Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
Spring South Carolina produce shipments are taking place, although the main volume is still ahead in the weeks and months to come. However, it is not going to be a normal, or typical year for shipments due to weather factors.
South Carolina peaches rank second in volume nationally, however a freeze wiped out the early season peaches. While there will be limited volume in June, it will July and August before there are significant peach shipments.
South Carolina Vegetable Shipments
The state also ranks in the top six in the nation for leafy green, cantaloupe and watermelons, while placing eighth in cumber volume.
It has been cooler longer than normal in South Carolina slowing the 0growth of vegetables, plus some crops had to be replanted due to the earlier freezing conditions. More recent warmer weather has crops trying to catch up. The state ships produce throughout the year. Currently, South Carolina vegetable loadings range from leafy greens, to more limited amounts of broccoli and asparagus.
Among the early season summer items to start shipping in the next month or so are watermelons, cabbage and early summer vegetables, plus blueberries.
With Mexican watermelon shipments coming across the border ending soon, here’s three states looking to take up the slack. There also are a couple of shipping areas becoming active with other items in the west.
Mexican watermelon volume is rapidly coming to a close, but it is a slow start for the new watermelon season in Florida and Texas.
Immokalee watermelon shipments started in early May, with decent volume finally arriving this week – just in time for Memorial Day arrivals. Mexico had some late season disease problems with watermelons and you need to use caution loading Florida melons, as similar problems are being reported.
Texas Watermelon Shipments
Texas watermelon shipments are running a little late and good volume is not expected before May 2oth, meaning for the most part shipments will come after Memorial Day. Again, we on the look out for what you put in the truck as quality problems may exist due to high winds and other factors. Another concern is if hot weather arrives, the melons could suffer from being on the plants too long. This will not be one of the larger volume crops Texas has had.
Arizona Watermelon Shipments
Yuma watermelons should be getting underway in light volume this week. Average yield and good quality are being reported.
Arizona Potato Shipments
Red and yellow potato loadings from the Elroy, AZ , just southeast of Phoenix, have started and should conintue until about July 4. Mini reds, mini yellows and purple varieties of spuds should ship through August.
Walla Walla Onion Shipments
Walla Walla sweet onions are expected to begin shipments up to 10 days behind typical starts. The onions are grown on 600 acres. Volume should be normal, which would amount to around 600,000 40-pound cartons for the season. Shipments should ramp up towards the end of June and run through mid-August.
Florida watermelons, veggies and other items – grossing about $3600 to Chicago; $4800 to New York City.
Volume is headed upwards from coastal areas for California vegetable shipments, as well as stone fruit out of the San Joaquin Valley. We’ll take a look at both, with a note to be on the look out for some quality issues in both regions.
Vegetable Shipments
There are strong shipments of vegetables coming out of the Santa Maria and Salinas valleys, although we’re not boasting of any bumper crops. Temperatures in both valleys recently topped 90 degrees. When loading, just keep an eye out for what’s going onto the truck in case there are issues with tip burn on some of the leafy items. Also make sure the receiver is aware of any problems, if a problem develops.
At the same time, the heat could bring on some fields faster, which would increase shipments.
Avocado Shipments
California’s avocado crop, which is currently in full production, has been estimated at less than 60 percent of the volume of last year’s 500 million pounds.
Stone Fruit Shipments
California has recently been shipping in very light volume of stone fruit from the Coachella Valley and the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. Now it’s time for the main varieties and product in the primary SJV production areas to get cranked up. Volume is expected to be about normal. While peaches and nectarine quality seems to be pretty good, use caution loading apricots and plums until we get a better feel for quality. Just reading between the lines of shipper comments leads one to suspect potential quality issues due to weather factors. In general, stone fruit shipments are about 10 to 14 days earlier than normal, which means there will be good volume loadings in time for arrivals at destination for the Memorial weekend of May 24-26.
Salinas Valley vegetables – grossing about $7500 to New York City.
Another large volume of Mexican grape shipments are crossing the border into Nogales, AZ. We’ll also take a look at some produce shipments out of the Southeastern US.
Observers are stating this is the earliest start on record for the grape shipments originating out of Sonora Mexico. Loadings will probably be down more than 10 percent, due to weather issues, but there will still be a lot of grapes for hauling.
The forecast predicts about 1.77 million fewer 19-pound boxes to ship out of the region in 2014. A year ago Mexico had nearly 16 million boxes of grapes. The estimate for this season is about 14.2 million boxes.
Georgia Watermelon Shipments
Southern Georgia watermelons have had excessive rains and wind, delaying plantings and in some cases has resulted in replantings. If the weather improves there should be fair to good shipments taking place in time for the Fourth of July holidays. Shipments of everything from green beans to sweet corn and peppers will also be a little later getting started this sprinand summer….Vidalia onion movement continues to increase, although this will not be one of the larger crops….Georgia blueberry shipments also are be late this year, but are now underway, although in light volume. Georgia “blues” should be in good volume through the Fourth of July.
Florida Produce Shipments
Florida blueberry shipments have totalled only about 25 percent of the volume compared to this time a year ago. Instead of shipments ending in May, loadings should be available into early June.
Meanwhile Florida is in peak volume with a number of mixed vegetables, which should continue well into May.
Florida blueberries, vegetables and watermelons – grossing about $4000 to New York City.
South Georgia mixed vegetables – grossing about $3000 to Boston.
Mexican grapes, tropical fruit and watermelons – grossing about $4500 to Chicago.
California desert produce shipments are early this year with everything from grapes to vegetables.
Grape loadings from the Coachella Valley got underway with very light volume about a week ago, which is about two weeks earlier than normal. This will probaby result in the season ending around July 1st, instead of mid July. Coachella typically ships about 6 million boxes of grapes each year. Likewise, the Arvin district (Bakersfield area) also is early this year and is expected to get underway in the last week of June, instead of around the Fourth of July.
Vegetable Shipments
Some shippers see this as a banner year for desert vegetables.
In the Coachella Valley, early starts are occuring with vegetables. Decent supplies are already underway. Peak desert vegetable shipments should hit around Memorial Day, with good volume still happening for the Fourth of July, with items ranging from sweet white, yellow and multi-colored corn to watermelons and peppers. Pepper loading should continue through June, with corn and melons finishing up after Memorial Day.
Imperial Valley Onion Shipments
Anticipating start dates for harvest in truckload volumes range from April 21 to May 1, although some early harvesting had already begun as of the second week of April.
The Imperial Valley, one of California’s major onion growing districts and the earliest to harvest, is located at the southern tip of California, about 130 miles inland from San Diego.
The total acreage planted with onions in the Imperial Valley in 2012, the most recent year for which final data are available, was around 8,500 acres. Roughly half of the production grown is for the fresh or fresh-cut market and a similar amount for processing.
Blueberry Shipments
Initial shipments of California blueberries got underway a couple of weeks ago from the Central San Joaquin Valley.
The state ranks 5th in shipments with about 54 million pounds, which is similar to a year ago. Loadings should peak in mid-May and continue through mid-June.
San Joaquin Valley carrots, blueberries and other produce – grossing about $7600 to New York City.
BOISE, Idaho – The head-turning, jaw-dropping Great Big Idaho® Potato Truck is back on the road for its third consecutive cross-country tour with a new message for women: Take care of your heart! The five-month long, 2014 Big Idaho® Potato Truck Tour kicked off in Boise, Idaho with waves, cheers, and hugs from the students of Riverside Elementary School and salutes from soldiers at the Air Force Base in Mountain Home.
In 2011, fresh Idaho® potatoes were certified by the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check Food Certification Program by meeting the program’s nutrition requirements and they now bear the highly recognized and respected Heart-Check mark on the packaging. This recognition is profoundly helpful in reminding consumers that Idaho® potatoes can be a part of their everyday diet. Knowing that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women (mothers, sisters, daughters, friends) and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined, it’s more important than ever that women understand the role both diet and exercise play in achieving a healthy lifestyle.
“The Idaho Potato Commission’s (IPC) support of the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement provides another new and exciting way we can remind consumers, especially women, of the nutritional benefits Idaho® potatoes offer,” said Frank Muir, President and CEO, IPC. “In addition to a new charity beneficiary, we’ve rebranded the Truck so it showcases fresh Idaho® potatoes prepared in various ways and creatively communicates the potato’s nutritional benefits.”
“The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement is grateful to the Idaho Potato Commission for supporting us in our fight against heart disease in women,” said Bernie Dennis, Chairman, American Heart Association National Board of Directors. “This is an exciting opportunity for the Idaho Potato Commission to help educate consumers on ways they can prevent heart disease through diet and exercise.”
In 2014, the truck will visit 26 states and travel close to 19,000 miles during a five-month period. The Truck and its seasoned traveling Tater Team will stop at high traffic events like the Kentucky Derby, the Art Car Parade and Festival in Houston, Texas and the 55th World Lumberjack Competition in Hayward, Wisconsin. In between events, the Truck will visit key retailers and foodservice operators, and local places of interest it finds along the way.
The Truck The Great Big Idaho® Potato weighs more than 6 tons (the equivalent of 32,346 medium-sized Idaho® potatoes). It has become a traveling ambassador for the country’s most famous potato. After being seen by hundreds of millions of Americans in person and in the IPC’s national television commercial, the most frequently asked question is, “Is it real?” We’ll never tell… but in the event it is, the Great Big Idaho® Potato:
- Would take more than 10,000 years to grow.
- Is 1,102 times heavier than the largest potato ever grown, which weighed 11 pounds.
- Would take 2 years and 9 months to bake.
The Great Big Idaho® Potato Truck was created and built by Chris Schofield and Sharolyn Spruce of Weiser, Idaho. With the help of a few specialized contractors, they spent an entire year designing and building this incredible vehicle. The Kenworth Sales Company and Western Trailer, both based in Boise, Idaho, also aided with the construction.
The Tour To find out when the Great Big Idaho Potato Truck will be in a city near you, please visit www.bigidahopotato.com. The website provides in-depth information about the Truck, the IPC’s support of the Go Red For Women movement and weekly updates with tales and photos from the road.
Citrus Shipments
The latest Florida citrus shipping update shows there are fewer oranges, tangerines and tangelos. Total orange volume dropped 4 percent from the previous month, but plunged 18 perecent from last year. Florida is expected to ship 110 million equivalent cartons of oranges this season, down from the 133.5 million cartons a year ago. Late-season valencia oranges, the only oranges remaining in production, account for all of the decline and are expected to produce 57 million equivalent boxes, a 7 seven percent decline.
Grapefruit volume is unchanged from the March report while the state’s honey tangerines are estimated to be down 300,000 cartons. Tangelo production declined 20,000 boxes to 880,000 cartons. Growers have finished harvesting over 90 percent of the state’s colored grapefruit, 82 percent of its white grapefruit, 75 percent of tangerines and 18 percent of valencias. While an overwhelming majority of the state’s oranges ship to processed channels, 65 percent of its navels, 63 percent of its tangerines and 40 percent of its grapefruit ship fresh. About 9 percent of the state’s 130 million equivalent cartons of citrus ship fresh. Last season, 156 million cartons were shipped.
While citrus shipments are on the tail end of the season, there should still be ample opportunities for hauling a wide variety of Florida vegetable loads ranging from sweet corn to beans and tomatoes out of South and Central areas of Florida.
Florida vegetables, tomatoes and watermelons – grossing about $4000 to New York City.
There seems to be very few examples of bumper, much less record setting produce crops around the country this spring and summer. That will probably translate into produce freight rates not being exceptional – at least for this time of year. Typically, the heaviest volume and highest rates hit sometime in May and continue through June and July.
For example, California avocados, lettuce, many other vegetables and stone fruit are not expected to set any shipping records. You’ll also see the results of this lower volume translating into significantly higher retail prices at your local supermarket.
Other shipping areas around the country expect small volumes of produce to be shipped, due to weather factors, ranging from Texas to Michigan and the Southestern U.S.
There have been produce industry estimates ranging from a half-million to 1 million acres of agricultural land likely to be affected by the current California drought, with between 10 and 20 percent of the supply of certain crops possibly lost. California grows and ships around 50 percent of the nation’s fresh fruits and vegetables.
One study estimates the following possible price increases due to the drought: avocados, up 17 to 35 cents to as much as $1.60 each; berries, up 21 to 43 cents to as much as $3.46 per clamshell; broccoli, up 20 to 40 cents to a possible $2.18 per pound;. grapes, a rise of 26 to 50 cents to a possible $2.93 per pound; lettuce, could rise 31 to 62 cents to as much as $2.44 per head; packaged salad, up 17 to 34 cents to a possible $3.03 per bag; peppers, up 18 to 35 cents to a possible $2.48 per pound; and tomatoes, likely to rise 22 to 45 cents to a possible $2.84 per pound.
“We predict the increased prices will change consumer purchasing behavior,” Sherry Frey, vice president of Nielsen Perishables Group, said in a release. Frey said that certain consumers — young consumers of avocados, for example — will be more heavily affected by the price increases.
All of these factor don’t even take into consideration mounting rules and regulations by state and federal governments on the trucking industry. The hours-of-service rules implemented last year alone will undoubtedly reduce the number round trips. There is still a push for electronic on board devices, and the feds want higher insurance requirements for truckers — and the list goes on and on.
So will there be any $10,000 gross freight rates on coast-to-coast produce hauls this year? Probably not, or at the best very few. But no one really knows for sure.
Here’s a preview of Georgia peach shipments and South Carolina peach shipments, which will be starting soon. Additionally, most loading opportunities for potatoes around the country these day are limited mostly to three states.
Shipments of Georiga peaches will be light, especially when loadings get underway the first half of May, thanks in part to a late March freeze. The first half of June will also see lighter-than-normal volume. However, with the maturing of later variety Georgia peaches, the month of July should experience more normal shipments.
Most of the peach shippers are located in the Fort Valley area, just south of Macon.
South Carolina peach loadings typically follow Georgia’s start about a week or so later. Carolina peaches also were hit by that March freeze and if anything, suffered more damage than Georgia. Intial reports indicate South Carolina lost at least half of its peach crop. The only sales of Carolina peaches in May and June will be locally. There should be better volume in July.
Potato Shipments
Although there are a few other states in the mix when it comes to current potato shipments, Idaho easily is leading the pack, followed by Colorado and Wisconsin.
Wisconsin and Colorado russet potato shipments should remain steady heading into summer. However, volume from the nation’s biggest shipper, Idaho, could decline some in May and June.
Idaho is averaging about 1700 truckload equivalents of spuds being shipped each week. Colorado is a distant second with around 600 truckloads weekly, and Wisconsin is third at about 300 truckloads per week.
In the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota about half of the sheds continue to ship, mostly red potatoes. Some of those packinghouse will close for the season anytime now, others will be following in May and only one or two sheds will still be shipping in June.
Idaho potato shipments – grossing about $3000 to Chicago.
Colorado potato shipments – about $2900 to Atlanta.
Wisconsin potato shipments – about $34oo to New York City.
The Salinas Valley is shipping alot of mixed vegetables and generally receives most of the attention, however there are veggie loadings taking place just to south in Santa Maria. As with other coastal regions in the state, Santa Maria vegetable shipments got started nearly two weeks earlier than normal.
Items available for hauling range from leaf lettuce to romaine and broccoli, the latter which is shipped from here year around. Just becoming available now is celery. In all, while Santa Maria lacks the volume of Salinas, it still ships over 70 speciality vegetables, baby lettuce and speciality greens all year long.
California Grape Shipments
It also looks like California grape shipments will be early as well. The Coachella Valley should get going within a few days of the Mexican grapes — by early May. Coachella typically ships grapes out of the desert for a month or so. This will be followed by the Arvin District in the Southern San Joaquin Valley.
Cherry Shipments
Intial predictions call for California to ship between 2.5 and 3 million trays of cherries this season. This would be considered a decent sized crop, but certainly not a bumper crop. The early cherry deal in the southern and central San Joaquin Valley of California will have an earlier start than usual this year, by as much as two weeks
While initial shipments are expected the last week of April, peak loadings in the southern SJV are expected between May 5 – 19. Northern valley cherry loadings should occur around May 27 to the middle of June.
For the first time, moderate volume shipments of cherries were expected to be shipped in time for Mother’s Day (May 11th).
The early season cherries from the southern San Joquin Valley are expected to have lighter volume, while more normal shipments are expected from the northern valley areas from the later varieties.
San Joaquin Valley vegetables – grossing about $7800 to New York City.