Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
Despite a colder than normal spring, with more rain than usual, Ontario vegetable shippers for the most part appear to be starting their shipping season nearly on time, if only a week or so late.
Major vegetable shippers are located near such cities and towns as: Bradford, Oakland, Scotland, Simcoe, Queensville and Wilsonville.
While there has been some light volume in June, the province of Ontario has its best volume starting in July and continuing into September.
Among the items that have started, or will be underway in the weeks ahead are dill cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, sweet corn, eggplant, peppers, okra, snow and snap peas, as well as potatoes.
Ontario vegetable shippers not only ship products to Canadian destinations, but also into the upper Midwest of the United States, as well as to a number of markets on the East Coast.
New York Apple Shipments
Last year, New York state had excellent apple shipments from a full crop, one of the largest crops in history. In fact, last year’s fruit is still being shipped. Now, the 2014-15 crop is being pegged in the 32 million to 34 million bushel range, which would mean another big shipping season. More will be known in July.
You know summer has arrived when Michigan vegetable shipments finally start picking up, mostly from the western part of the state.
Within the past few days, light volume has gotten underway with squash, cucumbers, grape tomatoes. These items should have good volume from July through September. Cabbage loadings also have started and will continue into mid November.
Shortly after the Fourth of July, look for blueberry shipments to get started. Leafy greens and radishes also get underway in early July. By mid July you’ll find loadings of celery and carrots.
Around the third week of July, sweet corn shipments start. Peak volume will be the month of August but shipments tailing off after Labor Day. Late July also means roma tomatoes are available, with round tomatoes coming on about August 1st.
Michigan apple shipments from the large 2103-14 crop are still ongoing, but a seasonal decline is underway with loadings now less than 100 truckloads per week.
The Wolverine state produces the second most diverse crop of agricultural products (after California) , including fresh fruits and vegetables.
Michigan apples – grossing about $2500 to Atlanta.
Here’s a glimpse of loading opportunities around the country ranging from New Jersey blueberries to Washington state stone fruit and apples, as well as peaches and vegetables from Georgia. Finally, California’s San Joaquin Valley grapes have gotten an early start.
Hammonton, New Jersey calls itself the “Blueberry Capital of the World” because of the heavy volume typically shipped each year. New Jersey blueberry shipments just got underway last week and volume should build rapidly. Total shipments in 2014 could be similar to a year ago, when it totaled 65 million pounds.
Washington state cherry shipments are moving into good volume from the Yakima and Wenachee Valleys. Cherries out of the Northwest (mostly Washington) should total 20 to 22 million boxes this season, not that far off of the record setting shipments of 23 million boxes in 2012…..Other stone fruit shipments, led by peaches, will get underway in July. Peak volume for loadings are expected between mid August to mid September. Good volume, similar to a year ago, is forecast at this time…..Meanwhile, 2013-14 apple shipments continue, averaging over 1,900 truckload equivalents per week.
In California, grape shipments from the Southern San Joaquin Valley started in a light way about a week ago. Volume is increasing from this area known as the Arvin District, which is near Bakersfield.
Sweet onion shipments have started in Washington state from the Walla Walla area. Walla Walla onion shipments come off of 700 acres and typically amount to about 400,000 40-pound cartons per year.
Georgia peaches are about to take off. It’s been a slow start, but as we enter July expect this to be a good month for loading opportunities with peaches out of the Fort Valley area. July should be an active month for Georgia mixed vegetables from central and southern areas. There also are Vidalia sweet onions being shipped from storages.
Georgia mixed vegetables – grossing about $2700 to Chicago.
Washington apples – grossing about $7200 to New York City.
Colorado peach shipments are expected to get underway in the middle of July.
Peach shipments originate from relatively few shippers on the Western Slope of Colorado’s, beautiful Rocky Mountains, generally in the Grand Junction area. Shipments should continue through mid August and possibly up to the first of September.
There also will be a limited amount of cherries coming on around the first of July. The apricot crop apparently will amount to few, if any this year. The Grand Junction area also will start shipping watermelons in mid July.
Colorado ranks sixth nationally in peach shipments, behind top ranked California, then South Carolina, Georgia, New Jersey and Pennyslvania.
Looking a bit further down the road, Colorado’s Western Slope will have apple shipments and pear shipments starting around the end of August.
Here are some loading opportunities ranging from Southeastern Georgia’s Vidalia onions to pear shipments from the Northwest, and cantaloupe and honeydew volume from California.
Fewer Vidalia onions have been shipped thus far this season. About 1.5 million 40-pound packages had been shipped through May, about 40 percent compared to by the same time last year. Shipments of fresh Vidalias finished in early June now loadings are coming from good supplies of onions from storage. Vidalias out of storage should be available through Labor Day.
Pear Shipments
Fewer shipments of Northwest pears are being forecast for the up coming season starting in late July. About 18.7 million boxes are expected to be hauled out of Washington and Oregon in the 2014-15 season, 13 percent less than in 2013-14 and 6 percent less than the five-year. The harvest should wind down in mid-October. Green anjous are expected to make up 53 percent of the Northwest volume, with bartletts at 23 percent and boscs 14 percent.
Yakima Valley apples, pears and cherries – grossing about $4300 to Chicago.
Melon Shipments
Shipments of cantaloupe and honeydew from Central California (Westside District) could get underway anywhere from a few days, to a couple of weeks early, depending on the field. There will be light volume the first two or three weeks of July, with much better movement beginning in late July and continuing into October. There has been a reduction of acreage in some of the earlier growing districts such as Huron and an increase in plantings farther north in such areas as Los Banos and Turlock.
Central San Joaquin Valley fruit – grossing about $8800 to New York City – higher towards the end of the week.
Following a slow start New Mexico onion loadings should be increasing as competition from other areas subside. In Michigan, blueberries will be joining mixed vegetable shipments.
New Mexico onion shipments got underway in light volume in early June. Loadings are expected to improve with seasons ending from onions out of West Texas and California’s Imperial Valley. The state ranks eigth in onion acreage behind Washington, Idaho-Eastern Oregon, California, Georgia, New York, Texas and West-Central Oregon. When considering yields, New Mexico actually comes in sixth nationwide. Most of New Mexico onion loads are available from a handful of shippers in the Las Cruces area.
Michigan Produce Shipments
Early reports in Michigan show an excellent bloom in apple orchards. Two years ago, freezing weather nearly wiped out the state’s apple crop, but last season it came back with record volume. The promising bloom this spring is bring early forecasts of another season for large volume apple shipments, despite the Grand Rapids area having a near record 116 inches of snow last winter.
Similar to mixed vegetable shipments out of Michigan this spring, the upcoming blueberry season is dragging, expecting to be a good week to 10 days later than usual. Michigan blueberry shipments should start in mid July.
New Mexico onions – grossing about $3800 to Chicago.
Here’s a checker board summarizing potential loading opportunities (or lack thereof) from areas ranging from the Southeast to the Northeast — and the Northwest.
Georgia Blueberry Shipments
Georgia blueberries are entering their peak shipping period from the Alma and Baxley areas that will continue through the Fourth of July. The season will end soon after the holiday.
Georgia blueberry and mixed vegetables – grossing about $3100 to New York City. Vidalia onions from storage – about $3900 to New York City.
Florida Produce Shipments
Not much happening for produce haulers in Florida this time of the year. However, avocado shipments get underway in late June, with decent volume coming in July. About 1.1 million bushels are expected to be shipped this season, similar to the volume of a year ago.
Western Berry Shipments
Strawberry shipments out of Watsonville, CA and blueberry volumes the Pacific Northwest should be good leading up to the Fourth of July.
Watsonville strawberries and Salinas mixed vegetables – grosssing about $8300 to New York City; often higher towards the end of the week.
Northwest Apricot, Cherry Shipments
Apricot shipments get underway in light volume this week, with much better volume next week from the Yakima and Wenatchee valleys of Washington. Apricot volume is predicted to be up 9 percent over last season. Cherry shipments have started. Although no record loadings are predicted, it is still one of the biggest crops on record.
New York Produce Shipments
Late start due to weather will probably limit New York state sweet corn loadings.
Watermelon Shipments
Watermelon shipments in many areas, particiularly on the East Coast are late, and loading opportunities will be down from normal prior to Independence Day.
North Florida watermelons – grossing about $3700 to New York City.
New Jersey continues to be one of the leading states for produce shipments, particularly to destinations east of the Mississippi River and into eastern Canada.
A cold wet spring has delayed maturity and harvest of Jersey vegetables up to three weeks this spring. However, items such as baby spinach, arugula and spring mix got started a couple of weeks ago. As June closes out there should be loadings available with peppers, cucumbers, squash, eggplant and tomatoes, among other items.
Some other New Jersey produce shipments are lettuce, cabbage, corn, parlsey, cilantrol, beans, as well as blueberries and peaches.
New Jersey blueberry shipments should get underway in light volume about June 19th. Peaches will be coming on a few weeks later.
Most New Jersey produce originates out of the Southern part of the state from rural areas such as Vineland, Cedarville and Hammonton.
California stone fruit shipments have started within the past couple of weeks and volume is building.
These items, primarily peaches, plums and nectarines – and to a lesser extent apricots – play a key role every spring and summer in determing how high produce rates will go out of California.
Early indications point to average volume for stone fruit this season – at the very best. Before it is over, total shipments could be below average.
Peach shipments started the third week of May, followed a week later by plums and nectarines. Most California stone fruit loadings occur during a 90-day period spread out between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
The San Joaquin Valley really gets humping as we enter July when table grape shipments crank up. Grapes seems to be one of the few crops in recent years that have had record setting volume.
Stone fruit – grossing about $5200 to Chicago.
It has been rainy, it has been cold, but Georgia vegetables seem have weathered the storms and are finally getting on track, albeit two weeks later – and in some cases even more – than we’re used to.
The biggest volume items coming out of Georgia are bell peppers, cucumbers and squash, although there are a number of other vegetables such as sweet corn, green beans, carrots, greens, and cabbage, as well as blueberries. There also are Vidalia sweet onions, which have been paying 25 to 40 percent more on the freight rates compared to mixed veggies.
This year is the latest start on record for mixed vegetable shipments out of central and southern Georgia, according to some shippers. Items such as peppers, cukes and squash are typically finished shipping in early July. With such a late start, it is up in the air whether the season will extend beyond early July. As always, weather factors rule.
In Southeastern Georgia, the season for non-storage Vidalia onions, as well as the harvest are complete. Further loadings will be coming out of storage and should continue into September. Sweet onions are not always known for holding up well in storage. However, thus far shippers are reporting good quality and let’s hope it holds up for the duration of the storage season.
South and central Georgia vegetables and blueberries – grossing about $2700 to New York City.
Vidalia onions – grossing about $3600 to New York City.