Author Archive
With a huge Washington state apple crop in full swing now, choices are good for 
different varieties of apples in you supermarket. Soaring popularity is the Honeycrisp variety. The Pink Lady also is becoming more popular, while in recent years the Fuji and Gala varieties have become favorites. Washington state hand picks 10 to 12 billion, that’s billion with a “B” apples a year. No machine harvesting is done. The state provides as many apples each season as all the other states combined. Washington also has older varieties such as the Red Delicious and Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Jonagold and Cameo. Many supermarkets will carry recipes and suggestions for what varieties are best for certain uses, or you can look this info up on line.
California citrus has dodged a winter weather “bullet” over the holidays as 
frost hit the San Joaquin Valley. While oranges and lemons loads should not be affected, it could be mid January or so before clementines and mandrins are evalulated for possible frost damage. Those latter items have a thinner skin and are more susceptable to freezes. The good news is that citrus escaping freeze damage tends to toughen up and be more freeze resist, plus have better color. California expects to ship around 88 million cartons of navel oranges during the 2011-2012 shipping season. That’s a respectable volume, although it falls short of the 96 million boxes shipped last year, which was a record. Only about 15% of the crop has been harvested so there will loading opportunties for months and months to come.
California citrus – grossing about $4000 to Chicago.
Sadly, the California table grape season is all but over. The red grapes,
particularly the last half of the season have been fantastic — so firm and sweet! We’re fortunate, because some seasons the fruit has been history before the end of the year….We’ll now starting getting imported grapes. As it typical with early season grapes from just about anywhere, you’ll be disappointed in the first arrivals in your stores. They normally lack the sugar content. Perhaps Chile will prove me wrong this season. Let’s hope. But get prepared for sour grapes at the get go.
If these Texas produce firms remain in business, produce haulers should be extra cautious.
Two produce companies in San Antonio, TX are making news with multiple sources regarding possible bankruptcy fillings. The operations in question are Delta Produce LP and Superior Tomato and Avocado. The firms, which are believed to be related, are facing compliants from the Perishable Agriculture Commodities (PACA). As of December 29th around $600,000 in PACA claims have been filed by other produce firms, which are owed monies.
The PACA comes under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and requires U.S. produce companies buying or selling fresh produce in commercial quanities to be licensed by USDA. This helps to provide protection to the produce industry when dealings between produce companies cannot be resolved between themselves.
Trucking is not afforded these same protections and often have no recourse when monies are owed, except through the courts. This can be costly, not to mention the inconvenience of fighting a company for money who may be located in a different state thousands of miles away. Also, PACA protected produce companies get their monies first, if any is left in a bankruptcy.
Bill Martin of haulproduce.com for decades has been calling for trucker protections under the PACA.
Although haulproduce.com is primarily for long haul truckers and their profession, Shopping Tips is to help you during visits to the produce department in your local supermarket. Unfortunately, most employees working the produce
racks don’t know straight up about the product they are putting on display. This is because so many retail chains don’t take the time to properly train their employees in the care and handling of produce, much less provide them with the information to assist shoppers in making good buying descisions regarding such things as quality and taste. Like just about everything else in American the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables has gone up, so hopefully Shopping Tips will help give you a better bang for your buck at your favorite retail store, roadside stand, or farmer’s market. Eat healthy, feel better, live longer.
Consumers in general are eating more healthy foods, including fresh fruits and vegetable. This is a factor in the USA restaurant industry looking forward to a good year in 2013.
Restaurant industry sales are predicted to topexceed $660 billion in 2013. This would be a 3.8 percent increase from 2012, says the annual Restaurant Industry Forecast from the Washington, D.C.-based National Restaurant Association.
This would mark the fourth consecutive year of industry sales increases.
The study sees Americans eating more healthfully when they eat out in 2013.
Over 70 percent of people polled claim they are attempting to eat better at restaurants compared to two years ago. About three-quarters of consumers state healthful menu options are an important factor when choosing a restaurant.
Restaurants are making changes to meet the demand for more healthy meals. Around 86 percent of those polled stated eating establishment are offering a wider variety now than two years ago.
2013 is expected to be the 14th straight year in which restaurant industry employment outpaces overall USA employment, the forecast reads.
Restaurants are forecast to employ 13.1 million people in 2013, making the industry the nation’s second-largest private-sector employer.
In 2012, restaurants added jobs at a rate of three percent more than double the overall USA employment rate of 1.4 percent. In 2013, restaurants expected to add jobs at a 2.4 percent rate, .9 percent more than the expected overall rate.
We are still four months away from Florida’s heaviest time of the year with spring produce loadings, but here are your best bets if in the Sunshine State. 
Central Florida tomatoes, whether mature greens, cherry, or grape tomatoes are averaging about 1,000 truck loads a week. Strawberry volume out of the Plant City area are increasing in volume. There’s also citrus ranging from oranges, to grapefruit, tangerines and tangelos. Potatoes from south Florida are still several weeks away from diggings and shipments…..Don’t necessarily be looking for freight to Florida this time of year, because overall loadings are scarace out of Florida. If it helps, South Georgia is shipping a few mixed veggies to help fill your load.
Central Florida Produce – about $1700 to New York City
The recession of the past four years has presented its challenges for produce haulers, as well as the trucking industry in general. Hopefully 2012 will result in the economy headed in the right direction, but no one is predicting a rousing rebound. When economic conditions start to improve, freight movement increases, resulting in a demand for more equipment and drivers to move it. The U.S. needs to take actions to become less dependent on foreign oil (how long have we been saying that) to avoid those wild fluctuations in the cost of No. 2 diesel and other fuels. Meanwhile a new year is upon us, it’s time to dig deep into the well of optimism, reflect on what could have been done differentlt, and vow to make 2012 a year of not only of hope, but progress in making not only our own business better, but contribute to the betterment of this great country. This is wishing each of you the best of health, happiness and prosperity in the New Year.
Growing up as the eldest among 15 kids in a Mennonite family in Ephrata, PA, Lance Zimmerman has probably grown up faster than a lot of children, although he was, and still is considered to a certain extent, a
bit of a renegade amongst his conservative family.
. In the fall of 1982 he started trucking. He drove a dump bucket for a couple of years, followed by a “bull wagon,” dry vans and reefers. Lance, 50, became an owner operator in 1995 and since then has mostly been hauling oversized loads. Last May he bought a 2004 Freightliner XL Classic with a 12.7 Detroit Diesel with 600 h.p. It has a nine speed transmission, but an 18-speed tranny 
is on order. The previous owner had a glider kit installed and had it certified. When Lance picked up the seven-year-old truck last spring the only mileage on it was the 68 miles the owner had driven to and from the inspection shop.
HaulProduce.com caught up with Lance recently when he was delivering a model 730 Cat off road dump truck to a Tulsa, OK dealership. He had picked up the 49,000-pound Cat at Port Dundalk in Baltimore. He loaded the dump truck himself onto his 7007 Fontaine Renegade, 48-foot double drop RGN.
“I like what I’m hauling now (oversized loads) better than anything I’ve ever done,” Lance says. “I don’t have to run as hard to maintain my lifestyle and I get to sleep every night.” This is because oversized loads are only allowed to be moved during daylight hours. 70 percent of his loads are for the U.S. military.
“When the military has a platoon training, that equipment goes with them. On a major move by a platoon it can take up to 80 trucks to move that equipment”, he says. The military wants delivery on a certain day, but the allow time for you to run legally. The loads also include a good freight rate.
“If it pays well enough, I’ll haul it,” notes Lance, who is leased to J.R. Martin Transport LLC of Mill Hall, PA. Noting there is no forced dispatch with J.R. Martin, he has been working with the company long enough that his dispatcher knows pretty much what Lance will and will not haul. He averages being on the road two to two and one-half weeks at a time.
“If I get a $3 to $4 (per mile) paying load I’ll go anywhere, even if it is someplace like Montana where you can’t get another load without deadheading 300 to 400 miles. It is still worth it,” he notes.
Lance says his westbound loads normally pay better than eastbound trips, which is pretty much the opposite of what truckers pulling refrigerated loads experience. Much of it comes down to availability of trucks for certain types of equipment going in a particular direction.
If Lance has one piece of advice for successfully making it as an owner operator, he states, “Find a decent company to lease to. Also, today with the internet you can get loads from about anywhere in the country. You have got to go where higher paying loads go. If you want to be home every week then your loads will be for less money. Sometimes those good paying loads don’t go where you want to be.”
Lance has reached the point in his trucking career where he averages about 100,000 miles a year, which still allows time off for one of his two favorite pastimes, elk hunting in Colorado, and bike riding. He owns a 2009 Road Glider Harley Davidson. Every year or two Lance and one or two of his friends will hit the road on their hogs. During his last “vacation” the guys logged 9,500 miles in 21 days. In past years they have traveled to Nova Scotia, Florida, the western United States and many points in between from their Lancaster County, PA base.
“My wife Lori says if I’m not moving I’m not happy,” Lance concludes.
Twenty years ago produce volume this time of the year was a shadow of what it is today, and no country has contributed more to this than Chile. Not only do consumers have more choices in supermarkets, but produce haulers have more loading opportunities. Imports from Chile, mostly by boat, are arriving on both the East and West Coasts of the U.S. Biggest volumes are coming in at ports in Philadelphia and Wilimington, NC in the east, and at Long Beach, CA. Items range from blueberries to cherries and avocados, stone fruit and table grapes. The grape volume is still relatively light, but peak arrivals of should start occurring by late January and continue until May. Chile now provides about 25% of the world’s table grapes. Boat arrivals also include stone fruit, which will be available through March.
With a huge Washington state apple crop in full swing now, choices are good for different varieties of apples in you supermarket. Soaring popularity is the Honeycrisp variety. The Pink Lady also is becoming more popular, while in recent years the Fuji and Gala varieties have become favorites. Washington state hand picks 10 to 12 billion, that’s billion with a “B” apples a year. No machine harvesting is done. The state provides as many apples each season as all the other states combined. Washington also has older varieties such as the Red Delicious and Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Jonagold and Cameo. Many supermarkets will carry recipes and suggestions for what varieties are best for certain uses, or you can look this info up on line.
California citrus has dodged a winter weather “bullet” over the holidays as frost hit the San Joaquin Valley. While oranges and lemons loads should not be affected, it could be mid January or so before clementines and mandrins are evalulated for possible frost damage. Those latter items have a thinner skin and are more susceptable to freezes. The good news is that citrus escaping freeze damage tends to toughen up and be more freeze resist, plus have better color. California expects to ship around 88 million cartons of navel oranges during the 2011-2012 shipping season. That’s a respectable volume, although it falls short of the 96 million boxes shipped last year, which was a record. Only about 15% of the crop has been harvested so there will loading opportunties for months and months to come.
California citrus – grossing about $4000 to Chicago.
Sadly, the California table grape season is all but over. The red grapes,
particularly the last half of the season have been fantastic — so firm and sweet! We’re fortunate, because some seasons the fruit has been history before the end of the year….We’ll now starting getting imported grapes. As it typical with early season grapes from just about anywhere, you’ll be disappointed in the first arrivals in your stores. They normally lack the sugar content. Perhaps Chile will prove me wrong this season. Let’s hope. But get prepared for sour grapes at the get go.
If these Texas produce firms remain in business, produce haulers should be extra cautious.
Two produce companies in San Antonio, TX are making news with multiple sources regarding possible bankruptcy fillings. The operations in question are Delta Produce LP and Superior Tomato and Avocado. The firms, which are believed to be related, are facing compliants from the Perishable Agriculture Commodities (PACA). As of December 29th around $600,000 in PACA claims have been filed by other produce firms, which are owed monies.
The PACA comes under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and requires U.S. produce companies buying or selling fresh produce in commercial quanities to be licensed by USDA. This helps to provide protection to the produce industry when dealings between produce companies cannot be resolved between themselves.
Trucking is not afforded these same protections and often have no recourse when monies are owed, except through the courts. This can be costly, not to mention the inconvenience of fighting a company for money who may be located in a different state thousands of miles away. Also, PACA protected produce companies get their monies first, if any is left in a bankruptcy.
Bill Martin of haulproduce.com for decades has been calling for trucker protections under the PACA.
Although haulproduce.com is primarily for long haul truckers and their profession, Shopping Tips is to help you during visits to the produce department in your local supermarket. Unfortunately, most employees working the produce racks don’t know straight up about the product they are putting on display. This is because so many retail chains don’t take the time to properly train their employees in the care and handling of produce, much less provide them with the information to assist shoppers in making good buying descisions regarding such things as quality and taste. Like just about everything else in American the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables has gone up, so hopefully Shopping Tips will help give you a better bang for your buck at your favorite retail store, roadside stand, or farmer’s market. Eat healthy, feel better, live longer.
Consumers in general are eating more healthy foods, including fresh fruits and vegetable. This is a factor in the USA restaurant industry looking forward to a good year in 2013.
Restaurant industry sales are predicted to topexceed $660 billion in 2013. This would be a 3.8 percent increase from 2012, says the annual Restaurant Industry Forecast from the Washington, D.C.-based National Restaurant Association.
This would mark the fourth consecutive year of industry sales increases.
The study sees Americans eating more healthfully when they eat out in 2013.
Over 70 percent of people polled claim they are attempting to eat better at restaurants compared to two years ago. About three-quarters of consumers state healthful menu options are an important factor when choosing a restaurant.
Restaurants are making changes to meet the demand for more healthy meals. Around 86 percent of those polled stated eating establishment are offering a wider variety now than two years ago.
2013 is expected to be the 14th straight year in which restaurant industry employment outpaces overall USA employment, the forecast reads.
Restaurants are forecast to employ 13.1 million people in 2013, making the industry the nation’s second-largest private-sector employer.
In 2012, restaurants added jobs at a rate of three percent more than double the overall USA employment rate of 1.4 percent. In 2013, restaurants expected to add jobs at a 2.4 percent rate, .9 percent more than the expected overall rate.
We are still four months away from Florida’s heaviest time of the year with spring produce loadings, but here are your best bets if in the Sunshine State. Central Florida tomatoes, whether mature greens, cherry, or grape tomatoes are averaging about 1,000 truck loads a week. Strawberry volume out of the Plant City area are increasing in volume. There’s also citrus ranging from oranges, to grapefruit, tangerines and tangelos. Potatoes from south Florida are still several weeks away from diggings and shipments…..Don’t necessarily be looking for freight to Florida this time of year, because overall loadings are scarace out of Florida. If it helps, South Georgia is shipping a few mixed veggies to help fill your load.
Central Florida Produce – about $1700 to New York City
The recession of the past four years has presented its challenges for produce haulers, as well as the trucking industry in general. Hopefully 2012 will result in the economy headed in the right direction, but no one is predicting a rousing rebound. When economic conditions start to improve, freight movement increases, resulting in a demand for more equipment and drivers to move it. The U.S. needs to take actions to become less dependent on foreign oil (how long have we been saying that) to avoid those wild fluctuations in the cost of No. 2 diesel and other fuels. Meanwhile a new year is upon us, it’s time to dig deep into the well of optimism, reflect on what could have been done differentlt, and vow to make 2012 a year of not only of hope, but progress in making not only our own business better, but contribute to the betterment of this great country. This is wishing each of you the best of health, happiness and prosperity in the New Year.
Growing up as the eldest among 15 kids in a Mennonite family in Ephrata, PA, Lance Zimmerman has probably grown up faster than a lot of children, although he was, and still is considered to a certain extent, a bit of a renegade amongst his conservative family.
. In the fall of 1982 he started trucking. He drove a dump bucket for a couple of years, followed by a “bull wagon,” dry vans and reefers. Lance, 50, became an owner operator in 1995 and since then has mostly been hauling oversized loads. Last May he bought a 2004 Freightliner XL Classic with a 12.7 Detroit Diesel with 600 h.p. It has a nine speed transmission, but an 18-speed tranny is on order. The previous owner had a glider kit installed and had it certified. When Lance picked up the seven-year-old truck last spring the only mileage on it was the 68 miles the owner had driven to and from the inspection shop.
HaulProduce.com caught up with Lance recently when he was delivering a model 730 Cat off road dump truck to a Tulsa, OK dealership. He had picked up the 49,000-pound Cat at Port Dundalk in Baltimore. He loaded the dump truck himself onto his 7007 Fontaine Renegade, 48-foot double drop RGN.
“I like what I’m hauling now (oversized loads) better than anything I’ve ever done,” Lance says. “I don’t have to run as hard to maintain my lifestyle and I get to sleep every night.” This is because oversized loads are only allowed to be moved during daylight hours. 70 percent of his loads are for the U.S. military.
“When the military has a platoon training, that equipment goes with them. On a major move by a platoon it can take up to 80 trucks to move that equipment”, he says. The military wants delivery on a certain day, but the allow time for you to run legally. The loads also include a good freight rate.
“If it pays well enough, I’ll haul it,” notes Lance, who is leased to J.R. Martin Transport LLC of Mill Hall, PA. Noting there is no forced dispatch with J.R. Martin, he has been working with the company long enough that his dispatcher knows pretty much what Lance will and will not haul. He averages being on the road two to two and one-half weeks at a time.
“If I get a $3 to $4 (per mile) paying load I’ll go anywhere, even if it is someplace like Montana where you can’t get another load without deadheading 300 to 400 miles. It is still worth it,” he notes.
Lance says his westbound loads normally pay better than eastbound trips, which is pretty much the opposite of what truckers pulling refrigerated loads experience. Much of it comes down to availability of trucks for certain types of equipment going in a particular direction.
If Lance has one piece of advice for successfully making it as an owner operator, he states, “Find a decent company to lease to. Also, today with the internet you can get loads from about anywhere in the country. You have got to go where higher paying loads go. If you want to be home every week then your loads will be for less money. Sometimes those good paying loads don’t go where you want to be.”
Lance has reached the point in his trucking career where he averages about 100,000 miles a year, which still allows time off for one of his two favorite pastimes, elk hunting in Colorado, and bike riding. He owns a 2009 Road Glider Harley Davidson. Every year or two Lance and one or two of his friends will hit the road on their hogs. During his last “vacation” the guys logged 9,500 miles in 21 days. In past years they have traveled to Nova Scotia, Florida, the western United States and many points in between from their Lancaster County, PA base.
“My wife Lori says if I’m not moving I’m not happy,” Lance concludes.
Twenty years ago produce volume this time of the year was a shadow of what it is today, and no country has contributed more to this than Chile. Not only do consumers have more choices in supermarkets, but produce haulers have more loading opportunities. Imports from Chile, mostly by boat, are arriving on both the East and West Coasts of the U.S. Biggest volumes are coming in at ports in Philadelphia and Wilimington, NC in the east, and at Long Beach, CA. Items range from blueberries to cherries and avocados, stone fruit and table grapes. The grape volume is still relatively light, but peak arrivals of should start occurring by late January and continue until May. Chile now provides about 25% of the world’s table grapes. Boat arrivals also include stone fruit, which will be available through March.