PITTSBURGH – Stack AV recently announced the launch of its autonomous trucking business, which leverages its self-driving technology to improve efficiency and enhance safety in the trucking industry, while tackling supply chain challenges for its partners and their consumers.
With customers at its core, Stack AV is focused on revolutionizing the way businesses transport goods, designing solutions to alleviate long-standing issues that have plagued the trucking industry including driver shortages, lagging efficiency in uptime per vehicle, overarching safety concerns, high operating costs, and elevated emission levels.
By building safe and efficient autonomous trucking solutions, Stack AV is creating better and smarter supply chains for its partners, improving business outcomes for its customers, delivering goods to end-users faster, and ultimately moving the trucking industry forward.
“As consumer consumption patterns evolve, businesses increasingly need AI-driven, intelligent, and reliable supply chains,” said Bryan Salesky, Founder and CEO of Stack AV. “With our proprietary technology and expertise as well as the commitment from our long-term partner in SoftBank, we are confident we will revolutionize the trucking and freight industries by driving improvements in efficiency and safety and alleviating supply chain constraints for our customers, helping them reach their goals and advance their missions.”
Peter Rander, President of Stack AV said, “We could not be more thrilled to unveil our autonomous trucking business to the world. As global commerce continues to become increasingly interconnected, now more than ever businesses have a dire need for more reliable and efficient supply chains, especially in the trucking and freight industries.
Leveraging our advanced AI-powered autonomous driving systems, we will improve supply chains for our customers and optimize transportation routes and energy efficiency.”
Stack AV is backed by SoftBank Group Corp. (“SoftBank”) who is supporting the company with capital, resources, and deep expertise in AI to help accelerate its growth and technological developments.
“The transformative power of AI is undeniable and will have a significant impact on our society,” said Kentaro Matsui, Head of the New Business Office at SoftBank Group and Managing Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers.
“The next decade will be defined by AI, where all social systems will be linked by this technology to solve the most complex societal issues. By applying the strengths of AI-powered technology to the trucking industry, Stack AV will fundamentally change the transportation of goods and supply chains across the globe.”
Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Stack AV is led by Chief Executive Officer Bryan Salesky, President Peter Rander, and Chief Technology Officer Brett Browning. With over seven decades of combined experience, Stack AV’s executives are seasoned leaders in the development of complex, autonomy-enabled systems and have deep experience in robotics and AI. Stack AV has 150 employees across its headquarters and in 15 states with an innovative remote-work/co-working collaboration model, and is growing rapidly.
About Stack AV
Stack AV develops and builds autonomous trucking solutions to improve the safety and efficiency of modern freight and supply chain systems. Stack AV’s technology – coupled with an advanced approach to safe systems design and testing – is designed to maximize trucks’ uptime, optimize existing infrastructure and improve roadway safety. Stack AV is committed to driving the trucking industry forward by enabling smarter supply chains for its partners, allowing them to deliver goods to their consumers faster and more safely. To learn more, please visit https://stackav.com/.
Harvesting of sweet potatoes is underway in the South and although fewer acres are planted, good volume and quality shipments are expected.
Nash Produce LLC of Nashville, NC began digging its crop in early September and will continue through early November which is normal. The company reports overall sweet potato acreage will be down,
In 2022, U.S. sweet potato acreage was 132,200, down from 153,200 in 2021, according to USDA statistics.
Nash Produce has four kinds of sweet potatoes — covington, organic covington, murasaki and bonita.
Garber Farms, Iota, LA, has just started its sweet potato harvest. Then the curing process will take place, and shipments should begin in early October.
The growing, packing and shipping operation hopes for at least an average-size crop after last year’s smaller-than-normal harvest. It grows beauregard and orleans sweet potato varieties, with a goal of having year around loadings.
Matthews Ridgeview Farms, Wynne, ARK., has been harvesting a few weeks and expects finish in mid-October.
The company is looking for a good-quality crop this year on its beauregard and orleans sweet potatoes as well as on its organic product.
The Panama Canal Authority recently warned water-conserving measures will be in place for at least the next 10 months. As a result, global shipping companies have been urged to share transit plans at one of the world’s key maritime chokepoints.
An unprecedented drought this year, combined with the onset of the El Niño weather phenomenon, has resulted in a cut of draft restrictions for ships coming through its larger neopanamax locks by six feet. Transits also have been slashed by 20% to only 32 vessels a day.
These measures have resulted in ships backing up in significant numbers at either end of the canal. The Aug. 25 official total count was 129 ships, down from the peak of 165 earlier that month, but still 43% higher than the average.
The Panama Canal Authority has noted the restrictions would remain in place at least throughout the first half of 2024.
Container services and cruise itineraries tend to transit the canal with long advanced bookings. For bulk sectors, it is more ad hoc and with shorter notice, and it has been here the impact has been greater, where it might not be possible to obtain an advanced booking and therefore joining the queue is necessary.
The limits on transits have caused a vessel pile-up. According to some reports, there were recently 200 queuing, with wait times of up to 21 days.
While there are complex options, it’s noted ships greater than 12,000 TEUs, may choose to re-route through Suez. TEU is the industry term for a 20-foot equivalent unit.
For smaller containerships, which can still pass fully laden, a backhaul return to Asia via the Suez or the Cape with a slightly longer distance and time is another option liners will be looking at to reduce overall Panama demand while also soaking up capacity at a time where container fortunes are widely perceived to be on the wane through to at least the end of next year.
There has already been one cruise ship cancel its winter Panama season. Container carriers switching routes will be watched carefully by other sectors keen to get prized slots through the waterway in the coming months.
Some observers and logistics providers have warned goods needed for the Christmas shopping season might arrive late. Goods worth $270 billion – about 73% of the canal’s annual volume – are headed for the U.S. market, according to the CPA.
The travails at the canal are not having a notable lifting effect on container spot rates in the past two weeks. Drewry’s weekly World Container Index, published Aug. 27, showed rates from Shanghai to New York were down by $120 per feu (forty-foot equivalent unit).
The longer the situation persists the bigger the chances are of further freight rate increases and the likelihood that shippers will begin to divert cargo back to the US west coast ports and use rail to bring the cargo to its final destination.
Although an official forecast is yet to be released, the Northwest Pear Bureau is optimistic volume this season will meet the previous four-year average.
The NWPB reports the 2023 Northwest fresh pear crop could be in the 15.5 million carton range.
The 2022 crop was initially forecast in September last year at just over 16 million cartons but ended up at just over 14 million cartons, Moffitt said. Snow during pollination hurt yields and led to some fruit drop in 2022, resulting in one of the smallest crops in 20 years.
This year the harvest began for summer varieties like starkrimson and bartletts in early August, with growers starting to pick bosc, green and red anjou in early- to mid-September. This was soon followed by specialty pears like comice, seckel, forelle and concorde pears.
California walnut volume is predicted to 790,000 tons, up 5% from 2022, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service .
The forecast is based on 385,000 bearing acres, down 4% from 2022’s estimated bearing acreage of 400,000, according to a news release.
“The California walnut industry has increased its focus on providing handlers and growers the most accurate crop information by accelerating the collection of various data points,” Robert Verloop, CEO and executive director for the California Walnut Commission and Board.
While official final shipment, inventory and closeout figures for the 2022 crop year will be released in couple of weeks, preliminary figures indicate last year’s crop is virtually sold out, the release said.
“Last year, we were facing a completely different scenario with 130,000 tons in inventory brought on by the lingering effects of the COVID-impacted global marketplace and a record heat wave last September that negatively impacted the entire crop, which led to lethargic sales and record-low grower returns,” Verloop said.
“With minimal carryover from the previous crop year and favorable weather throughout the growing season, we’re optimistic about the new crop year,” Tim Sabado, CEO of Prima Noce, based in Linden, CA., said in the release. “The upcoming crop promises a return to the exceptional quality that defines California walnuts globally.”
Harvest begins in September and may extend into November due to the early season cooler temperatures, Sabado said.
The peer reviewed study found that when doctors and health-care providers “prescribed” fruits and vegetables, patients ate more produce, lost weight and experienced significant reductions in blood pressure.
Researchers studied over 3,800 people from low-income neighborhoods who received food vouchers through nine programs in 12 states. The participants received vouchers or cards worth $15 to $300 per month to buy more fruits and vegetables from farmers markets and grocery stores.
At the end of the study, adults reported eating an average of 0.85 additional cups of fruits and vegetables per day or 30 percent more each day. Children in the study ate 0.26 cups more or about 7 percent more per day. According to the study authors, the effect of more fruits and vegetables on blood pressure in adults was about half that of commonly prescribed medications, which is notable for a change in diet.
This new study complements previous studies examining produce prescriptions.
One study from Tufts University found that “prescriptions” for fruits and veggies would prevent 1.93 million cardiovascular events (such as heart attacks) and 350,000 deaths, as well as cut healthcare costs by $40 billion.
With only one in 10 of Americans eating enough produce each day, according to the Centers for Disease Control, the health community continues to look for ways to increase consumption of these nutrient-dense foods.
Studies and analyses on produce prescription program results show promise in their ability to improve diets and consumer health.
The study results also underscore the importance of consumers having access to more affordable and available fruits and vegetables, especially during periods of rising costs and inflation.
Consumer choice is a key Alliance for Food and Farming (AFF) message. The AFF encourages consumers to choose the fruits and vegetables they enjoy and are affordable and accessible for them but choose to eat more every day for better health and a longer life.
The first table grapes of the 2023-2024 Peruvian season should start in September, when the campaign normally starts in October, according to Agraria. This will be an earlier started compared to a year ago.
Cyclone Yaku in March resulted a lot of rainfall. which generated the proliferation of fungi in the vine plants on the northern Peruvian coast, which would cause a lower production of fruit in that area of the country.
A different situation can be seen in the Ica region, where the heat caused the bud to improve and advances the vegetative development of the fruit, so earlier grapes and higher production are also expected.
As Ica is the main producing region of table grapes in Peru and a higher production is projected, it is expected that the production (and export) of table grapes by Peru in the 2023-2024 campaign will be higher than the previous campaign.
There will be fewer table grapes in the North.
From January to mid-July of this year, table grape exports from Peru grew in volume 16 percent (close to 45,000 more tons) compared to the same period in 2022.
Step aside, kale—there’s a new superfood on the scene. Agriculture and nutrition experts have recently identified the healthiest vegetable on Earth.
The CDC assigns nutrition density scores to produce based on their concentration of essential vitamins and minerals. Usual suspects like spinach, chard, and beet greens all have scores ranging in the 80s. But the only vegetable to earn a perfect score of 100 is watercress.
“What’s watercress?” you may ask. This leafy green is part of the Brassicaceae family and grows in bodies of fresh water, like streams and ponds. It’s closely related to cabbage, kale, radishes, and mustard. Its scientific name, Nasturtium officinale, translates from Latin as “nose twister.” And if you’ve ever taken a bite of the mature leaves, you know why.
Homegrown Organic Farms and HBF Internationalare set to launch a short but sweet season of U.S.-grown kiwi berries, with first shipments anticipated to go out this week, according to a news release.
The upcoming domestic kiwi berry season will include a new West Coast program in 2023, as part of the merger between the San Joaquin Valley, Calif.-based Homegrown Organic Farms and Oregon-based HBF International.
“Kiwi berries are one of the most exciting new fruits to come into the produce market in years,” Homegrown Organic Farms CEO Scott Mabs said in the release. “We are excited to share this unique berry that merges innovation, taste, and nutrition with our valued partners.”
One of the key attributes of kiwi berries is their hassle-free casing, earning with the tagline “no fuzz, no fuss.”About the size of a plump grape with edible skin, kiwi berries pack a punch of flavor and are ripest when the berry is soft to the touch, according to the release.
“The arrival of kiwi berry season is an event that stirs unparalleled excitement among fruit enthusiasts. Its distinctive taste and remarkable versatility make it a must-try for all,” Stephen Paul, HGO’s category director, said in the release.
Beyond their juicy flavor, kiwi berries offer many health benefits. Packed with nutrients, they are rich in vitamin C, high in fiber, potassium, vitamin E and magnesium.
“The collaboration from our merger has allowed us to bring this exceptional fruit to a wider audience. We are ready to support continued growth in the category with varietal innovations and development as popularity and demand increase,” Doug Perkins, HBF business development manager for berries, said in the release.
The berries are freshly packed into 4.4-ounce, 6-ounce and 16-ounce clamshell pack-style options that can be loaded from facilities in Sheridan, Ore., or Kingsburg, Calif., the release said.
After a scorching hot summer ravaged much of the country, let’s think about something cool, sweet, and juicy. Watermelon, that iconic summer fruit, holds a special place in our hearts as the ultimate thirst-quencher and sweet treat. In this edition of Keeping It Fresh, we’ll take you on a refreshing journey through the world of watermelons, exploring fascinating facts, their growth areas, consumption, and the logistics that bring these luscious, lycopene-laden fruits to our backyards and tables.
Watermelons have a long history dating back to ancient Egypt, where they were not only consumed, but used as containers for water storage. There are over 1,200 varieties of watermelon, ranging in size, shape, and color. The most common types include the classic red seedless and yellow-fleshed varieties. Watermelons are aptly named, as they are composed of over 90% water. This makes them an excellent hydrating snack, especially during the hot summer months. Plus, they are rich in vitamins A and C, and antioxidants!
ALC Des Moines office has worked with Capital City Fruit since 1969, managing hundreds of watermelon loads every year. Keith Brooks, Capital City’s watermelon buyer, has been in the melon business since 1991 and has built strong relationships with growers nationwide. He works to guarantee the availability of fruit for his customers and sources watermelon all year long, especially during the peak season of April through August. Keith is active with the National Watermelon Association (NWA) and has been on the board for eight years. Allen Lund Company has been a member of the NWA for nearly 15 years.
“Back in the day, we used to load bulk watermelons on the floor of the trailers on top of straw or shredded newspaper,” Keith remembers. “But today, watermelons are shipped in bins triple-stacked on reefers or dry vans with produce vents.” All the growers he buys from are good partners who follow food safety requirements and communicate well. “However, some of the characters out there are lower than a snake belly in a wagon wheel rut, so you have to pick your partners wisely,” reminds Keith.
All fresh produce is heavily affected by weather, but watermelons present an added challenge because they are not typically cooled before shipping. Most produce is harvested and transported to a cooling shed where it is brought down to temp before being shipped across the country. Many growers use converted school buses to haul melons from the field to the packing shed, where they are sized and placed in bins. This means there can be a lot of “field heat,” so it’s common for drivers who transport watermelon to open the front and rear vents when first loaded in order to circulate air through the trailer during the first couple hours.
As we savor the sweet, juicy taste of watermelon on hot summer days, it’s worth appreciating the global effort and logistics that go into bringing this delectable fruit to our tables. From the fields where they are grown to the logistics networks that transport them, watermelons truly represent the essence of summer. So, the next time you bite into a slice of watermelon, remember the journey it took to reach your plate. Cheers to the summertime staple that keeps us cool and refreshed!
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Ben Batten isGeneral Manager, ALC Des Moines.
Bengraduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Transportation and Logistics from Iowa State University and joined DMTB in January 2004. Over the next decade, he worked as a broker, account manager, and sales executive before being promoted to VP of Sales and Operations in 2015. In 2017, he became a partner in the business, and the Allen Lund Company acquired DMTB in February 2020, where he served as the assistant general manager of the ALC Des Moines office before being promoted to general manager in 2022.
