When it comes to the rapid advancement of AI and automated technology, there are few topics more controversial than autonomous vehicles. Many states are not only utilizing, but actively encouraging the implementation of autonomous trucking technologies. From Elon Musk’s Tesla line featuring autopilot mode to the seemingly endless supply of Waymo driverless vehicles throughout major California cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, it seems that autonomous transportation is becoming less and less avoidable in today’s society.
For some folks, it is evidence of the state’s willingness to change with the times and adapt in ways that allow for a more streamlined future. For others, autonomous vehicles represent a threat to the economy, potentially taking the livelihoods of thousands of hard-working industry veterans by eliminating the need for truck drivers.
On May 31, 2023, the California State Assembly voted to ban driverless trucks from operating within state lines, mandating the presence of a safety driver within these vehicles. Should this bill (AB 316) pass in the California State Senate, California would fall further behind in terms of implementing autonomous technology into the trucking logistics industry. Jeff Farrah, executive director of the AVIA (Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association), stated directly after that “AB 316 undermines California’s law enforcement and safety officials as they seek to regulate and conduct oversight over life-saving autonomous trucks” in reference to the often utilized argument that the use of self-driving vehicles actually increases road safety and causes a regression in transportation-related deaths. Industry veterans strongly refute this argument, believing that their experience and human characteristics allow for better results.
Fernando Reyes, Teamster Local 350 member, advocated for trucks needing drivers, stating: “…the thought of it barreling down the highway with no driver is a terrifying thought and it isn’t safe…”. He goes on to elaborate further into the safety risks posed by a lack of drivers, saying, “…I know to look out for people texting while driving, potholes in the middle of the road and folks on the side of the highway…”. Clearly, this is a divisive issue featuring some strong points on both sides, yet how does it affect freight brokerage companies?
The answer is that a potential monopoly on trucking due to utilizing autonomous trucks could be just as devastating for brokerages as the carriers themselves. Automated transportation would have a cascading effect on the industry as a whole, as the need for drivers would be eliminated. If there were no drivers involved, there would be no dispatchers. Therefore, shippers would likely come to the conclusion that they would be better served purchasing automated trucks and their accompanying tracking/logistical management systems. Most, if not all, brokerages would be forced to end operation given that much of the moment-to-moment load management would become obsolete as driver error would be eliminated. Rate negotiations would cease, as shippers would own their own fleets in entirety and therefore have no reason to seek outside guidance or management.
However, the need for truck drivers for produce and perishable products is an entirely different conversation. Most of these loads are multi-pick, where a human is needed, so they will probably not see driverless vehicles in the future. As of now, it seems that fully autonomous freight transportation is still decades away from being viable – seemingly in step with the gradual implementation of autonomous technology across all sectors of the world.
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Jake Diana graduated in 2020 from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Arts degree in General Social Sciences. Diana joined the ALC San Francisco office in August 2022 as a broker’s assistant, before being promoted to carrier sales representative, and most recently to carrier sales manager. He is a high-energy individual with a passion for competition, teamwork, and tech.
Athens, GA – Carrier Transicold has enhanced its platform of solar charging systems for transport refrigeration unit (TRU) batteries with a wider array of choices and greater power delivery for faster charging.
“Rapid gains in solar panel technology have enabled us to make significant improvements to our solar charging systems, making this a great time to take advantage of our technology,” said Jason Forman, Director, Aftermarket Parts Sales and Marketing, Carrier Transicold.
The company’s current solar charging system platform for trailer and intermodal units includes:
TRU-Mount Solar Charging System – Has an innovative design that provides a custom fit on the narrow, curved top surface of Carrier Transicold trailer refrigeration units. This system now delivers 2.25 amps of power, a 12.5% boost over the original model.
50-watt Trailer Rooftop-Mount System – This system now provides 4.2 amps of power delivery, which is about 2.5 times greater than Carrier Transicold’s original rooftop system, delivering significant amps per watt for TRU applications.
New 20 Series 50-watt Rooftop-Mount System – Part of Carrier Transicold’s 20 Series line of aftermarket products for competitive trailer units, this system delivers greater efficiency and power than standard 30-watt panels provided by the original TRU equipment manufacturer.
50-watt Rail-Optimized Door-Mount System – This system is designed for domestic intermodal containers that are often double-stacked on flatbed railcars, which limits the application of rooftop mounted systems.
Charging System for Solara™ Heating Unit – The newest system designed for a Carrier Transicold unit, this 2.25-amp top-mount system is the first for the Solara unit, which heats trailers used in cold climates.
Carrier Transicold’s tri-layer solar panel technology maximizes strength and efficiency. Uncut monocrystalline cells maximize output and minimize power loss from intermittent shading, and the charge controller uniquely matches the fixed output of the panel to the voltage required by the battery for faster charging.
Refrigerated haulers use solar panels to help offset refrigeration system battery draws from ancillary devices, such as fuel-level sensors, interior trailer lighting and telematics systems during dwell periods. This saves fuel by reducing the need to run the TRU for battery charging and helps to avoid depleting the battery, requiring a service callout to start the TRU engine and possibly replace the battery.
Eligible businesses may be able to claim a Solar Investment Tax Credit for their solar charging systems. For more information about the credit and Carrier Transicold solar charging systems for trailer applications, turn to the experts in Carrier Transicold’s North America 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 50 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 Carrier Global Corporation, global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions that matter for people and our planet for generations to come. For more information, visit Carrier Transicold online at www.trucktrailer.carrier.com. Follow Carrier on Twitter: @SmartColdChain, on Facebook at Carrier Transicold Truck/Trailer Americas and on LinkedIn at Carrier Transicold Truck Trailer Refrigeration.
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Carrier Transicold has enhanced its platform of solar charging systems for transport refrigeration unit (TRU) batteries with a wider array of choices and greater power delivery for faster charging.
The Wisconsin potato season is getting started and in what seems to be a pattern over the past number of years, acreage and volume remain fairly stable.
The Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Association of Antigo, WI reports
growers are looking at average yields of about 420 cwt per acre. The potato harvest typically runs from late July into October.
Wisconsin shippers move potatoes every month of the year by supplying product from other areas in Badge State supplies run out. In the calendar year 2022, Wisconsin shippers moved 7.14 million cwt of Wisconsin potatoes, with peak shipments in November.
Potato acreage is also expected to be flat compared with last year’s 66,500 acres, with some shifts between red and yellow varieties.
Roughly 38% of Wisconsin’s 2022 crop went to the fresh market. Only a small percentage of the state’s potato volume is grown organically.
Wisconsin yellow potato shipments are ready at Alsum Farms in Arena, WI with the first potato loads being washed, graded and packed for fresh market delivery to distribution centers and retail grocers the first full week of August.
“The first harvest of yellow potatoes at Alsum Farm looks promising,” says Larry Alsum, President & CEO of Alsum Farms & Produce in Friesland, WI.
Red potato loadings started July 31st.
Alsum Farms russet potato harvest will begin on August 11th with the Russet Caribou and Goldrush varieties. Both early season varieties will be the first of new crop russets to be harvested off the field and freshly washed, packed and delivered to retail grocers in the Midwest and beyond. In addition, new crop Wisconsin organic russet, red and yellow potatoes will be available for shipping starting August 14th.
For 50 years, Alsum Farms & Produce has been a leading grower and shipper of locally grown potatoes and onions and provider of fresh, quality produce. Join us for the Alsum Farms & Produce 50th Anniversary Community Celebration, Tater Trot 5k/2-mile walk, plant and farm tours on August 11 & 12!
About Alsum Farms & Produce
Alsum Farms & Produce Inc. is a leading fresh market grower, packer and shipper of Wisconsin grown potatoes, onions, and provider of fresh, quality produce. Established five decades ago and headquartered in Friesland, Wis., Alsum Farms & Produce is a vertically integrated family-owned farm, packing facility and logistics company providing quality produce. Committed to sustainability and stewardship of the soil, Alsum Farms grows 3,000 acres of Wisconsin Healthy Grown Certified Alsum Potatoes along with pumpkins.
The Scotlynn Group of Vittoria, Ontario has 5,000 acres of sweet corn, watermelon, asparagus, pumpkins and ginseng in Ontario. Volume is expected to be similar to last year.
The company launched its asparagus program the first week of May. Pumpkins will start the last week of August and continue until the end of October.
Welsh Bros.’ of Scotland, Ontario started its sweet corn loadings the week of July 10 with volume similar to a year ago. The company ships primarily independent supermarkets within Ontario, though the operation is looking to expand its distribution area.
Ontario Potato Distributors Inc. of Alliston, Ontario started its early white potato harvest in mid July as usual. Later potato crops will follow in mid-August, September and October. The company also has russet, red and yellow potatoes.
OPDI ships year-round, and volume should be up slightly on all varieties compared to last year. The firm packs its potatoes under the Champion brand and also distributes private-label tubers for chain stores throughout Canada.
August’s Harvest Inc. of Gads Hill, Ontario began harvesting seven varieties of garlic in July, but it already was shipping garlic scapes — the flower bud of the garlic plant — in June. The product is available in June, July and August. The company’s fresh garlic should be shipping until April.
Procyk Farms 1994 Ltd. of Wilsonville, Ontario began shipping numerous vegetables in mid July and has tomatoes, grape tomatoes, roma tomatoes, sauce tomatoes, red and savoy cabbage, sweet corn, zucchini and red, yellow and green bell peppers.
Quality is good this season, and volume is similar to last year.
The fourth-generation, family-owned company ships to customers on the Ontario Food Terminal as well as retail chains and foodservice operators.
Celebrating summer with a barbeque event will be costlier this year, a new economic analysis from Rabobank shows.
The 2023 Rabobank BBQ Index reveals a 10-person barbecue will cost nearly $100 this year, according to a news release. In fact, food items listed on the barbecue menu have jumped 31% since 2018, according to Rabobank.
The Russia-Ukraine war, severe drought, higher wages and rising costs of farm inputs, transportation and energy have combined to fuel broad-based inflation throughout the supply chain.
COUNTING THE COST
The 2023 Rabobank BBQ Index, which measures the cost of staple ingredients for a 10-person barbecue, shows that it will cost $97 to host a cookout on Independence Day this year, up from $73 in 2018.
Food prices have shot up 31% in the last four years, the biggest four-year gain since the late 1970s oil crisis, according to Rabobank.
Here are price increases over the last four years, according to Rabobank:
Soda: 53%.
White bread: 51%.
Potato chips: 46%.
Chicken: 37%.
Lettuce: 29%.
Ground beef: 25%.
Beer: 22%.
Despite the elevated food costs, Rabobank analysts said many consumers — particularly those under 40 — are now prioritizing experiences over goods and are willing to splurge for a special occasion.
“Consumers have taken some heavy punches but they’re still standing,” Tom Bailey, senior consumer foods analyst at Rabobank, said in the report. “They’re being shrewd in areas that don’t enrich experiences, while giving in to the urge to splurge where it matters most. With that mindset, look for spending to heat up this summer on quality meats and drinks — the recipe for a memorable barbecue.”
The trend to value “experience over things” was emerging before COVID-19, but Rabobank analysts said the shift has accelerated, especially for millennials and Generation Z. For baby boomers, spending on travel and food has increased, in part thanks to an 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment to their Social Security benefits this year, according to Rabobank.
A healthy labor market is also keeping consumers willing to spend their money. The May jobs report showed that unemployment sits at 3.7%, down from its pandemic peak of 14.7% just three years ago, Rabobank economists said.
“Steady work makes it easier to justify increased spending when budgets are tight,” Bailey said in the report. “Rather than trading down to soften the blow of stubbornly high inflation, we may see consumers trading up to more premium products.”
The Rabobank BBQ Index, according to the report, assumes an average American barbecue event on the Fourth of July with 10 adults, with each consuming the same amount of food and beverages.
The index assumes each person will consume one cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato, one chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato and a slice of cheese, two handfuls of chips, a beer, a soda and a few scoops of ice cream.
Despite some extremely dry growing conditions this spring and early summer, Ohio vegetable growers say it helps grow the best quality vegetables.
Buurma Farms Inc. of Willard, OH has a selection of over two dozen vegetables, most of which became available in late June.
Two items introduced about three seasons ago were napa cabbage and bok choy. Both continue to experience an increase in volume.
During June Buurma Farms was introducing items ranging from radishes to dill, cilantro, lettuces, green onions, parsleys, zucchini, cabbage yellow squash and cucumbers.
The last volume item was sweet corn, which started the third week of July.
The 127-year-old family-owned company serves retail, foodservice and wholesale customers primarily east of the Mississippi and has a priority to make fast, overnight deliveries.
Family owned Holthouse Farms of Ohio Inc., base in Willard has a full line of vegetables year-round.
The company’s lead items include dry vegetables such as bell peppers, cucumbers, squashes, eggplant and green beans, and a full line of chili peppers.
The company has been expanding its organic vegetables over the past five years including cucumbers, bell peppers, zucchini squash and yellow squash, which are available from May into fall.
In the late 1980s the company began offering vegetables year-round from Mexico, Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey and Michigan, as well as Ohio.
Wiers Farm Inc. of Willard has a diverse lineup of products grown, packed and shipped in Ohio.
Dry vegetables include bell peppers, slicer cucumbers, pickles, summer squashes, eggplant, specialty and hot peppers, and sweet corn. Wet vegetables include lettuces, greens and herbs.
The operation harvests over 30 different vegetable commodities.
The firm’s Ohio location acts as a consolidation and cross-dock facility for its other growing locations in Georgia, Florida and Mexico.
It is now shipping a full lineup of dry vegetables and a limited lineup of wet vegetables 52 weeks a year, to customers across the Midwest and East Coast.
The fifth-generation family-owned company was established in 1896 and serves retail, foodservice and wholesale customers.
YAKIMA, WA — Growers in the Northwest are shipping sweet cherries now, stocking produce sections across the nation with this summertime superfruit. Loadings will continue into August.
Sweet cherries deliver a juicy burst of flavor, while boasting an abundance of nutritional benefits sure to help maintain a healthy glow all summer long.
From giving skin a boost of nourishment with rich antioxidant properties to helping reduce stress and improve sleep, sweet cherries provide a powerful punch of glow-friendly nutrition in a convenient, compact and naturally delicious package.
“This season, we are expecting a large crop of Northwest-grown sweet cherries from orchards across our five-state footprint.” said B.J. Thurlby, president of the Northwest Cherry Growers. “The larger crop will lend to more accessible pricing, with all the flavor and nutrients sweet Northwest cherries are known for. We expect sweet Northwest cherries to be available well into August.”
Sweet cherries boast an abundance of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, making them a true superfruit. Their vibrant red hue is a testament to their high antioxidant content, which helps combat harmful free radicals and promotes overall well-being. Loaded with vitamin C, sweet cherries help boost the immune system and assist in keeping skin glowing. These marvelous fruits also contain potassium, promoting heart health and contributing to maintaining healthy blood pressure levels.
“Sweet cherries are sure to give your skin a boost of nourishment,” said Kelly Pritchett, Ph.D., RDN, CSSD, assistant professor at Central Washington University. “Look for darker varieties like Bing cherries, as they are rich in antioxidants that provide anti-inflammatory benefits. These antioxidants can also help protect your skin from environmental factors, like dirt and pollution, and preserve a youthful appearance.”
Sweet cherries are a versatile fresh fruit — they can be enjoyed by the handful or incorporated into a variety of different recipes, including burgers, salsa, bruschetta, salads and even cocktails. They are also the perfect snack to pack for a cookout.
On a grocery run during the short cherry season, adding a bag of sweet Northwest cherries to the cart can fuel a summertime glow up. Fresh, sweet Northwest cherries are available now through August. Recipes, preservation tips — to maintain a glow year-round — and inspiration on incorporating sweet cherries into everyday diets can be found at: www.nwcherries.com.
About Northwest Cherry Growers Founded in 1947, the Northwest Cherry Growers is a growers’ organization funded solely by self-imposed fruit assessments used to increase awareness and consumption of regionally grown stone fruits. The organization is dedicated to the promotion, education, market development and research of cherries from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Montana orchards.
USDA data shows strawberry consumption continues to surge.
Retail per capita availability of strawberries has grown from 5.3 pounds in 2016 to 6.7 pounds in 2021, according to the USDA.
Both domestic and import supplies of strawberries have increased in the past two decades, but the growth of imports has been much stronger.
The USDA estimates that domestic strawberry output increased from 1.77 billion pounds in 2016 to 2.17 billion pounds in 2021, a gain of 23% in that five-year period.
At the same time, imports of strawberries increased 43% from 2016 to 2021, rising from 365 million pounds in 2016 to 521 million pounds in 2021.
As a percent of the total strawberry supply in the U.S., the USDA reports that imports accounted for 19% of the total supply in 2021, up from 17% in 2016 and up from just 7% in 2000.
The peak month for domestic strawberry availability in 2022 was May, when shipments accounted for 15% of the total annual supply. Other top months for strawberry shipments include June (14%), April (11%), July (11%) and March (9%). The month with the smallest domestic shipments in 2022 was December, when just 3% of the domestic annual volume was shipped, according to USDA truck shipment data for conventional fruit.
Imported strawberry volume, dominated by Mexico, is active year-round. However, the top months for strawberry imports were February (18% of total annual volume), March (18%), January (16%) and April (14%). The smallest import volumes were recorded in August and September, which both accounted for less than 1% of the total imported annual volume.
New Jersey is one of the nation’s top growers of peaches, ranking in the top five in production in the U.S. most years, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Producers annually harvest approximately 60 million pounds with a wholesale value of about $35 million on nearly 4,000 acres.
Larchmont Farms of Upper Pittsgrove, NJ is a 12th-generation farm owned by Tom Dunn and Charles and Keith Haines. Located on more than 800 acres, the farm grows high-quality peaches and other fruits, the release said. Larchmont Farms runs its entire operation on solar power and has all of its fruit packed in boxes that are made from 100% recycled paper, according to the release.
“The season is off to a great start, and we are anticipating an outstanding year,” Charles Haines of Lardchmont Farms in a New Jersey Department of Agriculture press release. “The weather we have had so far has been what we need. We take great pride in the steps we’ve taken in making our operation environmentally friendly and plan to continue a family business that started in colonial times.”
All of New Jersey’s peach crop is sold to the fresh market via supermarkets, farm markets, specialty produce stores, you-pick operations, and community farmers markets. Jersey peaches are shipped all over the eastern U.S. and eastern Canada.
According to the New Jersey Peach Promotion Council, yellow flesh comprises 90% of Jersey peaches, white flesh makes up 4%, yellow and white flesh nectarines are 6% and the newer doughnut, or flat peaches, make up less than 1%.
The first peach variety of New Jersey’s season is Sentry, followed by Gala, Flavorcrest, Loring and Red Haven, the release said. Next is the John Boy season followed by the Crest Haven, Gloria, Jersey Queen and Fayette varieties. The Encore and Laurol varieties wrap up the state’s peach season in mid-to-late September. White peaches are expected to begin shipping around the end of July and continue through mid-September.
WALNUT CREEK, CA — Del Monte Foods, Inc. recently released survey data1 on snacking attitudes and behaviors for U.S. consumers. As adults continue to snack more than ever, the survey revealed that fueling up with fruit is one of the top ways to feel better while snacking, with more than two-thirds of adults reaching for fruit when they want to feel their best. Adults are also seeking to relive the joy of their childhood snacks, with fruit cups and fruit snacks topping the list of snacks they wish were more geared toward adults. The survey is timed with the release of two new flavors of Del Monte’s® Fruit Refreshers®, adult fruit snack cups which meet the need for nutritious, delicious and convenient snacks, and give consumers a grown-up version of the fruit cups they’ve been missing.
The survey revealed that a majority of general consumers regularly replace meals with snacks, with parents especially likely to “snackstitute.” And while taste, nutritional content and convenience top the list of what people are looking for in snacks, fruit, in particular, is a key component of what snackers are missing.
Survey highlights include:
As the act of “joy snacking” has gained popularity in recent months, fueling up with fruit is one of the best pick-me-ups: More than two-thirds of adults reach for fruit-based snacks when they want to feel their best – significantly higher than any other snack options.
Adults are missing their favorite childhood snacks like fruit cups, and parents intentionally seek out snacks that can be enjoyed by both kids and adults: More than a quarter of adults – and almost half of parents – wish fruit cups were more geared toward adults.
Summer calls for light, refreshing snack choices: Nearly all adults crave more refreshing snacks in the summer.
Parents are especially in need of snacks on-the-go, both for their kids and themselves: More than three-quarters of adults (85% parents vs. 70% non-parents) say convenience and portability are qualities they consider when purchasing snacks.
Snacks remain a universally enjoyed, consistent activity for all, but parents are more likely to replace meals with snacks: A majority of adults regularly replace meals with snacks, with parents much more likely to do so (eight in 10 parents vs. two-thirds of non-parents).
Fruit is a key component of what is currently missing from snacks: Taste and nutritional content top the list of what people are looking for in snacks, with more than a quarter of adults saying snacks are lacking in fruits.
“We’re thrilled to learn a bit more about the snacking attitudes of our consumer base and to be able to meet their desires with our Fruit Refreshers® product line,” says Brand Manager Chris Kocur. “The new flavors, Pineapple & Mango in Prickly Pear Flavored Fruit Water and Peaches in Honeysuckle Flavored Fruit Water, provide a delicious, convenient and refreshing snack for busy parents and adults in need of a mid-afternoon pick me up, or those who are looking for a grown-up version of the fruit cups they loved as children.”
Del Monte’s® Fruit Refreshers® are a portable, refreshing snacking option made with real fruit that help quench thirst while satisfying taste buds. They offer a one-two punch of exotic flavor while being an excellent source of Vitamin C, with each serving providing 70% of the daily value. Del Monte’s® Fruit Refreshers® are available at major retailers nationwide such as Walmart, Target, Publix and more, have no artificial sweeteners and are non-GMO2 and non-BPA lining3.
In addition to the two newly released flavors, existing products include Grapefruit & Oranges in Pomegranate Flavored Fruit Water, Peaches & Chia in Strawberry Dragon Fruit Flavored Fruit Water, Red Grapefruit in Guava Flavored Fruit Water and Pears & Chia in Blackberry Flavored Limeade. They are sold in 2 7-oz cups with an MSRP of $3.99.
About Del Monte Foods
Del Monte Foods, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of Del Monte Pacific Limited (Bloomberg: DELM SP, DELM PM) and is not affiliated with certain other Del Monte companies around the world, including Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., Del Monte Canada, or Del Monte Asia Pte. Ltd.
