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Supplies of refrigerated equipment are tightening for hauling Lower Rio 
Grande Valley produce, as well as Mexico fresh products crossing the border into Texas. This has resulted in some relatively small rate increases. Everything from grapefruit, oranges, greens, and cabbage, among other items are being hauled out of South Texas to various U.S. destinations.
There continues to be steady movement of Colorado potatoes out of the San Luis Valley…..The same goes for Michigan apples from the Western part of the state.
In the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota shipments of red potatoes have recently increased by about 15 percent. Most of this season, loadings have been below those of a year ago. However, increased demand should keep shipments above 2011 levels through the spring and into the summer. No significant rate increases have been reported.
Grand Forks, ND red potatoes shipments – grossing about $3900 to Philadelphia.
Colorado russet potatoes – about $1600 to Dallas.
Michigan apples – $2000 to Houston.
South Texas produce – $3000 to Chicago.
March can be one of the more frustrating months if you haul fresh produce. 
We are getting there, but certainly haven’t arrived. Several major shipping areas are starting to wind down, while others are still trying to ramp up with spring volume. A great example is in the West. Winter shipments of lettuce and other veggies from the deserts of Arizona and California provide loading opportunities during the winter, but are entering a transition period, where shipments will be moving northward to the Huron area of the San Joaquin Valley, following closely by Salinas. There’s now light volume with vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower from Santa Maria and Ventura County. Strawberry volume in Southern California is ramping up, but certainly not there yet.
Florida is similar in that vegetable volume is increasing, but won’t be hitting seasonal numbers until early April.
The steady, more consistent shipments are with hardware items ranging from apples, pears, onions and potatoes from the Northwest, potatoes from Colorado and Wisconsin; sweet potatoes out of Lousiana, Mississippi and the leader — North Carolina.
By this time next month we should be seeing significant increases in loading oppportunities, particularly from California and Florida, with rates rising accordingly.
Yakima Valley apples and pears grossing – about $5500 to Atlanta.
South Florida vegetables – about $2200 to Baltimore.
By MindShare Strategies
Wilder, Ky.– RWI Transportation, an asset-based logistics 
company providing regional and national truckload, LTL, expedited, and refrigerated warehousing services, announces a driver pay increase of two cents per loaded mile, with one cent linked to a new safety bonus program. The increase is effective April 1, 2012.
“Throughout our 56-year history, RWI has been committed to driver safety while serving our customers. The driver safety bonus program, along with our other behavior-based safety programs, is an extension of that safety focus,” said Richard Bauer, executive vice president and general manager of RWI Transportation. “Innovative programs like these ensure we are able to remain focused on safe, efficient operations while offering our customers the truck capacity they need.”
RWI’s Safety Bonus Program is based on a driver qualifying the last day of each calendar month. Qualified drivers receive the one-cent safety payment on all dispatched loaded miles for completed trips. Disqualifying events include roadside inspections resulting in a point assessment under CSA guidelines, not having company-required paperwork current and certain types of vehicular collisions. Drivers not qualifying in one month are eligible to qualify the next month.
Managing in excess of 100,000 shipments annually, RWI handles temperature-controlled and dry freight, and also has specialized expertise in handling fresh produce and other perishable food commodities. RWI is an affiliate of the Castellini Group of Companies, which combines to form one of the largest distributors of fresh produce in the United States. For further information on RWI, visit www.RWItrans.com.
With four percent more apples remaining in U.S. storages nationally, the fruit 
should remain a good retail buy well into the summer months. Washington state provides more apples than all other states combined, so naturally your choices will be more plentiful from the Northwest, especially if you live in the Western half of the country. No surprise, the most common varieties of apples will be in greatest supply in your supermarket: red delicious, gala and granny smith. There should also be decent supplies of fuji and golden delilcious apples.
It’s almost time for domestic sweet onions. Texas will be providing the first sweet onions in many retail stores, with arrivals by late March. Expect sweet onions from Vidalia, GA to be availble in limited qualities in some stores by Easter (April 8), with plentiful supplies by mid-April.
Chilean red seedless grapes are reasonably priced now, and have a great sweet taste. Berry size has improved from a few weeks ago.
Here are some excerpts from an article written by the editors of Runner’s World, titled, Battle of the Super Foods. Following are some comparisions of the most nutritional among nutritional fruits and vegetables.
STRAWBERRIES vs. BLUEBERRIES The winner: Blueberries
Both are health all-stars, but a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reported that blueberries (particularly wild ones) showed the most antioxidant activity of all the fruits tested. “These antioxidants help keep your immune system strong and reduce muscle-tissue damage from exercise.” ,” says Mitzi Dulan, R.D., co-author of The All-Pro Diet.
SPINACH vs. KALE The winner: Kale
Kale’s nutritional might would win over even Popeye. Gram for gram, kale contains four times more vitamin C, and one and a half times the amount of immune boosting vitamin A and vitamin K. “Vitamin K ensures that blood clots properly,” says says sports dietitian Suzanne Girard Eberle, R.D., author of Endurance Sports Nutrition., “but it’s also needed to make a bone protein essential for strong, healthy bones.” Kale contains three times more lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants deposited in the retina that work together to protect eye health.
Orange beats apple. They have similar amounts of calories and fiber, but oranges have 12 times as much vitamin C.
Red pepper beats green pepper. It boasts eight times the vitamin A, which keeps your immune system strong.
It’s still too early for decent loading opportunities out of Florida — while we’re still another two to three weeks away from significant volume, particularly with vegetables. Yet, the Sunshine state is better now than it was only a few weeks ago when it comes to finding a load.
From South Florida, about 250 truckloads of red potatoes are being loaded a week. There is even heavier volume with roma, mature green, cherry and grape tomatoes coming out of the Southern areas of Florida….The Plant City and Dover location near Tampa is shipping some of the most beautiful and tasty strawberries you can image (I just bought this shown in photo today).
Central Florida produce shipments – grossing about $2300 to Chicago.
There are four percent more apples remaining in storages around 
the United States to be shipped, compared to this time a year ago. The vast majority of those apples will be shipped out of Washington state, although significant amounts will be loaded between now and late summer from Michigan and upstate New York.
The Yakima and Wenatchee Valleys in Washington are shipping about 2,500 truckload equivalents of apples weekly. By comparison, the Western region of Michigan is moving around 175 truckloads per week. New York state is averaging over 200 truckloads of apple shipments weekly, but keep in mind those numbers include loadings spread out from Eastern New York’s Hudson Valley to areas in the Central and Western portions of the state.
Light shipments are available from New England and the Applachian states.
Michigan apples are grossing – about $1000 to Chicago.
New York Hudson Valley – about $2400 to Atlanta.
Washington state – about $5800 to New York City.
Supplies of trucks from major produce shipping areas around the country appear to be mostly adequate.
One of the most active shipping areas has Mexican produce crossing the border at Nogales, AZ. Heavy volume of vine ripes, roma, plum and grape tomatoes are accounting for about 1,200 truckloads a week, and this doesn’t include many items ranging from melons and various kinds of vegetables.
From the San Luis Valley of Colorado, over 700 truckloads of potatoes are being shipped each week.
South Texas also has significant shipments of produce, whether talking about product moving from the Winter Garden District south of San Antonio (cabbage), or citrus and vegetables from the Lower Rio Grand Valley, not to mention good volume crossing the border from Mexico, ranging from onions and carrots to tropical fruits.
In the Northeast, potatoes loadings from the Presque Isle, ME area are exceeding 100 truckloads per week. Maine potatoes are grossing about $1700 to New York City.
Lower Rio Grande Valley produce – about $1700 to Chicago.
San Luis Valley potatoes – about $2700 to Atlanta.
Nogales produce – about $1200 to Los Angeles.
The Polk Commercial Vehicle Report for 2012 reports a 23 percent increase in the number of new commercial truck registrations for new commerical trucks compared to the previous year. 2011 registrations for Class 3 through Class 8 trucks was 461,000. However, the record for new truck registrations occurred in 2006 when the total hit 800,000.
Between 1985 and 2011 there were 507,000 new truck registrations each year on average.
Class 8 trucks led the new commerical vehicle registrations in 2011 with a 38 percent increase, compared to 2010.
When you combine the new and used registrations, the figure exceeds 1.25 million, which is up 20 percent compared to 2010.
Will this mean fewer truck shortages in 2012 at major U.S. produce shipping areas? This remains to be seen. If trucking companies registering all these trucks have drivers to cover this equipment, sure it’s a no brainer.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has cited Ven-Co Produce Inc. of Bronx, N.Y., for failure to pay for produce. Ven-Co is located on the Hunts Point Wholesale Terminal Market.
The company failed to pay $1,559,892.79 to 26 sellers for 210 lots of produce. This is in violation of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). As a result of these actions, the USDA and Ven-Co Produce Inc. have entered into a consent decision and Ven-Co Produce Inc. cannot operate in the produce industry until Feb. 15, 2014, at which time it may reapply for a PACA license. It is not known whether Ven-Co owes money to truckers for services. Such transactions are not taken into account by the PACA.
In fiscal year 2011, USDA resolved approximately 2,000 claims filed under the PACA involving $31 million in their continued efforts to serve and protect the fruit and vegetable industry from unlawful trade practices.
Unfortunately the PACA does not offer protections to produce transportation entities who deliver fresh fruits and vegetables. Whether you are faced with an unfair claim, your load is unfairly rejected, or you are not paid for your services, you are pretty much at the mercy of the produce receiver. Of course, you can file a lawsuit where the alleged violations occur, but then you face the high cost of litgation, and have to make court appearances in a venue that may be thousands of miles away. In other words, it usually is not worth the time and effort.
How much time and money is lost every year by produce haulers is not known. But talking with people in transportation, it is significant. The produce industry has fought tirelessly for decades to avoid having truckers receive the same protections they receive under the PACA.
Supplies of refrigerated equipment are tightening for hauling Lower Rio Grande Valley produce, as well as Mexico fresh products crossing the border into Texas. This has resulted in some relatively small rate increases. Everything from grapefruit, oranges, greens, and cabbage, among other items are being hauled out of South Texas to various U.S. destinations.
There continues to be steady movement of Colorado potatoes out of the San Luis Valley…..The same goes for Michigan apples from the Western part of the state.
In the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota shipments of red potatoes have recently increased by about 15 percent. Most of this season, loadings have been below those of a year ago. However, increased demand should keep shipments above 2011 levels through the spring and into the summer. No significant rate increases have been reported.
Grand Forks, ND red potatoes shipments – grossing about $3900 to Philadelphia.
Colorado russet potatoes – about $1600 to Dallas.
Michigan apples – $2000 to Houston.
South Texas produce – $3000 to Chicago.
March can be one of the more frustrating months if you haul fresh produce. We are getting there, but certainly haven’t arrived. Several major shipping areas are starting to wind down, while others are still trying to ramp up with spring volume. A great example is in the West. Winter shipments of lettuce and other veggies from the deserts of Arizona and California provide loading opportunities during the winter, but are entering a transition period, where shipments will be moving northward to the Huron area of the San Joaquin Valley, following closely by Salinas. There’s now light volume with vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower from Santa Maria and Ventura County. Strawberry volume in Southern California is ramping up, but certainly not there yet.
Florida is similar in that vegetable volume is increasing, but won’t be hitting seasonal numbers until early April.
The steady, more consistent shipments are with hardware items ranging from apples, pears, onions and potatoes from the Northwest, potatoes from Colorado and Wisconsin; sweet potatoes out of Lousiana, Mississippi and the leader — North Carolina.
By this time next month we should be seeing significant increases in loading oppportunities, particularly from California and Florida, with rates rising accordingly.
Yakima Valley apples and pears grossing – about $5500 to Atlanta.
South Florida vegetables – about $2200 to Baltimore.
By MindShare Strategies
Wilder, Ky.– RWI Transportation, an asset-based logistics company providing regional and national truckload, LTL, expedited, and refrigerated warehousing services, announces a driver pay increase of two cents per loaded mile, with one cent linked to a new safety bonus program. The increase is effective April 1, 2012.
“Throughout our 56-year history, RWI has been committed to driver safety while serving our customers. The driver safety bonus program, along with our other behavior-based safety programs, is an extension of that safety focus,” said Richard Bauer, executive vice president and general manager of RWI Transportation. “Innovative programs like these ensure we are able to remain focused on safe, efficient operations while offering our customers the truck capacity they need.”
RWI’s Safety Bonus Program is based on a driver qualifying the last day of each calendar month. Qualified drivers receive the one-cent safety payment on all dispatched loaded miles for completed trips. Disqualifying events include roadside inspections resulting in a point assessment under CSA guidelines, not having company-required paperwork current and certain types of vehicular collisions. Drivers not qualifying in one month are eligible to qualify the next month.
Managing in excess of 100,000 shipments annually, RWI handles temperature-controlled and dry freight, and also has specialized expertise in handling fresh produce and other perishable food commodities. RWI is an affiliate of the Castellini Group of Companies, which combines to form one of the largest distributors of fresh produce in the United States. For further information on RWI, visit www.RWItrans.com.
With four percent more apples remaining in U.S. storages nationally, the fruit should remain a good retail buy well into the summer months. Washington state provides more apples than all other states combined, so naturally your choices will be more plentiful from the Northwest, especially if you live in the Western half of the country. No surprise, the most common varieties of apples will be in greatest supply in your supermarket: red delicious, gala and granny smith. There should also be decent supplies of fuji and golden delilcious apples.
It’s almost time for domestic sweet onions. Texas will be providing the first sweet onions in many retail stores, with arrivals by late March. Expect sweet onions from Vidalia, GA to be availble in limited qualities in some stores by Easter (April 8), with plentiful supplies by mid-April.
Chilean red seedless grapes are reasonably priced now, and have a great sweet taste. Berry size has improved from a few weeks ago.
Here are some excerpts from an article written by the editors of Runner’s World, titled, Battle of the Super Foods. Following are some comparisions of the most nutritional among nutritional fruits and vegetables.
STRAWBERRIES vs. BLUEBERRIES The winner: Blueberries
Both are health all-stars, but a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reported that blueberries (particularly wild ones) showed the most antioxidant activity of all the fruits tested. “These antioxidants help keep your immune system strong and reduce muscle-tissue damage from exercise.” ,” says Mitzi Dulan, R.D., co-author of The All-Pro Diet.
SPINACH vs. KALE The winner: Kale
Kale’s nutritional might would win over even Popeye. Gram for gram, kale contains four times more vitamin C, and one and a half times the amount of immune boosting vitamin A and vitamin K. “Vitamin K ensures that blood clots properly,” says says sports dietitian Suzanne Girard Eberle, R.D., author of Endurance Sports Nutrition., “but it’s also needed to make a bone protein essential for strong, healthy bones.” Kale contains three times more lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants deposited in the retina that work together to protect eye health.
Orange beats apple. They have similar amounts of calories and fiber, but oranges have 12 times as much vitamin C.
Red pepper beats green pepper. It boasts eight times the vitamin A, which keeps your immune system strong.
It’s still too early for decent loading opportunities out of Florida — while we’re still another two to three weeks away from significant volume, particularly with vegetables. Yet, the Sunshine state is better now than it was only a few weeks ago when it comes to finding a load.
From South Florida, about 250 truckloads of red potatoes are being loaded a week. There is even heavier volume with roma, mature green, cherry and grape tomatoes coming out of the Southern areas of Florida….The Plant City and Dover location near Tampa is shipping some of the most beautiful and tasty strawberries you can image (I just bought this shown in photo today).
Central Florida produce shipments – grossing about $2300 to Chicago.
There are four percent more apples remaining in storages around the United States to be shipped, compared to this time a year ago. The vast majority of those apples will be shipped out of Washington state, although significant amounts will be loaded between now and late summer from Michigan and upstate New York.
The Yakima and Wenatchee Valleys in Washington are shipping about 2,500 truckload equivalents of apples weekly. By comparison, the Western region of Michigan is moving around 175 truckloads per week. New York state is averaging over 200 truckloads of apple shipments weekly, but keep in mind those numbers include loadings spread out from Eastern New York’s Hudson Valley to areas in the Central and Western portions of the state.
Light shipments are available from New England and the Applachian states.
Michigan apples are grossing – about $1000 to Chicago.
New York Hudson Valley – about $2400 to Atlanta.
Washington state – about $5800 to New York City.
Supplies of trucks from major produce shipping areas around the country appear to be mostly adequate.
One of the most active shipping areas has Mexican produce crossing the border at Nogales, AZ. Heavy volume of vine ripes, roma, plum and grape tomatoes are accounting for about 1,200 truckloads a week, and this doesn’t include many items ranging from melons and various kinds of vegetables.
From the San Luis Valley of Colorado, over 700 truckloads of potatoes are being shipped each week.
South Texas also has significant shipments of produce, whether talking about product moving from the Winter Garden District south of San Antonio (cabbage), or citrus and vegetables from the Lower Rio Grand Valley, not to mention good volume crossing the border from Mexico, ranging from onions and carrots to tropical fruits.
In the Northeast, potatoes loadings from the Presque Isle, ME area are exceeding 100 truckloads per week. Maine potatoes are grossing about $1700 to New York City.
Lower Rio Grande Valley produce – about $1700 to Chicago.
San Luis Valley potatoes – about $2700 to Atlanta.
Nogales produce – about $1200 to Los Angeles.
The Polk Commercial Vehicle Report for 2012 reports a 23 percent increase in the number of new commercial truck registrations for new commerical trucks compared to the previous year. 2011 registrations for Class 3 through Class 8 trucks was 461,000. However, the record for new truck registrations occurred in 2006 when the total hit 800,000.
Between 1985 and 2011 there were 507,000 new truck registrations each year on average.
Class 8 trucks led the new commerical vehicle registrations in 2011 with a 38 percent increase, compared to 2010.
When you combine the new and used registrations, the figure exceeds 1.25 million, which is up 20 percent compared to 2010.
Will this mean fewer truck shortages in 2012 at major U.S. produce shipping areas? This remains to be seen. If trucking companies registering all these trucks have drivers to cover this equipment, sure it’s a no brainer.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has cited Ven-Co Produce Inc. of Bronx, N.Y., for failure to pay for produce. Ven-Co is located on the Hunts Point Wholesale Terminal Market.
The company failed to pay $1,559,892.79 to 26 sellers for 210 lots of produce. This is in violation of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). As a result of these actions, the USDA and Ven-Co Produce Inc. have entered into a consent decision and Ven-Co Produce Inc. cannot operate in the produce industry until Feb. 15, 2014, at which time it may reapply for a PACA license. It is not known whether Ven-Co owes money to truckers for services. Such transactions are not taken into account by the PACA.
In fiscal year 2011, USDA resolved approximately 2,000 claims filed under the PACA involving $31 million in their continued efforts to serve and protect the fruit and vegetable industry from unlawful trade practices.
Unfortunately the PACA does not offer protections to produce transportation entities who deliver fresh fruits and vegetables. Whether you are faced with an unfair claim, your load is unfairly rejected, or you are not paid for your services, you are pretty much at the mercy of the produce receiver. Of course, you can file a lawsuit where the alleged violations occur, but then you face the high cost of litgation, and have to make court appearances in a venue that may be thousands of miles away. In other words, it usually is not worth the time and effort.
How much time and money is lost every year by produce haulers is not known. But talking with people in transportation, it is significant. The produce industry has fought tirelessly for decades to avoid having truckers receive the same protections they receive under the PACA.