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While Washington state apple shippers are wringing their hands over the crop 
and profits that could have been, apple haulers probably won’t notice a lot of difference this 2012-13 season, since even after a hail reduced crop, shipments will be right in there with the average for the past five years.
One difference however, are the possibilities truckers may face with claims, unless you make sure the buyers know what is being delivered. There could be some hail damaged apples shipped to market this year; ones that look a little roughed up on the outside, but the quality is supposed to be good on the inside.
The apples with damage from hail will have “dimples” that turn brown and have a russetted look.
Some orchards totally escaped damage from the July 20 hail storm, while others were hit with varying amounts of damage. Much of the hits were taken by the Red Delicious variety.
The five-year average for Washington state apple shipments has been 100 to 110 million cartons. Before the hail storm, shippers were looking to move as much as 120 million cartons of apples this season. Loading opportunities are still expected to be good, despite the predictions of 10 to 25 percent of the crop being lost.
Updates on the amount of damage to apples from the hail storm are expected to come out within the next week.
Much of the USA is sizziling in triple digits and number 2 diesel prices, while not at record levels, are still high enough to make it difficult for 
a lot of owner operators and small fleet owners to make ends meet.
For example, the Flying J Truck Stop here in Grand Forks, ND has number 2 diesel fuel for $3.83 per gallon. That is above the national average for diesel this week, which is at $3.79 per gallon.
Duane Riendeau, 65, was an owner operator for 32 years. Five years ago he became a company driver for Troy Pecka Trucking Co. Inc. of East Grand Forks, MN. He sold his equipment stating trucking has become “too costly” with all of the government regulations and with the price of diesel fuel pushing $4 per gallon. He knows several owner operators personally who are just barely making it, because freight rates are not keeping up with costs of operation.
Although Randy Boushey of A&L Potato Co. Inc. in East Grand Forks, MN still has his CDL and continues to own three 18 wheelers, he only uses his trucks for deliveries within a 300-mile radius. His potato packing and shipping company has customers well beyond the 300-mile radius and he sees more late deliveries due to aging equipment with mechnical problems. He cites high fuel costs as one of reasons truckers are delaying replacement of tractors and trailers.
It seems there’s alway excuses for diesel fuel being higher than it should be, despite Americans reducing their fuel consumption. Whether it is problems with refineries in Illinois and Indiana cutting their out put, or economic woes in Europe, crazies in the Middle East pulling their stupid terrorist stuff, or any number of other factors – the reasons seem very few for prices to drop.
The experts and observors of oil prices are genenerally saying diesel prices will only go up until after Labor Day, before it starts dropping; unless of course some idiot in Syria, Timbuktwo, or someplace else does something which may not even be remotely connected to the price of oil. But that doesn’t seem to matter.
California apple and pear shipments have started, joining bell peppers and host of other veggies, stone fruits and grapes being 
shipped. Across the country, summer produce shipments also are moving in good volume as well, although few can match the volume coming from California.
California apples for the new shipping season are under way from the San Joaquin Valley, while the new pear crop is providing loads from the San Joaquin Valley as well as the Sacramento District. Both items join a host of San Joaquin Valley produce items ranging from peaches, plums and nectarines to veggies such as sweet corn, and bell peppers, among others, as well as table grapes and melons.
Looking ahead to fall citrus shipments, California volume is forecast to be pretty normal. Mandarin loadings get underway by mid October, while navel oranges should start shipping in Novemember and continue through May 2013. The 2011-12 navel crop amounted to 88 million 40-pound cartons being shipped. The Valencia orange loadings are winding down and about 28 million cartons will have been shipped by the end of the season.
Michigan
Michigan is a leading shipper of blueberries, which are moving in good, steady volume. There’s also a wide array of vegetables such as sweet corn, bell peppers and squash being loaded on trucks.
New York
Cabbage loads are now coming out of Western and Central New York. Other vegetables will soon be available for hauling.
Eastern Shore
The tri-state area of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia have had a good growing season and steady shipments of vegetables and melons are now occurring.
Eastern Shore produce is grossing – about $1700 to Chicago.
Michigan produce – about $2700 New York and Hunts Point.
California’s San Joaquin Valley produce – about $7500 to New York City.
I made my first trip to the Red River Valley, the nation’s largest red potato growing area, in December 1996. I thought when this southern 
boy who found himself in -40 degree F wind chills, I was going to freeze to death! Located on the North Dakota, Minnesota border, I have been back every year since, only in the summertime.
Whether I’m spending time with potato shippers, or truckers up here, there are no friendlier people to be found anywhere.
Getting to the Red River Valley with a load, whether going to Fargo on the southern end of the valley, or a small town located near the Canadian border, or any location found between the eastern edge of valley in far Western Minnesota, or approximately 100 miles to the other side of the valley in North Dakota, often isn’t easy. It can be as challenging as getting a load of freight from the Midwest to the West Coast.
Right now, grain haulers are taking center stage as the harvest in the valley is well underway. However, shortly after Labor Day, the huge combines will give away to digging potatoes from the region’s rich, black soil.
The only potatoes in the region currently being harvested are out of Big Lake and Long Prairie, MN. While the spuds are grown in Minnesota, many, if not most of them are actually being sold by the larger shippers in the Red River Valley such as Associated Potato Growers, Grand Forks, ND; NoKota Packers, Buxton, ND; and A&L Potato Co., East Grand Forks, MN. These companies often arrange the transportation as well.
The harvest of Red River Valley potatoes typically lasts from September into October, or until the first hard frost kills off the remaining potatoes in the fields.
Patrick Sammons of St. Joseph, MO is a driver for Grand Forks based Britton Transport. “It’s tough sometimes getting loads into the valley,” he admits.
Driver Jerry Smedly of Staples, MN says he hauls more french fries out of the valley than he does fresh red potatoes. He hauls for Attendorf Express Inc. out of Minto, ND.
Dave Moquist grows and ships red potatoes out of Crystal, ND. His company, O.C. Schulz & Sons, has found truck supplies to be adequate the past couple of years. However, potato shipments also have been down, requiring less equipment for hauling.
Paul Dolan of Associated Potato Growers, large potato cooperative based in Grand Forks, ND, says trucks were in tight supply last fall. He believes part of the reason is the oil boom taking place in the Western region of North Dakota. It is taking drivers that normally would be hauling other things.
Overall, red potatoes from the valley for the 2012-13 shipping season, are expected tobe normal at best. Warmer weather and less rain are expected to cut total shipments this season. — Bill Martin
By Larry Oscar
It’s been a few years since some studies were conducted that support the 
theory that drinking beer is a prerequisite for good health. In a study, published in March of 2008, researchers at the National Institutes of Health released a study showing that frequent drinking in moderation may protect men from death due to cardiovascular disease.
Men who reported drinking 120 to 365 days a year had a 20% lower cardiovascular death rate than those who drank one to 36 days a year. In a 2003 study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Adults over age 65 who drank one to six alcoholic beverages over the course of the week had a lower risk of dementia than non-drinkers. A 2006 report that appeared in the American Heart Association journal also showed that a drink or two a day may result in a better cognitive function in women.
Now this isn’t news to those of us who have savored the health benefits from 
drinking for several decades. We know that our consumption of beer, wine, and other “beverages” have helped us become the geniuses we are today. And doing some simple research on just how much beer Americans drink has produced some mind boggling numbers. The United States produces about 200 million barrels of beer per year. That’s roughly 20 US gallons of beer for every man, woman, and child every year. It’s nice to know that the United States is still ahead of the rest of the world in something besides teenage pregnancy.
Now you take the volume of Skiatook Lake in Northeastern Oklahoma where I live, which is over 2.1 billion barrels and divide that by 200 million barrels of beer and that means that the beer drinkers of the United States consume the entire volume of the lake in beer about every 10 ½ years. Now there is something that we can all take pride in as a nation. Thank God for beer drinkers. Beer brewing goes back to over 6,000 BC. It is one of the oldest beverages mankind has produced. Beer is also something that has brought nations together in times of crisis. Many high level negotiations between nations and kings and queens have been conducted over a few pints of ale.
It has been suggested that beer may be responsible for over one half of the amount of the human population. In 1931 a study was conducted that proved beyond any doubt that after a few beers women become more attractive. I have personally never experienced this, of course, but it would be a logical conclusion given the lack of beauty enhancing cosmetics during the 1300’s.
And a point of note is the modern beer advertisement. Do you ever see a beer commercial with some “skank” holding up a frosty glass of brew? Of course you don’t. The obvious implication here is that beer attracts babes, and if you drink the right brand of beer you will leave the bar with some beauty hanging on your arm. I can assure you that these commercials are misleading.
However, perception is reality to some people. Just look at who some guys have married when walking around Wal- Mart! If it wasn’t for beer we might have hoards of very overweight women roaming the streets with knives and pitchforks demanding husbands. Beer levels the social playing field. You can always crack a joke at a party if you have a beer in your hand. For example, take the old beer joke “What does a drunk walrus have in common with a woman at a Tupperware party?….. They’re both out looking for a tight seal.” Now you wouldn’t get away with that joke in a social setting while holding a glass of champagne, but with a beer in your hand everyone laughs, and you look like a cool dude.
Now that we are well into 2012, and this year is supposed to be the last, according to some ancient Mayan prophecy, maybe we should make a serious resolution. (I never understood why anyone would ever believe a prediction from anyone who missed predicting their own demise.) However, we should all adopt a new resolution to drink as many different beers this year as possible. And what better country in which to drink beer. After all, it may not have been the Constitution that made America great. It may have been Anheuser-Busch !!
Golf ball sized hail hit some Wenachee Valley apple orchards July 20 causing 
severe damage, while other orchards escaped, or received only minor damage. The bottom line for apple haulers is what was expected to be bumper apple shipments for the 2012-13 season will be reduced. It is a matter of how much. This really won’t be known for several weeks.
Also keep in mind when you are loading new season apples from this area, some fruit could have minor “dings” and other damage. Just make sure appropriate parties with whom you are working that are associated with the haul are aware of it.
Hail storms often are pretty localized, so hopefully the overall damage won’t severely affect shipments for the new season. Washingon state has a huge apple crop, and loadings are expected to be brisk because of significant weather damage to Michigan and Ontario apples, and to a lesser extent some orchards in New York state….Meanwhile apples from the old crop continue to be shipped.
Washington state apples – grossing about $6000 to New York City and Hunts Point.
There have been some reports of “fringe burn” on lettuce being shipped out of 
California’s Salinas Valley. This results from an exceptionally windy summer where the leaves are damaged from the wind and debris that is blown. While all lettuces have been affected to a certain degree, it appears to be more prominent with romaine and romaine hearts.
Otherwise, the Salinas Valley has had great weather this summer, with many days being under 70 degrees F. This is quite a difference from the “roasting” much of the USA is experiencing. Just take a little extra time inspecting the lettuce being loaded on your truck, and make sure your receiver(s) know what is being delivered and have any defect information written on the bill of lading.
There also are reports of some large Iceberg lettuce that is overripe. This occurs when product is left in the fields too long before harvesting.
Berries
California continues on track for possible record shipments of strawberries. The state has been running about 13 million trays ahead of this same period a year ago. The record is 181.3 million trays. The heaviest volume of a long season for shipping California strawberries is coming to a close. Shipments typically decline in August and into the fall.
Once again, here is a reminder to be extra cautious if you are hauling highly perishable berries this time of year, because of the extreme heat occuring in many parts of the USA. Please check out the in transit warming information on the TransFresh ads found on this website.
Besides strawberries out of the Watsonsville district, California also is shipping raspberries and blackberries. There should be decent supplies for hauling over at least the next couple of months.
Salinas Valley produce – grossing about $5500 to Cleveland.
The driver shortage is becoming worse in the USA, even those there is high 
unemployment is hard economic times, according a recent article by CNNMoney.
The cites David Heller, director of safety and policy for the Truckload Carriers Association who points out there are as many as 200,000 job openings nationwide for long haul truckers. also sees The demand for truckers is increasing, up from the 1.5 million drivers on the road now, according to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It expects trucking job to increase by 20%, adding 330,100 jobs between 2010 and 2020.
But these positions are difficult to fill, and even harder to keep filled.
“Nobody wants to drive a truck,” said Heller.
Truckers earn a median annual wage of $37,930, which is $4,000 more than the median wage for all jobs, according to the BLS with the top 10% of truck drivers making over $58,000 per year.
Then why is it so hard filling all of theseSo why do so many long-haul trucking jobs?
Number one, it is difficult to get certified, according the CNNMoney article. The biggest hurdle for the unemployed is probably getting a commercial driver’s license, which requires a training course that’s up to eight weeks long and costs about $6,000.
“Drivers are put under intense scrutiny before they get into the industry, and for good reason,” said Brett Aquila, trucker and creator of the blog TruckingTruth. “It’s incredibly risky putting someone behind the wheel of an 80,000 pound truck with your company’s name on it.”
The long-haul lifestyle isn’t easy, a fact discover by drivers when they hit the road. They can be living for weeks at a time on the road in the cramped confines of the back of the truck.
“You have a gigantic culture shock when someone is suddenly living on the road in a space the size of a walk-in closet,” said Aquila. “Then you have the pressure, the erratic sleep patterns, and the time away from home, family, and friends.”
As a result, job turnover is high for truckers. Meanwhile, as the economy stages a gradual recovery, more new positions are becoming available.
“When people start to spend more money, that means there’s more freight to move,” said Heller. “When shelves need to be stocked, trucks start rolling. There’s not a thing you own that has not been on a truck at some point.”
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Most fruit and vegetable rates are paying significantly more than rates on 
potatoes and onions right now, but the difference in rates will be shrinking in the next several weeks as overall fruit and veggie volume seasonally declines and the spud and onion volume rises with the new crops.
There is over 1 million acres of potatoes planted in the USA for the crop that is now being harvested. That is 46,000 more acres than at this time a year ago! Translation: There’s a huge crop that will need to be transported to market – and the railroads can only haul a relatively small amount of it. That means plenty of hauling opportunties this fall, winter and next spring for truckers with refrigerated equipment.
The top nine states with the most potatoes in order of size are: Idaho, Washington, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Maine, Colorado, Minnesota, Michigan and Oregon.
Idaho, the USA’s biggest potato producer, will have a lot more potatoes for hauling this season.
Potato shipments from Washington and Oregon get underway in early August, with volume expected to be normal and about the same as a year ago. Washington has about 25,000 acres of spuds for the fresh market. The Umatilla-Hermiston potato volume may be down a little from last season. No big deal though.
In central Wisconsin, red, white, yellow and russet potato diggings have been underway and shipments begin when the old crop is all sold, or customers begin demanding fresh potatoes from the new season, over the old ones which have been in storages forever. The spuds becoming available will be more abundant than on average from the past five years.
Onions
Helping Western onion shipments was the early demise of the Vidalia, GA onion season. It has created bigger demand for onions in the West and demand for trucks from places such as Bakersfield, CA and from Southern New Mexico and the Pasco area of Washington state. Also, imported onions from Peru will begin arriving at USA ports in early August.
Idaho potatoes are grossing – about $4800 to New York City’s Hunts Point.
While Washington state apple shippers are wringing their hands over the crop and profits that could have been, apple haulers probably won’t notice a lot of difference this 2012-13 season, since even after a hail reduced crop, shipments will be right in there with the average for the past five years.
One difference however, are the possibilities truckers may face with claims, unless you make sure the buyers know what is being delivered. There could be some hail damaged apples shipped to market this year; ones that look a little roughed up on the outside, but the quality is supposed to be good on the inside.
The apples with damage from hail will have “dimples” that turn brown and have a russetted look.
Some orchards totally escaped damage from the July 20 hail storm, while others were hit with varying amounts of damage. Much of the hits were taken by the Red Delicious variety.
The five-year average for Washington state apple shipments has been 100 to 110 million cartons. Before the hail storm, shippers were looking to move as much as 120 million cartons of apples this season. Loading opportunities are still expected to be good, despite the predictions of 10 to 25 percent of the crop being lost.
Updates on the amount of damage to apples from the hail storm are expected to come out within the next week.
Much of the USA is sizziling in triple digits and number 2 diesel prices, while not at record levels, are still high enough to make it difficult for a lot of owner operators and small fleet owners to make ends meet.
For example, the Flying J Truck Stop here in Grand Forks, ND has number 2 diesel fuel for $3.83 per gallon. That is above the national average for diesel this week, which is at $3.79 per gallon.
Duane Riendeau, 65, was an owner operator for 32 years. Five years ago he became a company driver for Troy Pecka Trucking Co. Inc. of East Grand Forks, MN. He sold his equipment stating trucking has become “too costly” with all of the government regulations and with the price of diesel fuel pushing $4 per gallon. He knows several owner operators personally who are just barely making it, because freight rates are not keeping up with costs of operation.
Although Randy Boushey of A&L Potato Co. Inc. in East Grand Forks, MN still has his CDL and continues to own three 18 wheelers, he only uses his trucks for deliveries within a 300-mile radius. His potato packing and shipping company has customers well beyond the 300-mile radius and he sees more late deliveries due to aging equipment with mechnical problems. He cites high fuel costs as one of reasons truckers are delaying replacement of tractors and trailers.
It seems there’s alway excuses for diesel fuel being higher than it should be, despite Americans reducing their fuel consumption. Whether it is problems with refineries in Illinois and Indiana cutting their out put, or economic woes in Europe, crazies in the Middle East pulling their stupid terrorist stuff, or any number of other factors – the reasons seem very few for prices to drop.
The experts and observors of oil prices are genenerally saying diesel prices will only go up until after Labor Day, before it starts dropping; unless of course some idiot in Syria, Timbuktwo, or someplace else does something which may not even be remotely connected to the price of oil. But that doesn’t seem to matter.
California apple and pear shipments have started, joining bell peppers and host of other veggies, stone fruits and grapes being shipped. Across the country, summer produce shipments also are moving in good volume as well, although few can match the volume coming from California.
California apples for the new shipping season are under way from the San Joaquin Valley, while the new pear crop is providing loads from the San Joaquin Valley as well as the Sacramento District. Both items join a host of San Joaquin Valley produce items ranging from peaches, plums and nectarines to veggies such as sweet corn, and bell peppers, among others, as well as table grapes and melons.
Looking ahead to fall citrus shipments, California volume is forecast to be pretty normal. Mandarin loadings get underway by mid October, while navel oranges should start shipping in Novemember and continue through May 2013. The 2011-12 navel crop amounted to 88 million 40-pound cartons being shipped. The Valencia orange loadings are winding down and about 28 million cartons will have been shipped by the end of the season.
Michigan
Michigan is a leading shipper of blueberries, which are moving in good, steady volume. There’s also a wide array of vegetables such as sweet corn, bell peppers and squash being loaded on trucks.
New York
Cabbage loads are now coming out of Western and Central New York. Other vegetables will soon be available for hauling.
Eastern Shore
The tri-state area of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia have had a good growing season and steady shipments of vegetables and melons are now occurring.
Eastern Shore produce is grossing – about $1700 to Chicago.
Michigan produce – about $2700 New York and Hunts Point.
California’s San Joaquin Valley produce – about $7500 to New York City.
I made my first trip to the Red River Valley, the nation’s largest red potato growing area, in December 1996. I thought when this southern boy who found himself in -40 degree F wind chills, I was going to freeze to death! Located on the North Dakota, Minnesota border, I have been back every year since, only in the summertime.
Whether I’m spending time with potato shippers, or truckers up here, there are no friendlier people to be found anywhere.
Getting to the Red River Valley with a load, whether going to Fargo on the southern end of the valley, or a small town located near the Canadian border, or any location found between the eastern edge of valley in far Western Minnesota, or approximately 100 miles to the other side of the valley in North Dakota, often isn’t easy. It can be as challenging as getting a load of freight from the Midwest to the West Coast.
Right now, grain haulers are taking center stage as the harvest in the valley is well underway. However, shortly after Labor Day, the huge combines will give away to digging potatoes from the region’s rich, black soil.
The only potatoes in the region currently being harvested are out of Big Lake and Long Prairie, MN. While the spuds are grown in Minnesota, many, if not most of them are actually being sold by the larger shippers in the Red River Valley such as Associated Potato Growers, Grand Forks, ND; NoKota Packers, Buxton, ND; and A&L Potato Co., East Grand Forks, MN. These companies often arrange the transportation as well.
The harvest of Red River Valley potatoes typically lasts from September into October, or until the first hard frost kills off the remaining potatoes in the fields.
Patrick Sammons of St. Joseph, MO is a driver for Grand Forks based Britton Transport. “It’s tough sometimes getting loads into the valley,” he admits.
Driver Jerry Smedly of Staples, MN says he hauls more french fries out of the valley than he does fresh red potatoes. He hauls for Attendorf Express Inc. out of Minto, ND.
Dave Moquist grows and ships red potatoes out of Crystal, ND. His company, O.C. Schulz & Sons, has found truck supplies to be adequate the past couple of years. However, potato shipments also have been down, requiring less equipment for hauling.
Paul Dolan of Associated Potato Growers, large potato cooperative based in Grand Forks, ND, says trucks were in tight supply last fall. He believes part of the reason is the oil boom taking place in the Western region of North Dakota. It is taking drivers that normally would be hauling other things.
Overall, red potatoes from the valley for the 2012-13 shipping season, are expected tobe normal at best. Warmer weather and less rain are expected to cut total shipments this season. — Bill Martin
By Larry Oscar
It’s been a few years since some studies were conducted that support the theory that drinking beer is a prerequisite for good health. In a study, published in March of 2008, researchers at the National Institutes of Health released a study showing that frequent drinking in moderation may protect men from death due to cardiovascular disease.
Men who reported drinking 120 to 365 days a year had a 20% lower cardiovascular death rate than those who drank one to 36 days a year. In a 2003 study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Adults over age 65 who drank one to six alcoholic beverages over the course of the week had a lower risk of dementia than non-drinkers. A 2006 report that appeared in the American Heart Association journal also showed that a drink or two a day may result in a better cognitive function in women.
Now this isn’t news to those of us who have savored the health benefits from drinking for several decades. We know that our consumption of beer, wine, and other “beverages” have helped us become the geniuses we are today. And doing some simple research on just how much beer Americans drink has produced some mind boggling numbers. The United States produces about 200 million barrels of beer per year. That’s roughly 20 US gallons of beer for every man, woman, and child every year. It’s nice to know that the United States is still ahead of the rest of the world in something besides teenage pregnancy.
Now you take the volume of Skiatook Lake in Northeastern Oklahoma where I live, which is over 2.1 billion barrels and divide that by 200 million barrels of beer and that means that the beer drinkers of the United States consume the entire volume of the lake in beer about every 10 ½ years. Now there is something that we can all take pride in as a nation. Thank God for beer drinkers. Beer brewing goes back to over 6,000 BC. It is one of the oldest beverages mankind has produced. Beer is also something that has brought nations together in times of crisis. Many high level negotiations between nations and kings and queens have been conducted over a few pints of ale.
It has been suggested that beer may be responsible for over one half of the amount of the human population. In 1931 a study was conducted that proved beyond any doubt that after a few beers women become more attractive. I have personally never experienced this, of course, but it would be a logical conclusion given the lack of beauty enhancing cosmetics during the 1300’s.
And a point of note is the modern beer advertisement. Do you ever see a beer commercial with some “skank” holding up a frosty glass of brew? Of course you don’t. The obvious implication here is that beer attracts babes, and if you drink the right brand of beer you will leave the bar with some beauty hanging on your arm. I can assure you that these commercials are misleading.
However, perception is reality to some people. Just look at who some guys have married when walking around Wal- Mart! If it wasn’t for beer we might have hoards of very overweight women roaming the streets with knives and pitchforks demanding husbands. Beer levels the social playing field. You can always crack a joke at a party if you have a beer in your hand. For example, take the old beer joke “What does a drunk walrus have in common with a woman at a Tupperware party?….. They’re both out looking for a tight seal.” Now you wouldn’t get away with that joke in a social setting while holding a glass of champagne, but with a beer in your hand everyone laughs, and you look like a cool dude.
Now that we are well into 2012, and this year is supposed to be the last, according to some ancient Mayan prophecy, maybe we should make a serious resolution. (I never understood why anyone would ever believe a prediction from anyone who missed predicting their own demise.) However, we should all adopt a new resolution to drink as many different beers this year as possible. And what better country in which to drink beer. After all, it may not have been the Constitution that made America great. It may have been Anheuser-Busch !!
Golf ball sized hail hit some Wenachee Valley apple orchards July 20 causing severe damage, while other orchards escaped, or received only minor damage. The bottom line for apple haulers is what was expected to be bumper apple shipments for the 2012-13 season will be reduced. It is a matter of how much. This really won’t be known for several weeks.
Also keep in mind when you are loading new season apples from this area, some fruit could have minor “dings” and other damage. Just make sure appropriate parties with whom you are working that are associated with the haul are aware of it.
Hail storms often are pretty localized, so hopefully the overall damage won’t severely affect shipments for the new season. Washingon state has a huge apple crop, and loadings are expected to be brisk because of significant weather damage to Michigan and Ontario apples, and to a lesser extent some orchards in New York state….Meanwhile apples from the old crop continue to be shipped.
Washington state apples – grossing about $6000 to New York City and Hunts Point.
There have been some reports of “fringe burn” on lettuce being shipped out of California’s Salinas Valley. This results from an exceptionally windy summer where the leaves are damaged from the wind and debris that is blown. While all lettuces have been affected to a certain degree, it appears to be more prominent with romaine and romaine hearts.
Otherwise, the Salinas Valley has had great weather this summer, with many days being under 70 degrees F. This is quite a difference from the “roasting” much of the USA is experiencing. Just take a little extra time inspecting the lettuce being loaded on your truck, and make sure your receiver(s) know what is being delivered and have any defect information written on the bill of lading.
There also are reports of some large Iceberg lettuce that is overripe. This occurs when product is left in the fields too long before harvesting.
Berries
California continues on track for possible record shipments of strawberries. The state has been running about 13 million trays ahead of this same period a year ago. The record is 181.3 million trays. The heaviest volume of a long season for shipping California strawberries is coming to a close. Shipments typically decline in August and into the fall.
Once again, here is a reminder to be extra cautious if you are hauling highly perishable berries this time of year, because of the extreme heat occuring in many parts of the USA. Please check out the in transit warming information on the TransFresh ads found on this website.
Besides strawberries out of the Watsonsville district, California also is shipping raspberries and blackberries. There should be decent supplies for hauling over at least the next couple of months.
Salinas Valley produce – grossing about $5500 to Cleveland.
The driver shortage is becoming worse in the USA, even those there is high unemployment is hard economic times, according a recent article by CNNMoney.
The cites David Heller, director of safety and policy for the Truckload Carriers Association who points out there are as many as 200,000 job openings nationwide for long haul truckers. also sees The demand for truckers is increasing, up from the 1.5 million drivers on the road now, according to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It expects trucking job to increase by 20%, adding 330,100 jobs between 2010 and 2020.
But these positions are difficult to fill, and even harder to keep filled.
“Nobody wants to drive a truck,” said Heller.
Truckers earn a median annual wage of $37,930, which is $4,000 more than the median wage for all jobs, according to the BLS with the top 10% of truck drivers making over $58,000 per year.
Then why is it so hard filling all of theseSo why do so many long-haul trucking jobs?
Number one, it is difficult to get certified, according the CNNMoney article. The biggest hurdle for the unemployed is probably getting a commercial driver’s license, which requires a training course that’s up to eight weeks long and costs about $6,000.
“Drivers are put under intense scrutiny before they get into the industry, and for good reason,” said Brett Aquila, trucker and creator of the blog TruckingTruth. “It’s incredibly risky putting someone behind the wheel of an 80,000 pound truck with your company’s name on it.”
The long-haul lifestyle isn’t easy, a fact discover by drivers when they hit the road. They can be living for weeks at a time on the road in the cramped confines of the back of the truck.
“You have a gigantic culture shock when someone is suddenly living on the road in a space the size of a walk-in closet,” said Aquila. “Then you have the pressure, the erratic sleep patterns, and the time away from home, family, and friends.”
As a result, job turnover is high for truckers. Meanwhile, as the economy stages a gradual recovery, more new positions are becoming available.
“When people start to spend more money, that means there’s more freight to move,” said Heller. “When shelves need to be stocked, trucks start rolling. There’s not a thing you own that has not been on a truck at some point.”
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Most fruit and vegetable rates are paying significantly more than rates on potatoes and onions right now, but the difference in rates will be shrinking in the next several weeks as overall fruit and veggie volume seasonally declines and the spud and onion volume rises with the new crops.
There is over 1 million acres of potatoes planted in the USA for the crop that is now being harvested. That is 46,000 more acres than at this time a year ago! Translation: There’s a huge crop that will need to be transported to market – and the railroads can only haul a relatively small amount of it. That means plenty of hauling opportunties this fall, winter and next spring for truckers with refrigerated equipment.
The top nine states with the most potatoes in order of size are: Idaho, Washington, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Maine, Colorado, Minnesota, Michigan and Oregon.
Idaho, the USA’s biggest potato producer, will have a lot more potatoes for hauling this season.
Potato shipments from Washington and Oregon get underway in early August, with volume expected to be normal and about the same as a year ago. Washington has about 25,000 acres of spuds for the fresh market. The Umatilla-Hermiston potato volume may be down a little from last season. No big deal though.
In central Wisconsin, red, white, yellow and russet potato diggings have been underway and shipments begin when the old crop is all sold, or customers begin demanding fresh potatoes from the new season, over the old ones which have been in storages forever. The spuds becoming available will be more abundant than on average from the past five years.
Onions
Helping Western onion shipments was the early demise of the Vidalia, GA onion season. It has created bigger demand for onions in the West and demand for trucks from places such as Bakersfield, CA and from Southern New Mexico and the Pasco area of Washington state. Also, imported onions from Peru will begin arriving at USA ports in early August.
Idaho potatoes are grossing – about $4800 to New York City’s Hunts Point.