Author Archive
From sweet potatoes to green beans, cranberries and more, here’s an outlook for fresh produce hauls relating to items popular for the Thanksgiving holiday, which is November 28th.
The leading states for sweet potato shipments are North Carolina, California, Mississippi and Louisiana. There will be 20 percent fewer loadings of North Carolina sweet potatoes this season, although it may not be noticeable during the next few weeks, since Thanksgiving is the most popular holiday for the product. There also is less sweet potato volume from Mississippi and Louisiana.
North Carolina sweet potatoes – grossing about $2250 to New York City.
Mississippi sweet potatoes – about $1800 to Chicago.
Cranberry Shipments
The harvest of cranberries in Wisconsin is late this season and is still going on. However, good supplies for hauling are available from Central Wisconsin, as well as the other leading state, Massachusetts.
Green Beans
This is a seasonal low point for Florida produce shipments, but some vegetables, including green beans are being hauled. Beans are now originating out of the Belle Glade and Homestead areas.
Imports
Spanish, Morroccan and Chilean clementines will be arriving at U.S. ports by boat in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. Most of the arrivals will be on the East Coast.
Peruvian Onions
Sweet onions from Peru have become a popular items during the past decade and volume has increased significantly. In fact, many of the leading domestic sweet onion shippers, are acting as the importers and have growing operations in that South American country. Arrivals are occurring in good volume at U.S. ports on the East Coasat and should continue into Feburary.
Having a trailer in good condition is as important as ambient (outside) temperatures in affecting the condition of a load of perishable produce.
With age, trailer insulation deteriorates, notes Rich Macleod of TransFresh Corp. of Salinas, CA. However, a bigger threat to trailers are the beatings they take from forklifts and pallets “that tend to attack those sidewalls. They tend to stretch them, buckle rivets, punch holes. All of that gradually degrades insulation. Then moisture gets into that insulation,” Macleod states.
Drivers should check the manufacturer’s stated value of insulation over time that collects moisture. It is the damage not only to interior walls, but outside trailer walls that excellerates the degrading process, he notes. These same principals apply to summertime hauling as well as loads in wintertime.
“If you have damage to the outside of the trailer and are driving though a rain storm, moisture is getting in the insulation. Then you get in some 25-degree (F.) weather and the insulation with moisture is freezing. Then there is no insulation value,” Macleod says. ” You are just creating an ice block. Now you are hauling around an ice block instead of insulation.”
The condition of trailer doors also is important. Make sure the door is sealing properly.
Macleod says the rules for temperature control in the trailer are the same for summer and winter, except when it gets down to 25 degrees F. or less. Then there is more leeway in moving the set point on the reefer unit upwards to protect the load.
Additionally, Macleod notes if hauling tropical fruit that is subject to cold temperature injury, be especially careful with the loading pattern, as well as make sure the reefer unit is performing as it should.
Manufacturers of trailer refrigeration units have made significant progress in controlling air temperature, air return and air output sensors because of improved and better written computer programs, he notes.
Macleod says this results in loads of fresh product being less likely to freeze, or to become too warm. It used to be the air going into the trailer unit was above the set point, it would put out an unlimited amount of cold air. In some cases the cold air going through the air chute would freeze product in the back of the trailer. This gets the BTUs in the trailer without having to drop the temperature.
“They have been able to write the programs into the reefer unit that controls the air out put much more effectively so you don’t get the temperature extremes such as freezing and warming in the load, because you are able to control that air flow much better,” Macleod says.
Now manufacturers have designed equipment to control the air to go only a certain amount of degrees from the set point. Additionally, the fan will go into high speed for air circulation, rather than at a lower speed, to encourage air mixing.
(Rich Macleod is vice president, pallet division North America for TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA. TranFresh provides Tectrol, a service where the atmosphere integrity of berry shipments is maintained at a 10 percent or higher CO2 level. This provides better quality arrivals of berries and longer shelf life.)
Whether it is in the heat of summer, or in a bitter winter storm, a produce hauler’s main concern for a load of fresh produce is maintaining the best possible temperature range, according to Rich Macleod of TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA.
However, he notes the cold winter months can be more difficult in some respects for items ranging from tropical fruits to Mexican tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers and bananas. The challenge comes from keeping such products in a very tight temperature range, which reduces your options.
As an example, Macleod points to hauling tomatoes. A driver normally wants the product tranported in the 50 to 55-degree F. temperature range.
If those tomatoes are being loaded against the trailer sidewalls and the refrigeration unit is set at 50 degrees F., there may be some “hot spots” because air circulation is not as good. Hauling tropical fruits is not as critical in this situation.
However, it can be critical for a cold sensitive product such as bananas, especially if those bananas are loaded against the sidewalls, or the air flow on the trailer floor is blocked. If it’s zero degrees outside, there are going to be some cold spots in the trailer. It can do some pretty signficant damage to bananas, which will turn gray when ripened, Macleod says.
“The general rule is you need good air flow around the load and under the load by keeping the product away from the sidewalls and on pallets off of the floor (of the trailer)….whether it’s cold outside or hot,” Macleod states.
When hauling “colder” crops such as broccoli or strawberries, he says the rules are pretty much the same as they are in summertime. The trailer’s cold spots in winter are the same as the hot spots in the summer, because these occur where there is the least air flow.
Macleod notes it is easier to maintain a temperature range of 30 to 34 degrees F. in the winter because the reefer unit isn’t fighting the outside heat of summertime.
“Now if it is zero degrees outside and the wind is howling, I’d be watching that temperature pretty closely. The drivers are usually pretty good about paying close attention to it. The temperature in the trailer becomes more critical when the outside temperature drops to 25 degrees F., or below,” Macleod says.
(Rich Macleod is vice president, pallet division North America for TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA. TranFresh provides Tectrol, a service where the atmosphere integrity of berry shipments is maintained at a 10 percent or higher CO2 level. This provides better quality arrivals of berries and longer shelf life.)
While mixed loads of fresh produce have become more common than ever over the years as distribution warehouses and other receivers look for ways to reduce inventories, there are even fewer straight loads of fresh fruits and vegetables this time of year. California and other areas tend to have less volume in winter. Translated – this often means multiple picks and drops. Those multiple pick ups too often are spread over hundreds of miles.
During the past decade or so a number of wholesale distributors have got into cross docking, particularly in the Los Angeles area, where product is consolidated at a central warehouse. This has helped some in reducing the number of pick ups, and ultimately helps deliver product faster to destination.
We’re entering a transition period with California produce loads where there’s light volume with lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and berries from the Salinas Valley. There’s also light shipments of Huron district lettuce in the San Joaquin Valley.
Two of the heaviest volume items are California grapes and carrots out of the SJV. Grape shipments are averaging over 1,500 truck loads per week while carrots loads are hitting about 325 loads per week.
Moderate strawberry volume is originating out of the Watsonville district, as well as Santa Maria, but volume will soon be declining from those areas. Limited volume of strawberries have started from Ventura County and Southern California.
There’s a few vegetables coming out of the California desert and Yuma, but measurable volume is still several weeks away.
San Joaquin Valley produce – grossing about $7000 to New York City.
Southern California citrus – about $4000 to Chicago.
Midwest retailer Meijer operates one of the largest all-clean diesel fleets in North America. As part of its ongoing green initiatives, the Grand Rapids, MI-based retailer’s fleet utilized innovative technology to improve fuel efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint by nearly 60 percent since it first began implementing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2010 near-zero emissions standards three years ago.
The Meijer fleet is comprised of 170 Freightliner Cascadia trucks that are equipped with new fuel-efficient, reduced-emissions engines. They feature selective catalytic reduction technology that treats nitrogen oxides emissions downstream in the exhaust so the engine can be tuned to run more efficiently and economically. SCR technology consists of an after-treatment catalyst system that allows engine exhaust to be treated with a non-hazardous fluid known as diesel exhaust fluid that reduces harmful nitrogen oxides into simple nitrogen and water.
“This is an extremely rewarding achievement that truly speaks to our commitment to the environment,” Rick Keyes, executive vice president of supply chain operations and manufacturing, said in a press release. “Not only are we integrating cutting-edge technology into our business, we’re also working under the philosophy that to be a good company, we must be a good neighbor.”
The Meijer fleet was one of the first in North America to implement the federal clean emissions standards that feature near-zero emissions technology, and today the retailer’s fleet of 170 big rigs meets or exceeds those stringent requirements.
As a result of that commitment, the Meijer fleet realized the following:
- 47 percent reduction in particulate matter
- 55 percent reduction in – or 525 U.S. tons of – nitrogen oxide
- 3 percent reduction in – or 9,300 U.S. tons of – carbon dioxide
- 5 percent increase in fuel economy, saving 105,570 gallons of fuel each year. In five years, that equals a savings of 527,850 gallons of fuel – or 52,785 barrels of oil.
According to David Hoover, director of outbound logistics, it takes 47 of the new 2010 compliant trucks to equal the same emissions as one of the older trucks they replaced.
“I’m very pleased to say that Meijer is able to cut that down and continue to be environmentally conscious,” Hoover said. “The impact is tremendous because the Meijer fleet makes deliveries to our stores 26 times each week.”
Here’s a round up of California produce loads, as well as loadings from Michigan, New York state and border crossings from Mexico.
California Navel orange shipments should hit about 88 million cartons for the season, down only two percent from a year ago.
Harvest has been underway about a month, with light shipments having started a couple of weeks ago from the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California.
Mandarin orange and clementine volume should be up a little mostly because of young acreage coming into fuller production.
Lemon loadings from California’s Imperial Valley and from Arizona should be up slightly this seaons.
The California desert, as well as the Yuma area in Arizona have light volume loadings of cantaloupe and honeydew. Lettuce shipments are still several weeks away.
In South Texas, watermelon shipments are winding down, but melons from Mexico are just starting and will be crossing the U.S. border , not only in Texas, but at Nogales, AZ, until next May.
Michigan Produce Shipments
The Wolverine state has light volume loadings of carrots, celery and onions, with better volume for apples, the later amounting to around 250 truck loads per week.
New York Apple Shipments
New York is a big state and apple loadings originate in Eastern areas, primarily from the Hudson Valley and near the western shores of Lake Champlain. Further west in New York, the primary shipping areas for apples are Utica, Ithica, Syracuse and Rochester. Apple shipments from the state are similar in volume to Michigan’s 250 trucks per week.
San Joaquin Valley produce – grossing about $6500 to New York City.
Hudson Valley apples – about $3200 to Orlando.
Harvest is virtually over for Red River Valley potatoes. With product in storage, shippers can now give full attention to marketing and shipping their crop.
There’s also a lot of avocados and other Mexican produce crossing the border into South Texas.
Significant moisture received the first two weeks of October resulted in wet and muddy field conditions in some RRV areas, which made for difficult harvest conditions (See photo of tractor and harvestor stuck in the mud).
Red potatoes account for 98 percent of the fresh potatoes grown in the Red River Valley. Overall shipments from the North Dakota and Minnesota area is expected to be down this season, perhaps 20 percent. More on this will soon be available as the harvest is completed.
Mexican Produce Shipments
Total exports of Hass avocados from Mexico into the United States in 2012-13 were a record 517,896 metric tons, up 40 percent from the prior crop year. This topped the previous year by 26 percent. Similar volume is expected this year.
As of the first week in October, the weekly volume was up to where it had been on that date a year ago. Volume increases are seen for November and December. In all, very good volume for avocados are seen out of Mexico for the 2013-14 season. The majority of the fruit crosses the border into the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
Mexican avocados (crossing the border), plus other Mexican items and Texas citrus – grossing about $4000 to New York City.
Red River Valley potatoes – grossing about $1900 to Chicago.
The Maryland Wholesale Produce Market in Jessup, MD, which been open since the mid 1970s, is installing security cameras.
The project has been implemented since the market sees a need to understand and monitor regulations affecting both the produce and seafood industries. The security cameras are vital to providing food safety and security for the complex.
Hundreds of produce haulers deliver fruits and vegetables to the market weekly.
Additionally market officials are working with an engineering company for plans to bring the dock canopy up to the condition that will meet audit requirements.
Located on about 400 acares, it is home to some major companies, such as Sysco Food Services of Baltimore, T.A. Baltimore South, Merchants Terminal, BTS Distribution Centers, Terminal Corporation and the Maryland Wholesale Produce and Seafood Markets.
Giant Foods was previously a tenant on the market, but it moved its operation to another location last year, taking with it a significant portion of the 3,500 people who were employed at the market. Virtually every category of fruits, vegetables and seafood are processed, packaged and distributed through the Maryland Food Center into the Mid-Atlantic region. This requires thousands of refrigerated trucks each month delivering product to the market for distribution.
The market is operated by the Maryland Food Center Authority, which has a 12-member executive board that is appointed by the Governor of Maryland.
Last year, the market completed a $780,000 roof replacement project on both market buildings.
Here’s four issues in the trucking industry to ponder – and you decide whether they are valid.
*The driver’s shortage is a hoax.
*One of the last concerns of large fleets is the well being of owner operators and small fleet owners.
*Regulations are killing the deregulated trucking industry.
*California produce rates have been lower in recent years and the reason may be different from what you think.
These four statements came to mind following a telephone interview with Kenny Lund, vice president of Allen Lund Co.
Is There a Driver’s Shortage?
When it comes to a driver’s shortage relating to fresh produce, Lund sees the only shortages being at shipping point and at the receiving end These involve short hauls from the field to packing houses and from receiver distribution centers to retail stores, restaurants, etc. But he doesn’t see a driver’s shortage with long haul produce transporation.
Lund concedes there may be a shortage of drivers with the larger trucking companies, stating, “if you have 300 trucks you have to come up with 300 drivers to fill them.” However, produce transportation is dominated by owner operators, who is the driver of his own truck. He doesn’t have to recruit other drivers.
Large Fleets Hurting Owner Operators?
“It seems the larger truck lines are doing everything they can to make it tougher on owner operators,” Lund states.
As examples, LaCanada, CA-based Lund points to big carrier support of everything counter to issues of importance to owner operators. He cites large fleet support of Electronic Onboard Recorders (EOBRs ) that will add costs, and support of California Resources Board (CARB) rules. Why?
Lund points out large carriers tend to rotate their fleets every five years and it is the owner operators who are buying their used trucks. This wouldn’t be so bad except the CARB rules require equipment such as reefer units not to be older than seven years.
“You have to retrofit it for a cost of anywhere from $8,000 to $20,000,” Lunds says. On the plus size, he adds the fleets are starting to realize the CARB rules are not only bad for owner operators, but for the whole trucking industry. Lund believes the damaging CARB rules are a much bigger threat to the industry than a driver’s shortage.
Growing Regulations
Perhaps the biggest threat to the survival of owner operators are the growing number of federal and state regulations.
“When you produce all these regulations on an one-horse operator, he doesn’t have the resources to comply with everything,” Lund states. “It’s really putting a strain on them.”
Why Have California Rates Been Lower?
Lund notes California produce rates have not been as high in recent years. At the same time he is noticing more truck shortages, but not in California.
“There’s just not as many trucks in California now. What has kept the rates down is there is not as much produce (being grown in California),” Lund contends.
It comes down to California’s intrusive regulations, etc. are also resulting in more produce growers shifting their operations to Mexico where the red tape and costs of operation are less. For example, similar to California, there is less produce being grown in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, yet more truck shortages are occurring there, as more Mexican grown fruits and vegetables are being shipped into South Texas.
********
These issues are presented to you following a telephone interview with Kenny Lund. I have known Kenny’s father, the namesake of the company since shortly after his modest beginning in 1976 as a truck broker . Today, the company works with over 20,000 carriers, which are mostly owner operators. ALC arranges about 200,000 loads a year, with food items accounting for over 50 percent of the freight. Refrigerated loads make up about 40 to 45 percent of the loads.
While Allen Lund remains involved in the company, Kenny Lund has assumed a greater role in the continued growth and success of the operation. At the same time, the high ethical standards put in place by Allen nearly four decades ago, remain rooted in the company’s foundation. — Bill Martin
Up to 40 percent of fruits or vegetables can be wasted because it is “ugly”, a report on food waste reveals.
Produce grown in the UK that does not meet retailer standards on size or shape or is blemished is often used for animal feed or simply ploughed back into the ground even though it is edible, with as much as two-fifths of a crop rejected.
The Uk’s global food security programme, also showed that the average household throws away more than 11 pouinds of food a week, and nearly two-thirds of that waste is avoidable.
Households throw away a fifth of the food they buy, wasting it for reasons ranging from cooking and preparing too much food to not using it in time before the packaging due date expires.
Retailers respond to demands by consumers for high-quality food by imposing standards that can lead to much of the crop being wasted. However, some progress is being made with supermarkets marketing “odd shapes and sizes” for fruit and vegetables.
In developing countries, much of the loss of food occurs during post-harvesting storage, processing and packaging.
Tackling food waste globally is a major part of the action needed to provide enough food to feed a growing world population sustainably and tackle hunger, which affects one in eight people worldwide, the report said.
Around a third of food produced globally is lost or wasted.
“Over 5 million people in the UK live in deep poverty, where basic food provision is a daily challenge,” says food expert Tim Benton.
The report highlights priorities for research to help reduce food waste, including improving harvesting and packaging technologies, good seasonal weather prediction and new ways to reduce food waste within the home.
From sweet potatoes to green beans, cranberries and more, here’s an outlook for fresh produce hauls relating to items popular for the Thanksgiving holiday, which is November 28th.
The leading states for sweet potato shipments are North Carolina, California, Mississippi and Louisiana. There will be 20 percent fewer loadings of North Carolina sweet potatoes this season, although it may not be noticeable during the next few weeks, since Thanksgiving is the most popular holiday for the product. There also is less sweet potato volume from Mississippi and Louisiana.
North Carolina sweet potatoes – grossing about $2250 to New York City.
Mississippi sweet potatoes – about $1800 to Chicago.
Cranberry Shipments
The harvest of cranberries in Wisconsin is late this season and is still going on. However, good supplies for hauling are available from Central Wisconsin, as well as the other leading state, Massachusetts.
Green Beans
This is a seasonal low point for Florida produce shipments, but some vegetables, including green beans are being hauled. Beans are now originating out of the Belle Glade and Homestead areas.
Imports
Spanish, Morroccan and Chilean clementines will be arriving at U.S. ports by boat in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. Most of the arrivals will be on the East Coast.
Peruvian Onions
Sweet onions from Peru have become a popular items during the past decade and volume has increased significantly. In fact, many of the leading domestic sweet onion shippers, are acting as the importers and have growing operations in that South American country. Arrivals are occurring in good volume at U.S. ports on the East Coasat and should continue into Feburary.
Having a trailer in good condition is as important as ambient (outside) temperatures in affecting the condition of a load of perishable produce.
With age, trailer insulation deteriorates, notes Rich Macleod of TransFresh Corp. of Salinas, CA. However, a bigger threat to trailers are the beatings they take from forklifts and pallets “that tend to attack those sidewalls. They tend to stretch them, buckle rivets, punch holes. All of that gradually degrades insulation. Then moisture gets into that insulation,” Macleod states.
Drivers should check the manufacturer’s stated value of insulation over time that collects moisture. It is the damage not only to interior walls, but outside trailer walls that excellerates the degrading process, he notes. These same principals apply to summertime hauling as well as loads in wintertime.
“If you have damage to the outside of the trailer and are driving though a rain storm, moisture is getting in the insulation. Then you get in some 25-degree (F.) weather and the insulation with moisture is freezing. Then there is no insulation value,” Macleod says. ” You are just creating an ice block. Now you are hauling around an ice block instead of insulation.”
The condition of trailer doors also is important. Make sure the door is sealing properly.
Macleod says the rules for temperature control in the trailer are the same for summer and winter, except when it gets down to 25 degrees F. or less. Then there is more leeway in moving the set point on the reefer unit upwards to protect the load.
Additionally, Macleod notes if hauling tropical fruit that is subject to cold temperature injury, be especially careful with the loading pattern, as well as make sure the reefer unit is performing as it should.
Manufacturers of trailer refrigeration units have made significant progress in controlling air temperature, air return and air output sensors because of improved and better written computer programs, he notes.
Macleod says this results in loads of fresh product being less likely to freeze, or to become too warm. It used to be the air going into the trailer unit was above the set point, it would put out an unlimited amount of cold air. In some cases the cold air going through the air chute would freeze product in the back of the trailer. This gets the BTUs in the trailer without having to drop the temperature.
“They have been able to write the programs into the reefer unit that controls the air out put much more effectively so you don’t get the temperature extremes such as freezing and warming in the load, because you are able to control that air flow much better,” Macleod says.
Now manufacturers have designed equipment to control the air to go only a certain amount of degrees from the set point. Additionally, the fan will go into high speed for air circulation, rather than at a lower speed, to encourage air mixing.
(Rich Macleod is vice president, pallet division North America for TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA. TranFresh provides Tectrol, a service where the atmosphere integrity of berry shipments is maintained at a 10 percent or higher CO2 level. This provides better quality arrivals of berries and longer shelf life.)
Whether it is in the heat of summer, or in a bitter winter storm, a produce hauler’s main concern for a load of fresh produce is maintaining the best possible temperature range, according to Rich Macleod of TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA.
However, he notes the cold winter months can be more difficult in some respects for items ranging from tropical fruits to Mexican tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers and bananas. The challenge comes from keeping such products in a very tight temperature range, which reduces your options.
As an example, Macleod points to hauling tomatoes. A driver normally wants the product tranported in the 50 to 55-degree F. temperature range.
If those tomatoes are being loaded against the trailer sidewalls and the refrigeration unit is set at 50 degrees F., there may be some “hot spots” because air circulation is not as good. Hauling tropical fruits is not as critical in this situation.
However, it can be critical for a cold sensitive product such as bananas, especially if those bananas are loaded against the sidewalls, or the air flow on the trailer floor is blocked. If it’s zero degrees outside, there are going to be some cold spots in the trailer. It can do some pretty signficant damage to bananas, which will turn gray when ripened, Macleod says.
“The general rule is you need good air flow around the load and under the load by keeping the product away from the sidewalls and on pallets off of the floor (of the trailer)….whether it’s cold outside or hot,” Macleod states.
When hauling “colder” crops such as broccoli or strawberries, he says the rules are pretty much the same as they are in summertime. The trailer’s cold spots in winter are the same as the hot spots in the summer, because these occur where there is the least air flow.
Macleod notes it is easier to maintain a temperature range of 30 to 34 degrees F. in the winter because the reefer unit isn’t fighting the outside heat of summertime.
“Now if it is zero degrees outside and the wind is howling, I’d be watching that temperature pretty closely. The drivers are usually pretty good about paying close attention to it. The temperature in the trailer becomes more critical when the outside temperature drops to 25 degrees F., or below,” Macleod says.
(Rich Macleod is vice president, pallet division North America for TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA. TranFresh provides Tectrol, a service where the atmosphere integrity of berry shipments is maintained at a 10 percent or higher CO2 level. This provides better quality arrivals of berries and longer shelf life.)
While mixed loads of fresh produce have become more common than ever over the years as distribution warehouses and other receivers look for ways to reduce inventories, there are even fewer straight loads of fresh fruits and vegetables this time of year. California and other areas tend to have less volume in winter. Translated – this often means multiple picks and drops. Those multiple pick ups too often are spread over hundreds of miles.
During the past decade or so a number of wholesale distributors have got into cross docking, particularly in the Los Angeles area, where product is consolidated at a central warehouse. This has helped some in reducing the number of pick ups, and ultimately helps deliver product faster to destination.
We’re entering a transition period with California produce loads where there’s light volume with lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and berries from the Salinas Valley. There’s also light shipments of Huron district lettuce in the San Joaquin Valley.
Two of the heaviest volume items are California grapes and carrots out of the SJV. Grape shipments are averaging over 1,500 truck loads per week while carrots loads are hitting about 325 loads per week.
Moderate strawberry volume is originating out of the Watsonville district, as well as Santa Maria, but volume will soon be declining from those areas. Limited volume of strawberries have started from Ventura County and Southern California.
There’s a few vegetables coming out of the California desert and Yuma, but measurable volume is still several weeks away.
San Joaquin Valley produce – grossing about $7000 to New York City.
Southern California citrus – about $4000 to Chicago.
Midwest retailer Meijer operates one of the largest all-clean diesel fleets in North America. As part of its ongoing green initiatives, the Grand Rapids, MI-based retailer’s fleet utilized innovative technology to improve fuel efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint by nearly 60 percent since it first began implementing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2010 near-zero emissions standards three years ago.
The Meijer fleet is comprised of 170 Freightliner Cascadia trucks that are equipped with new fuel-efficient, reduced-emissions engines. They feature selective catalytic reduction technology that treats nitrogen oxides emissions downstream in the exhaust so the engine can be tuned to run more efficiently and economically. SCR technology consists of an after-treatment catalyst system that allows engine exhaust to be treated with a non-hazardous fluid known as diesel exhaust fluid that reduces harmful nitrogen oxides into simple nitrogen and water.
“This is an extremely rewarding achievement that truly speaks to our commitment to the environment,” Rick Keyes, executive vice president of supply chain operations and manufacturing, said in a press release. “Not only are we integrating cutting-edge technology into our business, we’re also working under the philosophy that to be a good company, we must be a good neighbor.”
The Meijer fleet was one of the first in North America to implement the federal clean emissions standards that feature near-zero emissions technology, and today the retailer’s fleet of 170 big rigs meets or exceeds those stringent requirements.
As a result of that commitment, the Meijer fleet realized the following:
- 47 percent reduction in particulate matter
- 55 percent reduction in – or 525 U.S. tons of – nitrogen oxide
- 3 percent reduction in – or 9,300 U.S. tons of – carbon dioxide
- 5 percent increase in fuel economy, saving 105,570 gallons of fuel each year. In five years, that equals a savings of 527,850 gallons of fuel – or 52,785 barrels of oil.
According to David Hoover, director of outbound logistics, it takes 47 of the new 2010 compliant trucks to equal the same emissions as one of the older trucks they replaced.
“I’m very pleased to say that Meijer is able to cut that down and continue to be environmentally conscious,” Hoover said. “The impact is tremendous because the Meijer fleet makes deliveries to our stores 26 times each week.”
Here’s a round up of California produce loads, as well as loadings from Michigan, New York state and border crossings from Mexico.
California Navel orange shipments should hit about 88 million cartons for the season, down only two percent from a year ago.
Harvest has been underway about a month, with light shipments having started a couple of weeks ago from the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California.
Mandarin orange and clementine volume should be up a little mostly because of young acreage coming into fuller production.
Lemon loadings from California’s Imperial Valley and from Arizona should be up slightly this seaons.
The California desert, as well as the Yuma area in Arizona have light volume loadings of cantaloupe and honeydew. Lettuce shipments are still several weeks away.
In South Texas, watermelon shipments are winding down, but melons from Mexico are just starting and will be crossing the U.S. border , not only in Texas, but at Nogales, AZ, until next May.
Michigan Produce Shipments
The Wolverine state has light volume loadings of carrots, celery and onions, with better volume for apples, the later amounting to around 250 truck loads per week.
New York Apple Shipments
New York is a big state and apple loadings originate in Eastern areas, primarily from the Hudson Valley and near the western shores of Lake Champlain. Further west in New York, the primary shipping areas for apples are Utica, Ithica, Syracuse and Rochester. Apple shipments from the state are similar in volume to Michigan’s 250 trucks per week.
San Joaquin Valley produce – grossing about $6500 to New York City.
Hudson Valley apples – about $3200 to Orlando.
Harvest is virtually over for Red River Valley potatoes. With product in storage, shippers can now give full attention to marketing and shipping their crop.
There’s also a lot of avocados and other Mexican produce crossing the border into South Texas.
Significant moisture received the first two weeks of October resulted in wet and muddy field conditions in some RRV areas, which made for difficult harvest conditions (See photo of tractor and harvestor stuck in the mud).
Red potatoes account for 98 percent of the fresh potatoes grown in the Red River Valley. Overall shipments from the North Dakota and Minnesota area is expected to be down this season, perhaps 20 percent. More on this will soon be available as the harvest is completed.
Mexican Produce Shipments
Total exports of Hass avocados from Mexico into the United States in 2012-13 were a record 517,896 metric tons, up 40 percent from the prior crop year. This topped the previous year by 26 percent. Similar volume is expected this year.
As of the first week in October, the weekly volume was up to where it had been on that date a year ago. Volume increases are seen for November and December. In all, very good volume for avocados are seen out of Mexico for the 2013-14 season. The majority of the fruit crosses the border into the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
Mexican avocados (crossing the border), plus other Mexican items and Texas citrus – grossing about $4000 to New York City.
Red River Valley potatoes – grossing about $1900 to Chicago.
The Maryland Wholesale Produce Market in Jessup, MD, which been open since the mid 1970s, is installing security cameras.
The project has been implemented since the market sees a need to understand and monitor regulations affecting both the produce and seafood industries. The security cameras are vital to providing food safety and security for the complex.
Hundreds of produce haulers deliver fruits and vegetables to the market weekly.
Additionally market officials are working with an engineering company for plans to bring the dock canopy up to the condition that will meet audit requirements.
Located on about 400 acares, it is home to some major companies, such as Sysco Food Services of Baltimore, T.A. Baltimore South, Merchants Terminal, BTS Distribution Centers, Terminal Corporation and the Maryland Wholesale Produce and Seafood Markets.
Giant Foods was previously a tenant on the market, but it moved its operation to another location last year, taking with it a significant portion of the 3,500 people who were employed at the market. Virtually every category of fruits, vegetables and seafood are processed, packaged and distributed through the Maryland Food Center into the Mid-Atlantic region. This requires thousands of refrigerated trucks each month delivering product to the market for distribution.
The market is operated by the Maryland Food Center Authority, which has a 12-member executive board that is appointed by the Governor of Maryland.
Last year, the market completed a $780,000 roof replacement project on both market buildings.
Here’s four issues in the trucking industry to ponder – and you decide whether they are valid.
*The driver’s shortage is a hoax.
*One of the last concerns of large fleets is the well being of owner operators and small fleet owners.
*Regulations are killing the deregulated trucking industry.
*California produce rates have been lower in recent years and the reason may be different from what you think.
These four statements came to mind following a telephone interview with Kenny Lund, vice president of Allen Lund Co.
Is There a Driver’s Shortage?
When it comes to a driver’s shortage relating to fresh produce, Lund sees the only shortages being at shipping point and at the receiving end These involve short hauls from the field to packing houses and from receiver distribution centers to retail stores, restaurants, etc. But he doesn’t see a driver’s shortage with long haul produce transporation.
Lund concedes there may be a shortage of drivers with the larger trucking companies, stating, “if you have 300 trucks you have to come up with 300 drivers to fill them.” However, produce transportation is dominated by owner operators, who is the driver of his own truck. He doesn’t have to recruit other drivers.
Large Fleets Hurting Owner Operators?
“It seems the larger truck lines are doing everything they can to make it tougher on owner operators,” Lund states.
As examples, LaCanada, CA-based Lund points to big carrier support of everything counter to issues of importance to owner operators. He cites large fleet support of Electronic Onboard Recorders (EOBRs ) that will add costs, and support of California Resources Board (CARB) rules. Why?
Lund points out large carriers tend to rotate their fleets every five years and it is the owner operators who are buying their used trucks. This wouldn’t be so bad except the CARB rules require equipment such as reefer units not to be older than seven years.
“You have to retrofit it for a cost of anywhere from $8,000 to $20,000,” Lunds says. On the plus size, he adds the fleets are starting to realize the CARB rules are not only bad for owner operators, but for the whole trucking industry. Lund believes the damaging CARB rules are a much bigger threat to the industry than a driver’s shortage.
Growing Regulations
Perhaps the biggest threat to the survival of owner operators are the growing number of federal and state regulations.
“When you produce all these regulations on an one-horse operator, he doesn’t have the resources to comply with everything,” Lund states. “It’s really putting a strain on them.”
Why Have California Rates Been Lower?
Lund notes California produce rates have not been as high in recent years. At the same time he is noticing more truck shortages, but not in California.
“There’s just not as many trucks in California now. What has kept the rates down is there is not as much produce (being grown in California),” Lund contends.
It comes down to California’s intrusive regulations, etc. are also resulting in more produce growers shifting their operations to Mexico where the red tape and costs of operation are less. For example, similar to California, there is less produce being grown in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, yet more truck shortages are occurring there, as more Mexican grown fruits and vegetables are being shipped into South Texas.
********
These issues are presented to you following a telephone interview with Kenny Lund. I have known Kenny’s father, the namesake of the company since shortly after his modest beginning in 1976 as a truck broker . Today, the company works with over 20,000 carriers, which are mostly owner operators. ALC arranges about 200,000 loads a year, with food items accounting for over 50 percent of the freight. Refrigerated loads make up about 40 to 45 percent of the loads.
While Allen Lund remains involved in the company, Kenny Lund has assumed a greater role in the continued growth and success of the operation. At the same time, the high ethical standards put in place by Allen nearly four decades ago, remain rooted in the company’s foundation. — Bill Martin
Up to 40 percent of fruits or vegetables can be wasted because it is “ugly”, a report on food waste reveals.
Produce grown in the UK that does not meet retailer standards on size or shape or is blemished is often used for animal feed or simply ploughed back into the ground even though it is edible, with as much as two-fifths of a crop rejected.
The Uk’s global food security programme, also showed that the average household throws away more than 11 pouinds of food a week, and nearly two-thirds of that waste is avoidable.
Households throw away a fifth of the food they buy, wasting it for reasons ranging from cooking and preparing too much food to not using it in time before the packaging due date expires.
Retailers respond to demands by consumers for high-quality food by imposing standards that can lead to much of the crop being wasted. However, some progress is being made with supermarkets marketing “odd shapes and sizes” for fruit and vegetables.
In developing countries, much of the loss of food occurs during post-harvesting storage, processing and packaging.
Tackling food waste globally is a major part of the action needed to provide enough food to feed a growing world population sustainably and tackle hunger, which affects one in eight people worldwide, the report said.
Around a third of food produced globally is lost or wasted.
“Over 5 million people in the UK live in deep poverty, where basic food provision is a daily challenge,” says food expert Tim Benton.
The report highlights priorities for research to help reduce food waste, including improving harvesting and packaging technologies, good seasonal weather prediction and new ways to reduce food waste within the home.