Archive For The “News” Category
John 16:20-24 (New Living Translation)
20 I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to 
happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. 21 It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. 22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. 23 At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. 24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.
Tod Taylor has been trucking off and on for over 25 years, but it’s the only 
profession he’s known for the past seven years. He has pretty much done and seen it all during his career and is thankful the equipment has improved immensely.
He still has vivid memories of his first job trucking in January 1986 when he was driving for a company with a 1982 cabover. “They left me in New York City for three weeks, mainly to pick up and drop trailers. I vowed I’d never go back there,” he recalls.
He hasn’t strayed much from those feelings today. A company driver for Professional Services Transportation Inc. (PSI) of Huntsville, MO, Tod says he refuses to drive inside of Interstate 287 in New York. He, as well as PSI pretty much also avoids trucking in California because of the rules, regulations and gridlock.
“You can’t make any time in California or New York. You are dealing with too many things that eat the clock up,” he states.
While hauling meat is the primary focus for PSI, the company also transports its share of fresh produce. In fact, he finds some similarities between the two categories of loads.
Tod had just hauled a load of meat from Milwaukee and made two drops in 
Atlanta. Now he was parked at an Atlanta truck stop and in 14 hours (3 a.m.) was scheduled to make his first of three more drops. Sounds a little like some produce hauls, in which he also aired some opinions.
“If the produce people would get their act together, it wouldn’t be bad (hauling fresh fruits and vegetables). You wait three days to pick up two skids. You wait for those skids because the product has to be harvested. Trucking just don’t pay enough to do that. When I get lucky and finally get loaded, then they don’t want to pay you anything to haul it,” he reflects.
Tod believes a minumum of two dollars per mile is needed to haul produce out of California and many other places, “but most guys aren’t getting that. They want you to drive 3,100 miles for $2,800. You can’t do that, especially when you are there three to four days waiting for a load. It’s not worth it.”
At age 50, Tod has never owned his own truck, although he has considered it from time to time. However, he has always decided against being an owner operator “because I don’t need all of the extra headaches.”
Tod drives a beautiful 2012 Kenworth T-660, which had only 37,000 miles on it. He loves the truck that is powered by a Paacar 455 h.p. engine, 15-speed automatic transmission, and pulls a 53-foot Great Dane holding a Carrier refrigeration unit. The truck is a light oak leaf color with an 84-inch studio sleeper. The cab has a lot of modern features including a GPS system built into the dash.
He concludes, “Trucking has come along way from that ’82 cabover freight shaker I used to drive.”
After the interstate highway system was born in the 1950s under the 
Eisenhower Administration, it allowed the United States to explode in economic power because of its vast coast-to-coast infrastructure in the ensuing decades.
Although it will be on a much smaller scale, we’re going to see something similar with Mexican produce and other goods coming into the United States.
By the end of 2012, a 143-mile cross-continental highway known as the Autopista Durango-Mazatlan is scheduled for completion. It will reduce travel time from West Mexican growing regions to ports in Texas, including McAllen/Pharr. This will provide easier, faster access of Mexican products to the eastern half of the United States.
Meanwhile, over $200 million is being invested in expanding the Mariposa Land Port of Entry at Nogales, AZ. It has a projected completion in 2014.
Another reason I see increasing produce volume to the U.S. from Mexico is because many of the growing operations south of the border are financially backed and/or owned by U.S. produce growing/shipping operations. Cheaper labor costs also factor into this growth.
This should result in more loading opportunites for American produce haulers in the coming years. The unanswered question a this time, is how much of this produce in the future will be delivered by Mexican trucking operations since restrictions on border crossings, and Mexican truckers operating in the U.S., have been loosened.
For owner operator Larry C. Jones it is like being a kid waking up every morning at Disney World. No, I’m not saying he’s “Goofy”, or even “Happy” of the seven dwarfs, because he’s not short. And he’s certainly not “Grumpy.”
The 62-year-old is simply one of those guys who makes you feel better after having spent some time with him. Always smiling, optimistic, he loves his career in trucking that started in 1984. He also worked seven years for “Buster Brown” back in the ’70s.
Not everyone could do what Larry does. His routes are nearly as predictable as a mail carrier’s. But this is part of the secret to his success. Larry works and deals with the same people and companies on a year around basis.
For example, the past 28 years he has worked with Grist Truck Brokers Inc. of Tifton, GA. The trucker also loves hauling fresh produce and depending on the time of the year is normally loading out of Florida, Georgia, or Tennessee. He will deliver fruits and vegetables to Reaves Brokerage Co. in Dallas. Then he will pick up frozen foods in Big D at Sysco Food Services and deliver it to Sysco San Antonio Inc. In San Antonio he’ll pick up a load of frozen biscuits at Lone Star Bakery for delivery in Jefferson, GA. It is pretty much the same routine every week.
The trucker receives a fuel charge on both inbound and outbound loads,
whether it is hauling produce or frozen bakery products. He says the surcharge is adjusted at the beginning of every week.
There is little deadheading, or down time — and how could you sit idling for long when you log 250,000 miles a year! He’s sees the same waitresses, cashiers, dock men etc. on a regular basis. Talk about first-name-basis greetings!
“I make good money because I do the same things over and over again. Grist is good to me. They are decent, good people to work for,” Larry says. “The folks I deliver to in Texas, they are my best customers. I have been delivering to these people a long time. They trust me and know I deliver on time.”
Larry constantly receives compliments on how great his equipment looks. He drives a 2001 conventional Peterbuilt he purchased in 2003 that now has over 1.7 million miles on it. It used to be a plain jane, but thanks to a lot of work by Larry and Mark’s Body Shop it is now one customized beauty.
The red Pete with cherry black fenders houses a 550 h.p. Cat engine, with a 10-speed tranny and 300-inch wheelbase. The tractor pulls a 51.5-foot Walbash speed axle with a 310 Thermo King reefer unit. The truck has an outrageous amount of chrome both inside and out, including a pair of hefty eight-inch stacks. The 63-inch flattop sleeper has amenities ranging from refrigeration to a flatscreen TV.
While Larry has one of the sharper rigs on the road, that’s not good enough. Every two to three years he does a remake of his pride and joy. In fact, before long he is planning to take off a couple of weeks, visit his buddy Mike at the Tifton body shop, and give the equipment another make over. Among the changes, laying a wooden floor in the cab.
Larry has promised to send HaulProduce.com photos when the job is finished — around July. Look for our flickr posts.
Meanwhile, Larry plans to keep doing what he loves most. “I’m relaxed driving down the road. The people tell me how good my equipment looks, and that is what keeps me going. I love getting out on the road. I know everybody, even at all the places I stop.”
It may not be waking up at Disney World every morning, but it has got to be the next best thing — although in Larry’s mind, it’s even better.
Here’s a word of caution to produce haulers that even the most perishables of 
perishable are not necessarily safe from thieves. Whoever stole this load of berries must have had a quick outlet to sell it, or are very, very stupid.
A load of blackberries was stolen March 17 in Milton, Ontario from C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc.
The blackberries were shipped from Laredo, Texas and were packed in 6-ounce clamshells under the Berry Lovers label, according to a press release from the Ottawa, Ontario-based Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corp (DRC). The DRC mediates disputes between parties in the Canadian produce industry.
The Trading Assistance office of the DRC is helping C.H. Robinson notify industry members about the theft.
Those with information can contact the Halton Regional Police Service, at (905) 825-4747, ext. 5155; or Diego Lettari in C.H. Robinson’s Montreal office, at (514) 381-7404.
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.
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.
Jerry Cravens has been trucking since 1991 and as an owner operator since 2002. After all these years, he is fueling at an Atlanta truckstop before picking
up his first load of produce.
Leased to A.L. Smith Trucking of Versailles, OH, Jerry is picking up a load of tomatoes from a Del Monte warehouse in Atlanta for delivery to another Del Monte facility in Winset, NC. At the Winset warehouse, he’ll load more fresh produce and head to Del Monte’s operation in Columbus, OH.
The closest Jerry has come to hauling produce was about 20 years ago with a load of cheese. Since then his focus has been with dry freight.
As Jerry was preparing to pull out of the truck stop and head to the Del Monte warehouse, this writer forgot to get his contact information. It would be very interesting to see if his first produce load would be his last. Or just maybe he found a new challenge after all these years that he really likes!
Jerry fully realizes hauling perishables “is definately more challenging than pulling a dry van.” He decided to haul produce on the recommendation of a friend who had “made good money” over the past year leasing with A.L. Smith.
Jerry says his career as an owner operator has succeeded by being careful whom he hauls for and taking the most profitable loads.
Over the years he has considered obtaining his own operating authority, but he has known too many truckers who have tried it and failed.
Prior to trucking Jerry graduated from high school, then enlisted in the U.S. Navy for four years, before transferring to the U.S. Army for another six years.
Between the experience in the military and his time hauling dry freight, he seems confident he is prepared to enter the world of produce trucking. Jerry is aware of the “weird hours” and delays often associated with loading and unloading fresh fruits and vegetables, plus plenty of other issues at the docks. He has been briefed on important factors such as maintaining the correct temperature for his load of tomatoes he’ll transport in a 53-foot Utility trailer equipped with a Carrier refrigeration unit. The trailer is owned by the company to whom he is leased.
As Jerry was finishing fueling his truck, he was asked if he had any advice for anyone looking to enter trucking and wanted their own truck. He advised they first learn the industry as a company driver.
As for buying a tractor, he advised against purchasing a new one. He cited the high monthly payments as a primary negative with a new truck, along with the higher down payment required. Jerry also cited other factors such as lease-purchase plans “where you will end up paying too much. Buy a new truck and it is hard to come up with those $1800 per month truck payments.”
Jerry practices what he preaches. He owns a 2001 Kenworth T-600 with a 250-inch wheel base and a 13 speed transmission. His truck payments are $500 per month.
“If you own your own truck you always have a way home,” he surmises. “I’ve seen too many of these company drivers fired while on the road and have had to find their own way home.”
If there’s something I’d be willing to bet the farm on – if I had one – it would 
be that the Hunts Point Terminal Wholesale Market – at least in my lifetime, will never leave the South Bronx for New Jersey, or anywhere else.
This once again comes to mind as New York City and the governing body of the world’s largest wholesale produce market – the Hunts Point Terminal Produce Market Cooperative, have agreed to a 90-day extension for exclusive negotiations to continue trying to reach a long-term lease. In essence, this gives the involved parties through May to negotiate.
While New York City certainly doesn’t want Hunts Point to move its facilities to New Jersey, which keeps offering it tax incentives to do so, it’s not going to happen. New York City loves the taxes it receives from the $2 billion in annual revenues Hunts Point generates. There are 47 vendors, primarily wholesale receivers and distributors, on Hunts Point, and they love the location. It is situated in the middle of America’s largest concentrated population. The last thing they want is a wholesale market in Jersey, and having to distribute fresh fruits and veggies to customers in New York City, which would require crossing the gridlocked George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel and countless other thoroughfares going over and under the giant Hudson River.
While it might be a long haul produce trucker’s dream delivering product in New Jersey rather than the South Bronx, it isn’t going to happen. The only reason the Hunt Point folks even pretend to want to move to Jersey is as a negotiation tool to leverage a better deal with New York City, who actually owns and leases Hunts Point.