Archive For The “News” Category
To pick a great mango, make sure you learn about the different varieties you can find when shopping.
When choosing a mango, don’t focus on color – it’s not the best indicator of ripeness. Mango varieties come in a multitude of colors, shapes and sizes.
First, squeeze it gently. A ripe mango will yield slightly. A medium-ripe one will be somewhat firm and an unripe fruit will be very firm to the touch.
Flavor varies from tart for green mangoes to naturally sweet for ripe mangoes.
Use your experience with produce such as peaches and avocados to help you easily choose, as mangoes also become milder as they ripen.
Ripe mangos will sometimes have a fruity aroma on their stems. When considering how to choose a fresh specimen, this is one of the nicest ways!
The red color that appears on some varieties is not an easy way to spot a perfect mango, as it is not an indicator of ripeness. Always judge by feel.
DAT Freight & Analytics reports truckload freight volumes declined and national average spot rates for refrigerated loads fell for the fourth consecutive month in April.
The DAT Truckload Volume Index, a measure of loads moved during a given month, was lower for all three equipment types:
- Van TVI was 206, down 15.5% from March and 12.3% lower year over year.
- Reefer TVI fell to 154, a 16.3% decline from March and 12.5% lower year over year.
- Flatbed TVI was 239, 13.7% lower compared to March but 3.5% higher year over year.
It’s not unusual for truckload freight volumes to decline from March to April, according to the DAT report.
The van and reefer TVI numbers were the lowest since February 2021, when a polar vortex and unprecedented winter storms disrupted logistics activity across large areas of the U.S. and Canada.
“May will be pivotal for shippers, brokers and carriers,” Ken Adamo, DAT’s chief of analytics, said in the release. “After a challenging first four months of the year, we expect to see the effects of seasonality on freight volumes and rates. The question is how sustainable those effects will be.”
National average load-to-truck ratios decreased, indicating weaker demand for truckload capacity on the spot market.
The last time van and reefer ratios were this low was in May and April 2020, respectively, during the supply chain shocks of the pandemic:
- The van ratio was 1.9, down from 2.0 in March, and 3.4 in April 2022.
- The reefer ratio was 2.7, down from 3.0 in March and 6.3 year over year.
- The flatbed ratio was 12.1, down from 12.1 in March and 64.5 year over year.
Lower demand for truckload services led to a drop in national average spot van and reefer rates, the report said:
- The spot van rate averaged $2.06 per mile, down 10 cents compared to March and 71 cents lower year over year.
- The spot reefer rate fell 9 cents to $2.41 a mile, 72 cents lower than in April 2022.
- The spot flatbed rate dipped 4 cents to $2.67 a mile, down 70 cents year over year.
Fuel surcharge amounts fell 2 cents to an average of 47 cents a mile for van freight, 52 cents for reefers and 57 cents for flatbeds, the report said. At $4.10 a gallon, the price of diesel was 11 cents lower compared to March.
DAT said the national average rates for contracted freight were lower compared to March, but the spread between contract and spot rates rose to near all-time highs: 62 cents for van freight, 60 cents reefers and 66 cents for flatbeds.
Adamo called the spread between spot and contract rates “an indicator of where we’re at in the freight cycle — the balance of bargaining power among shippers, brokers and carriers.” For the gap to close, two things need to happen.
“One, the supply of trucks on the spot market needs to diminish, which unfortunately means more carriers exiting the market,” he said. “Two, there needs to be higher demand for trucks — in other words, shippers with more loads than they planned for.”
In 2016 and 2019, it was the third week in May when the spot market entered a recovery phase after prolonged declines and stagnation, Adamo said in the release.
“Seasonality kicked in and shippers needed more trucks to move fresh produce, construction materials, imports and summer and back-to-school retail goods,” Adamo said. “If we see an uptick in demand before Memorial Day, it will be a welcome sign for owner-operators and small carriers as we head into the summer and fall.”
The Idaho Potato Commission of Eagle, ID and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) have announced a multi-year partnership making fresh Idaho potatoes the first vegetable to participate in the ADA’s esteemed, Better Choices for Life program.
The purpose of the partnership is to help educate tens of millions of Americans on ways they can add Idaho potatoes to their meal plan.
Diabetes is one of the country’s greatest health crises. Every 23 seconds someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with diabetes and 133 million Americans are living with diabetes or prediabetes. With a mission to prevent and cure diabetes and improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes, the number one question the ADA receives is, what can I eat? Many wrongly believe they cannot eat potatoes.
“We want those living with diabetes and prediabetes to feel confident eating potatoes with their breakfast, lunch or dinner as long as serving size and preparation recommendations are followed,” explained Jamey Higham, President & CEO, IPC. “This partnership aims to enhance people’s understanding of nutrition, especially carbohydrates; help build healthy eating habits and debunk some myths about potatoes and diabetes.”
The Better Choices for Life program uses the ADA’s evidence-based guidelines and perspective to help consumers make informed choices about the products they purchase. Participating products prominently display the Better Choices for Life mark on their packaging. In the coming months, consumers will begin to see this well-respected mark on select 5-lb and 10-lb bags of fresh Idaho potatoes.
“The American Diabetes Association’s mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. One way we do this is to educate on ways to improve nutrition status and overall health using the Diabetes Plate Method,” said Dr. Laura Hieronymus, VP of Health Care Programs for the ADA.
“We are proud to announce that the Idaho Potato Commission meets the American Diabetes Association’s Better Choices for Life nutrition guidelines. Idaho potatoes are a healthy vegetable on the Diabetes Plate, and we look forward to working together to bring awareness of healthful choices and food preparation in our fight to better manage and prevent diabetes.”
The Diabetes Plate Method was introduced by the ADA to help those living with diabetes and prediabetes to prepare healthy meals that can help manage blood glucose (blood sugar). This approach allows individuals to put together a plate that includes a healthy balance of vegetables, protein, and carbohydrates, which can include potatoes.
The Diabetes Plate Method
Step 1: Fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables.
Non-starchy vegetables are lower in carbohydrates so they do not raise blood glucose very much. They are also high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Step 2: Fill one-quarter of your place with lean protein.
Foods high in protein like fish, chicken, lean beef, soy products, and cheese are all considered protein foods.
Step 3: Fill the last one-quarter of your plate with carbohydrate foods.
Foods that are higher in carbohydrate include grains, starchy vegetables, beans and legumes, fruit, yogurt, and milk.
Step 4: To complete your meal, add water or another zero-calorie beverage.
Step 5: Choose healthy fats in small amounts.
One 5.3-ounce potato has only 110 calories and contains no fat, cholesterol, sodium or gluten. Plus, it is loaded with important vitamins and minerals like potassium, vitamin C and fiber. The key to enjoying potatoes is knowing how to prepare them healthfully:
• Be mindful of serving size.
• Combine with heart-healthy olive or avocado oils.
• Prepare with the skins on for added fiber.
• Bake or boil instead of frying.
For diabetes-friendly recipes, click here.
About The Idaho Potato Commission
Established in 1937, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is a state agency responsible for promoting and protecting the famous “Grown in Idaho®” seal, a federally registered certification mark that assures consumers are purchasing genuine, top-quality Idaho potatoes. Idaho’s growing season of warm days and cool nights, ample mountain-fed irrigation and rich volcanic soil, give Idaho potatoes their unique texture, taste and dependable performance. These ideal growing conditions are what differentiates them from potatoes grown in other states. For more information, visit idahopotato.com.
The Biden administration recently allowed California to have the legal authority to require half of all heavy duty trucks sold in the state to be electric by 2035.
The rule would apply to tractor trailers, garbage trucks, cement mixers and other heavy commercial vehicles. It comes soon after California passed regulations requiring all passenger vehicles sold there to be electric by the same timeline.
It’s all part of an effort by California to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
According to The New York Times, the legal waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency allows California to step ahead of new federal standards on climate warming truck pollution, which the Biden administration plans to release later this year. In December, the EPA announced a federal rule to cut nitrogen oxide from heavy vehicles, the first time in two decades that it has tightened tailpipe emissions from trucks.
“This is a moment to mark because it’s a preview of the order of magnitude of the change in the industry,” Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California, said in an interview with The Times. “There’s a power in these waivers and that power is emulation. We adopt through these waivers the principles and policies that lead to innovation and investment.”
Right now, less than 2 percent of all heavy trucks sold in the U.S. are electric, so the new rule will put stress on the transportation industry if it remains in place.
“A lot of the California truck rules that have been adopted and enacted recently are starting to push truck drivers out of the state,” said Jay Grimes, director of federal affairs for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which represents truckers, in The Times story. “Drivers don’t want to work in California anymore. They’re skeptical of the rapid timeline on this transition to electric trucks. Can a trucker get a charge that will take them on a highway for two or three days? Is the technology ready for prime time?”
The Times reports that a legal fight is already underway against the rule.
“Republican attorneys general from 17 states are challenging California’s ability to enact state pollution standards that are tougher than federal standards,” the Times writes. “That case, Ohio vs. EPA, is set to be heard in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in May. Regardless of the decision in that case, it is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court.”
We’ve all felt the urge to buy a nice juicy fruit for healthy snacking when browsing through supermarket aisles or food stands. However, impulse buys can often lead to a lot of wasted produce.
Methods such as drying and pickling are among the most used by consumers to try to extend shelf life. However, if you want to consume them fresh and uncooked, picking good quality, unbruised fruit and storing them correctly are key.
Here are some tips and tricks to keep your fruit fresh to enjoy for longer.
Bananas
When stocking up on these potassium-charged fruit, storing them correctly is crucial.
Produce behemoth Dole advises to keep them refrigerated at around 53°F (12°C) to avoid browning.
Always make sure your bananas are already ripe before putting them in, as cold temperatures will keep them from maturing.
During colder months, they can be stored in a cupboard to keep them out of the light
Strawberries & blueberries
To make strawberries last for up to two weeks, Berries.com says to put them in a mixture of 1 ½ cups of water and ¼ cup of vinegar for about five minutes.
Then, rinse them with cold water and pat dry. Add a paper towel to your container before putting your strawberries in to keep them even fresher.
For blueberries, freezing them is the best way to go. Simply wash and dry them, and put them in an air-tigh container to avoid freezer burn, which will affect the flavor.
Grapes
To make sure your grapes last for up to three weeks, fruit genetics company Sun World advises first removing any shriveled ones. Make sure to check for any signs of mold or poor stem attachment and get rid of those first before storing them in the fridge.
Avoid washing them before putting them in cold storage and keep the original bag, as the packaging usually has good ventilation and coverage for them.
Temperatures of around 39°F (4°C) work best to preserve grapes for longer.
Apples
While apples can easily last up to three weeks in the pantry, putting them in the refrigerator can extend their shelf life to up to six weeks.
To make them last even longer, you can use a syrup to store them in slices, although this works better for uncooked desserts.
The University of Illinois recommends a mixture of 2-2 ½ cups of sugar, 4 cups of water and half a teaspoon of ascorbic acid to help preserve three pounds of apples with this method.
Watermelon
An undisputed summer staple, watermelons can last up to 10 days while uncut.
Once it’s been cut, you can freeze it in cubes using a zipper bag or similar to avoid freezer burn.
Make sure your watermelon has been left at room temperature until it’s ripe before trying this method, Watermelon.org warns.
Oranges
Wether is to make an energizing breakfast beverage or to enjoy in slices, the University of California recommends to store them at 38° to 48°F (3° to 9°C) to preserve them for up to eight weeks.
When picking them at a store, the publication recommends going for firm, heavy for their size with fine-textured skin oranges and with no bruises.
By Sarah Stone, ALC Atlanta
Q&A Interview with Kyle Reinhard, Transportation Manager. The Peach Truck
While preparing for the upcoming season, I reached out to Kyle Reinhard, Transportation Manager at The Peach Truck, for his perspective on the market and their unique business model.
They operate over 60 booths across Nashville, TN, and run a 25-state tour of pop-up markets, plus a mail order delivery service to get you the tastiest peaches you’ll ever have drip down your chin. The peaches are picked in the morning, processed and packed in the early afternoon, and on a truck by early evening. For the past five years, we’ve managed the truckloads from the farm to a designated cross dock location. The pallets are immediately transferred to a branded ‘show truck’ and sent to the pop-up sales locations. We asked Kyle to dig into The Peach Truck’s promise of delivering fresh-picked peaches direct to the consumer.
What are the biggest challenges to this system?
The unknown – from forecasting sales projections to the natural unpredictability that is fresh produce harvest. Building out what our season will look like with so many unknown variables presents a wide range of potential scenarios, and that can certainly be challenging. Our biggest hurdle will potentially be something that is totally out of our control – supply.
When looking for a logistics partner, what are your top three requirements?
1. Price – Cheap doesn’t necessarily equate to good. And, on the contrary, neither does expensive. Ideally, finding that happy medium is where you want to be when identifying quality transportation partners.
2. Performance – How a carrier provider consistently performs is a good indicator of the overall health of their operation. How they react to and resolve these inevitable incidents, then work to prepare themselves to avoid any such incidents moving forward, really shows me how dedicated they are to their performance.
3. Communication – Consistent and reliable communication is key. When it’s really running well, it can be a beautiful thing to witness and partake in – all parties working towards a common, mutually beneficial goal.
ALC’s team is proud to be a dedicated extension of The Peach Truck. The Peach Truck prides itself on delivering high-quality peaches to the customer, and ALC strives to provide the same, quality service to their customers. The key to our success is our partnership with the customer- including carriers as a customer. While we cannot control Mother Nature and how the crops yield, we can ensure that the peaches are delivered fresh and on time. Communication, flexibility, and assessing customers needs keeps it “fresh”, and keeps the relationship growing.
Be sure to order some fresh peaches this summer… www.thepeachtruck.com
*****
Sarah Stone graduated from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Marketing). She started working at the Allen Lund Company in December 2010 after several years in the international air and ocean freight industry.
sarah.stone@allenlund.com
Refrigerated spot truckload rates dropped to a two-and-half-year low in March, according to DAT Freight & Analytics of Beaverton, OR.
While the DAT Truckload Volume Index increased for all three equipment types (van, flatbed and refrigerated) for the first time since July 2022, national average spot van and refrigerated (“reefer”) rates plunged to in March, DAT Freight & Analytics reported in a news release.
According to the report, the refrigerated truckload volume index climbed 8% higher than in February. Despite higher freight volumes, low rates in March capped a challenging first quarter of 2023 for most truckload carriers and freight brokers, according to the release.
“While shippers are taking advantage of the current situation to stabilize their carrier base and bring their contract rates back in line, the spread between spot and contract rates was historically large—59 cents a mile for van freight, 57 cents for reefers and 66 cents for flatbed freight,” Ken Adamo, DAT chief of analytics, said in the release. “We expect spot rates to remain at ‘touch-bottom’ levels until retailers start replenishing inventory for the end-of-the-year holidays.”
The report said national average spot van and reefer rates fell to their lowest points since July 2020.
The spot reefer rate fell 9 cents to $2.50 a mile, the release said. That’s 95 cents less than in March 2022. Meanwhile, DAT reported the contract rate averaged $3.07 a mile, a 9-cent decline month over month.
Load-to-truck ratios reflect supply and demand on the spot market and the pricing environment for truckload freight, and DAT reported that the statistic showed demand softened for refrigerated trucks compared with a year ago.
The national average load-to-truck ratio for refrigerated trucks averaged 3.0, meaning there were three loads for every van posted to the DAT One marketplace. That compares with 3.8 in February and 8.4 in March 2022, the release said.
The national average price of on-highway diesel in March was down 11 cents compared to February, the release said. Surcharge amounts fell by 4 cents to 49 cents a mile for van freight, 54 cents for reefers and 59 cents for flatbeds.
99% of mangos consumed in the U.S. are imported since local production in Florida and California is low, according to the National Mango Board of Orlando, FL
Data from the Board, reveals from 2005 to 2022, the volume of the fruit has more than doubled from 62 million 4kg boxes to approximately 139 million boxes.
And in terms of consumption, it has gone from 1.88 pounds per person/year to 3.7 pounds per person/year. This impressive growth is projected to continue.
Mexican mango volume has hit a record in export volumes. Peru is expected to have a great year in 2023. The country is already reaching 20 million boxes and it could be even more, which would be a record.
Generally, 98% of the U.S. volume consumed is exported by six countries.
Mexico is the leading exporter with 65% of the volume, followed by Peru, Ecuador, and Brazil, which have between 12% and 15%.
Then comes Guatemala with 3.5% – 4 million boxes per year -, followed by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which account for around 2 million boxes.
The Dominican Republic started exporting mangoes two to three years ago to the U.S.
The volume of U.S. imports has increased more than 100%, and per capita consumption has doubled in the United States.
With 3.7 pounds per person/year, the board’s goal is to double to 7 pounds of mango consumption in the U.S. in the next three to five years.
RaboBank has released its North American Agribusiness Review for February 2023, provided a market outlook on several products for this year, including fruits and vegetables, considering a disinflationary process that has started in the U.S.
The report indicates that: “The disinflationary process is going to take a significant amount of time. Therefore, we do not expect the Fed to cut rates in 2023, despite our forecast of a recession in the second half of the year. The Fed will have to keep rates high to squeeze inflation out of the economy.”
However, at least for products like fresh vegetables, seafood, and milk, prices have already started to drop from the beginning of the year.
After a year where food inflation reached double digits, consumers will be happy to see some decrease in grocery prices in general by mid-year.
Fruits
The report analyzes a couple of fruits in the market individually. Avocados have seen a consistent decrease in price since Sept. 2022 by almost 50% year-on-year. With record-setting crops and high volumes from Mexico, prices have dropped considerably.
On the other hand, apple prices have increased caused of shorter crops in WA, causing low availability of some varieties. By mid-February, some non-organic varieties reported up to 53% price increases year-on-year.
Strawberry prices also increased 11% year on year with increased demand, the report shows, however, that a record high acreage planted in California gives hope that availability will improve during 2023 and prices may normalize.
Orange and lemons, showed a 5% and 7% decrease in shipping point prices, a consequence of California’s increased citrus production.
Vegetables
Vegetable prices are expected to decrease, slowly but surely, as supply pressures ease.
“In January, the fresh vegetables CPI was the fastest dropping index at 2.3% month-on-month, showing retail prices reacting to upstream’s price ease,” said the report.
Potatoes seem to be the most complicated product, with the lowest production since 2010 with just 397m cwt. As a consequence, prices have reached a historic high, with a 75% increase year-on-year.
In general, prices for carrots, celery, cucumbers, sweet corn, and bell peppers, are all up year-on-year caused by a combination of short supplies and strong demand.
Consumers should expect lower prices, but it won’t be a quick process, so experts ask for patience when it comes to buying fresh produce at your local grocery store.
By Kenny Lund, Executive Vice President, ALC Logistics
Back in 1976, when Allen Lund went out on his own and established the Allen Lund Company, there was tight control on “regulated freight,” and brokers like him could only manage loads of vegetables and fruit, along with raw goods like bailed cotton. His very first load was a load of cotton.
Most other goods were tightly regulated. Regulations on carriers, rates, and government-approved truck brokers were numerous. Every non-exempt load had to have an approved filed tariff. Transportation was expensive and inefficient.
It all changed when deregulation was brought in under the Carter Administration and continued under the Reagan Administration. Within a few years, thousands of carriers, brokers, shippers, and receivers started operating in a new, freer transportation system. The government got out of the daily pricing of loads and let freedom through capitalism determine the rates. If this injection of freedom had not happened, we would still be hindered by over-regulation and government red tape. Fewer products would be available and they would be more expensive.
Capitalism is not perfect, but there has never been a better system to bring people out of poverty, create more businesses, and supply more products at lower prices throughout the country. Currently, there are more than 400,000 trucking companies, 10,000 transportation brokers, and our stores are chock-full of products from across the country and around the world.
It is easy to compare to the supply chains of communist and socialist countries. Every economic measure bears this out. Democracy and capitalism win every time.
In the early 90s, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the collapse of the U.S.S.R., Allen Lund was asked by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to go with a team to Moscow to help improve the produce supply chain that helped feed 11 million Russians in and around that city. For three months, he observed and tried to improve a system that allowed more than 50% of the fruit and vegetables coming into the area to disappear or be destroyed in transit. Drivers who did not care sold their refrigeration fuel on the black market and delivered rotten vegetables. The government paid them anyway. Allen Lund saw how badly a fully controlled economy operated with incredible lack of efficiency. He saw hope in the younger generation as they worked to build up the black market that began to operate with some capitalist principles.
Fast forward to today, it is painful to observe that socialism and even communism are on the rise with those under 30 in the USA. It is inexplicable…and yet there it is. Too many of our universities teach that businesses are all corrupt and that the government and centralized control are the answer. As a business involved in the great American supply chain, the Allen Lund Company has a front-row seat to see how well our nation’s distribution systems work. We must then take it upon ourselves to educate and, in many cases, re-educate the population. We must pass down to the next generations the information about how good we have it with a system based on freedom. We also MUST run our business with professionalism and integrity. Scams, collusion, and cronyism are a stain on the freedoms we enjoy and only paint targets on our free society. Capitalism is the system that allows all participants to achieve the high standard of living available to those who work hard. Freedom is the answer – not government over-regulation.
I’m ready to have a fresh conversation with you!
*****
Kenny Lund graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a degree in Business Administration. He managed the Los Angeles, refrigerated transportation division of the Allen Lund Company for eight years, before shifting full-time into managing the Information and Technology Department in 1997; becoming the Vice President of the department in 2002. Lund was promoted to Vice President – Support Operations in 2005. In 2014, Kenny, in the position of VP of ALC Logistics, began working with that division of ALC to sell their AlchemyTMS software solutions. In 2019, Lund was promoted to Executive Vice President of ALC and ALC Logistics.