holding and frozen.
Sensors can be installed in a variety of office equipment including walk-in refrigerators and freezers, under-counter coolers, showcase units and sandwich lines.
The Honeycomb gateway collects and uploads temperature data for processing, eliminating the need for staff to manually record or enter temperatures into a computer at a later time.
Quality issues are being reported with late season Chilean imported grapes as Mexico’s table grape exports are arriving in the U.S. in light volume. Mexican grape shipments are expected to be down 18 percent this season from 2015.
In 2015, Sonora, Mexico exported 17.22 million cases of table grapes. This year loadings are expected to hit 14.17 million, a drop of 3.05 million boxes, or 18 percent.
Early green seedless grapes are the only Sonora category of grapes expected to increase in volume this season. These are estimated at 871,000 cases, up 15 percent from 2015.
Here are the estimates for shipments of other Mexican grape varieties:
Flames: This red seedless grape may be down over 1 million cases from a year ago. In 2015, Sonora exported 8.6 million cases; the estimate for this year is 7.6 million boxes, which is a drop of 12 percent.
Sugraone: This green seedless variety is expected to drop 26 percent, to a total of 3.1 million boxes. This is down almost 1.1 million boxes from 2015, when 4.17 million were exported.
Perlettes: This white seedless grape is expected to be down 21 percent in 2016. There is a drop of 314,222 in the estimate from the 2015 export crop of 1.464 million. It is estimated that 1.15 million cases of Perlettes will be exported in 2016.
Red Globes: This variety faces the largest percentage of volume drop of all Mexican grape varieties in 2016. The Red Globe export estimate for 2016 is 400,000 boxes — a sharp decrease from the 825,848 boxes of Red Globes exported from Mexico last year.
Black grapes: The volume from Sonora is expected to be 650,000 cases, down 26 percent from 877,872 in 2015.
Other grape varieties will cumulatively be down 14 percent to 400,000 cases in 2016. This is a drop of 67,000 boxes from a year ago.
There should be good volume with grapes at Nogales the week prior to the Memorial Day weekend.
There is light volume with vegetables and mangoes, with rising grape volume crossing the border at Nogales – grossing about $3200 to Chicago.
The anthocyanin-rich nature of strawberries may help improve insulin sensitivity, according to a new study published in the February issue of Molecular Nutrition and Food Nutrition. The finding is important because research has shown prolonged insulin resistance (IR) can lead to Type 2 diabetes.
Researchers gave obese adults with insulin resistance a meal high in fat and carbohydrates paired with a beverage that contained freeze-dried whole strawberry powder (equivalent to 3 cups of strawberries) to test the effects of anthocyanins, Subjects who drank the most concentrated versions of the strawberry drink produced less insulin.
Thanks to the strawberry shake, it appeared the body didn’t need much insulin to metabolize their meal. Researchers note that while the exact reason strawberries have this effect remains unclear, it may be that anthocyanins alter insulin signaling at a cellular level.
Strawberries are listed as one of the top ten superfoods to be included in a diabetes meal plan by The American Diabetes Association lists. Low in sugar — but loaded with antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins — strawberries are a highly beneficial berry for both diabetics and non-diabetics.
Experts say eating just eight medium-sized strawberries a day may improve heart health, help manage diabetes, support brain health, and reduce the risk of some cancers.
From Georgia peaches, to sweet onions loadings around the country, to potatoes and sweet potatoes, here are some produce loading oppportunities.
Vidalia onion shipments have gotten off to a fast start. Much of the reason is due to light supplies from areas creating a larger demand for the sweet onion from Southeastern Georgia…. Onions also are experiencing brisk shipments out of the California desert area of the Imperial Valley…..Sweet onion shipments out of Walla Walla Washington are expected to get under way about June 20th.
Georgia Peach Shipments
Peach shipments from Georgia are expected to get underway the third week of May from the Ft. Valley area. Georgia is expecting its best season in a decade.
Colorado Potato Shipments
Walked into my local Wal-Mart supermarket in northeastern Oklahoma May 5 and the first thing customers saw were of bins of Colorado russets. They were priced at 75 cents for a 5-pound bag. Why don’t they just give them away! The San Luis Valley of Colorado is shipping over 600 truck loads of potatoes a week.
Colorado potatoes – grossing about $1600 to Dallas.
Wisconsin Potato Shipments
Potato loadings are coming out of Central Wisconsin. Volume is averaging around 250 truck loads per week.
Wisconsin potatoes – grossing about $950 to Chicago.
North Carolina Sweet Potato Shipments
Sweet potato shipments, primarily from Eastern North Carolina, are having pretty steady volume from week to week. The Tarheel State is averaging about 250 truck loads being shipped a week.
The Northwest United States, including British Columbia, is shaping up to be an excellent season for produce haulers to haul cherries.
With a very early start expected for Northwest cherry shipments, the prognosticators expects to ship 20.7 million 20-pound boxes this season. Initial cherry shipments from the Northwest should get underway between May 23 and May 25. A total of 200,000 boxes could be shipped in May alone.
If this estimate holds, Northwest cherry loadings would be 7 percent above last year’s 19.3 million boxes, but short of the record 23.2 million boxes shipped in 2014. Rainier cherry shipments in 2016 are expected to total 1.7 million 15-pound boxes, about the same as last year.
The total Northwest cherry industry has the potential to ship 11 million boxes in June and another 9 million in July. Good volume cherry shipments are expected to start in early June, with significant cherry volume by the week of June 15th. Peak cherry shipments are expected between the middle of June and continue through the middle of July.
Yakima Valley apple shipments – grossing about $6000 to New York City.
B.C. Cherry Shipments
British Columbia cherry shipments will start in early June. Record shipments are predicted this season with 12 million pounds being estimated. This volume would be up from the 10.5 million pounds in 2015. Most British Columbia cherry shipments are destined for markets in Western Canada and the United States.
California Cherry Shipments
California cherry shipments are now in full throttle from the San Joaquin Valley. A good, but not record crop is now being shipped and will continue for another couple of weeks.
San Joaquin Valley produce shipments- grossing about $4400 to Chicago.
A new study shows that eating a handful of almonds everyday can improve a person’s diet quality which may have numerous lifelong health benefits.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Florida. included 28 parent-child pairs: the parents were instructed to eat 42 grammes of whole almonds each day during the three-week intervention portion of the research period. The children were encouraged to eat 14 grammes of whole almonds or an equivalent amount of almond butter each day.
At the beginning of the 14-week research period the participants’ average Healthy Eating Index scores were 53.7 for the parents as well as children. The Healthy Eating Index is a measure of diet quality that assesses conformance to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
A score below 51 is reflective of a poor diet, a score between 51 and 80 reflects a need for improvement and a score greater than 80 indicates a good diet.
After the study, the average Healthy Eating Index score for parents as well as children increased to an average 61.4.
They increased their Healthy Eating Index component scores for total protein foods and decreased the intake of empty calories.
The results suggest whole food approaches, like adding almonds to one’s diet, may be an achievable way to improve overall public health.
Des Moines Truck Brokers introduces a brand new app for truck drivers. Proprietary to DMTB, the app is FREE to drivers. This innovative new convenience is now available at both Apple and Android App Stores.
Just go to the store on your phone and put in – DMTB. The new app puts drivers in charge! It will deliver load information. Rate confirmations can be signed and automatically sent back right from the app.
Drivers will be glad to hear that comments and reefer temperatures can be added. Check calls become automatic for pick up, delivery and enroute. The driver can do it all anytime, from anywhere.
“No more wasting time and money faxing from truck stops,” says Account Manager Eric Davis, CTB. “Drivers can take photos of BOLs and easily send them to DMTB and their dispatch.”
The DMTB Driver App is free to carriers and drivers. It provides access to the DMTB load board and quick links to DMTB social media. It even shows locations of nearby truck stops, Walmarts and weather.
“We are encouraging all drivers to download the free DMTB Driver App,” stated DMTB President Jimmy DeMatteis, CTB. “We think you will find it saves time and makes life on the road just a bit easier.”
This article was reprinted from the April 2016 issue of Dashboard, the online publication of Des Moines Truck Brokers.
About DMTB:
Des Moines Truck Brokers, Inc. was started over 46 years ago and is a full service third party transportation logistics provider. Our professional staff offers over a century of transportation and traffic management experience to assure excellent customer satisfaction. The company delivered over 10,000 truck loads last year. Over 98 percent of these loads were on time. Our reputation for paying carriers fast is second to none. Also, we have a claims ration of less then ½ of 1 percent over the past five years. Des Moines Truck Brokers, Inc. knows that Service is all we have to sell.
Florida watermelon shipments are gaining in volume, while California’s Salinas Valley is still struggling to get consist, good quality and decent volume vegetable shipments.
Florida watermelon shipments got off to a slow start at best in April, but decent volume is expected by mid May leading up to the important Memorial Day weekend, May 27-30. Some shippers are reporting supplies are off as much as 20 percent due to weather conditions. While initial shipments start out of southern Florida, central Florida watermelon shipments should get underway around May 10-15.
Demand for trucks have recently increased significantly in Florida, although no serious shortages of equipment has been reported. Rates also have increased by 10 to 15 percent to New York and Boston on mixed loads.
Southern Florida watermelons, tomatoes and vegetables – grossing about $3200 to New York City.
Georgia watermelon shipments typically start as Florida begins winding down. Georgia loadings should get underway around June 10th.
Southern Georgia greens, cabbage, carrots and squash – grossing about $2200 to New York City.
California Vegetable Shipments
The coastal district of Santa Maria is shipping about 450 truck loads of strawberries a week, but Watsonville strawberry shipments are increasing and will surpass Santa Maria any day now. Mother’s Day (May 8) is one of the biggest times for strawberry shipments. After a shaky first quarter of the year weather wise, Mother Nature is showing more cooperation and berries of all types are showing better quality, and volume.
Salinas Valley broccoli and cauliflower shipments got off to an early start, but there have been peaks and valleys regarding volumes. The roller coaster ride could continue for several more weeks. When produce loadings here start a week or two ahead of schedule, as it did this year, it is often followed by periods of heavy and light volumes.
Shipments for both broccoli and cauliflower had been decent, but another dip in loadings started in late April and continues into May. Most crops are experiencing issues with yields and volume is very uneven compared to “normal” shipping conditions.
Quality issues due to the weather has resulted in problems for drivers and shippers, upon delivery to the East Coast.
Salinas Valley lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower – grossing about $6700 to New York City.
Eating grapes may help protect eye health, according to new research published in the journal Nutrition.
The laboratory study was conducted at the University of Miami, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and showed that a grape‐enriched diet preserved the retina’s structure and function against damaging oxidative stress.
Natural components in grapes that help promote antioxidant activity are thought to contribute to these beneficial effects. The retina is the part of the eye that contains the cells that respond to light, known as photoreceptors. Degeneration of the retina causes progressive photoreceptor death and irreversible vision impairment, including blindness, affecting millions of people in the U.S. Oxidative stress is strongly associated with retinal disease.
Study results showed that the group consuming the grape‐enriched diet maintained retinal thickness, the quantity of photoreceptors, and the amount of photoreceptor activity, despite the oxidative stress insult. Conversely, in the non‐grape consuming group, retinas were damaged, displaying holes and lesions, and with a significant decrease in thickness. Additionally there was a 40% reduction in photoreceptors and significant loss of photoreceptor activity.
“Adding grapes to the diet actually preserved retinal health in the presence of oxidative stress in this study,” said Dr. Abigail Hackam, lead investigator of the study. “These results are very exciting and build on the growing evidence that suggests a very real benefit for grape consumption and eye health.”
ATHENS, GA. — Carrier Transicold has expanded its line of Thin Film Flexible Solar Panels designed to help maintain peak performance of transport refrigeration unit (TRU) batteries in a more environmentally sustainable way. The company is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).
is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).Carrier Transicold now offers 18.5 watt (1.2 amp) and 9.24 watt (0.6 amp) solar panels, in addition to its original 28 watt (1.8 amp) panel, accommodating a wider range of user needs and budgets. The solar panels are designed specifically to maintain TRU battery charge and can be easily installed on the roofs of trailers, truck bodies and refrigerated rail cars chilled by Carrier Transicold or other systems.
Solar panels can offset the draw from accessory electrical devices, significantly reducing callout charges related to the battery. Solar panels can also help conserve fuel by minimizing the need to run the TRU engine to charge the battery.
“Our amorphous silicon, or a-Si, solar cell technology provides high performance in real world environments where daylight may be indirect or low,” said Jason Forman, marketing manager, Performance Parts, Carrier Transicold. “Unlike some other solar technologies that require several days of sun soaking to bring the panels up to full functionality, a-Si panels deliver maximum performance without sun soaking. They also begin charging at a higher voltage at a lower angle of light than some other technologies, allowing charging over a longer portion of the day, which is especially helpful in northern regions and in the winter.”
“Fleets located farther south in warmer climates will appreciate that a-Si panels do a better job of retaining their efficiency on hot days, in contrast to some other types of solar panels that can lose considerable efficiency when their temperature increases,” he added.
When exposed to daylight, the solar panels continuously charge TRU batteries, ensuring ample power for system starts and helping to avoid issues and costs associated with a weak or dead battery. Refrigeration system batteries are often tapped to power additional trailer electronics such as telematics devices, fuel-level sensors, interior lighting and other accessories. If the TRU has not been operated for some time and these accessories continue to draw power while the unit is off, its battery might not have enough charge to start the engine.
Carrier Transicold solar panels are lightweight, highly flexible and measure less than one-eighth of an inch thick. Designed to withstand the harsh transportation environment, they are waterproof and puncture-resistant and have a five-year limited warranty on power output.
To learn more about the new Thin Film Flexible Solar Panels, turn to the experts within the Carrier Transicold dealer network or visit www.carrier.com/tru-solar.
About Carrier Transicold
Carrier Transicold helps improve transport and shipping of temperature controlled cargoes with a complete line of equipment and services for refrigerated transport and cold chain visibility. For more than 45 years, Carrier Transicold has been an industry leader, providing customers around the world with advanced, energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable container refrigeration systems and generator sets, direct-drive and diesel truck units, and trailer refrigeration systems. Carrier Transicold is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp., a leading provider to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide. For more information, visit www.transicold.carrier.com. Follow Carrier on Twitter: @SmartColdChain.