Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
Potato shipments from the old season are rapidly coming to a close, which is probably best since quality problems are showing up in product coming out of storages. There are less late season spuds available and loading opportunities are going to be relatively scarace until the new crop gets going.
You are seeing the results in high potato prices at your local supermarket.
The USDA reports US potato shipments for the weeks ending July 27 and Aug. 3 were down 15% and 24%, respectively, compared to the same weeks in 2012.
Shipments for new crops of potatoes have just started from Wisconsin, Colorado and Nebraska.
Even with the new crop of potatoes, some problems are already being reported. For example, diggings in Rupert, Idaho, began August 6, and growers are experiencing some skinning problems. That means a potential for potato haulers facing claims or rejected loads.
Shipments from Idaho are not expected to be significant until late August.
Texas is shipping some russets shipments and Washington state began in late July with light volume.
After this past season’s disaster with low prices on a huge crop, Idaho growers planted fewer acres and the new season is expected to be more normal in terms of volume.
Volume of old crop shipments from Idaho and Washington-Oregon have been higher in late July and early August than the previous season. However, shipments from Colorado this season were off by as much as a third.
Red potato shipments from the Big Lake area of Minnesota have started within the past week. In the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota, it will be late September or early October before decent shipments occur with red potatoes.
Idaho potatoes – grossing about $5300 to New York City.
California avocado shipments should hit about 12,500 truckloads equivalents this year, up about 1,000 truck loads from 2012. Because of the larger crop, California avocado loadings are expected to run later than last year, continuing at peak volume through August and into September, with shipments running into November.
About 2,050 truckloads of fruit is expected to be hauled from September through November.
Weekly avocado shipments in the USA this year have reached as high as 1,000 truckloads. Loadings take place mostly in Southern California.
California tomato shipments
California mature green tomato shipments out of the San Joaquin Valley remain good, but are lighter than when loadings got underway in mid- to late June. That steady, but lighter volume should continue through the end of the year.
Around the Oceaside area of Southern California, there are loadings of cherry tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and romas in addition to the vine ripened tomatoes.
Mature greens are typically sold to foodservice operators for their use with burgers or other dishes, or repackers, who package them in multiples, complete the ripening process and shipped to a variety of customers. Vine-ripe tomatoes are often shipped directly to the retailers.
Meanwhile volume shipments of Salinas Valley vegetables and San Joaquin Valley produce loadings of vegetables, stone fruit, grapes and melons continue.
Salinas Valley vegetables – grossing about $5300 to Chicago.
Southern California avocados – grossing about $7500 to New York City.
Whether we are talking Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio, Eastern Canada and points in between there have been significantly fewer loading opportunites for vegetables this summer – due primarily to weather factors.
Vegetable fields throughout the Southeast were flooded, destroying crops and inflating prices for produce and adversely affecting produce shipments.
For example, produce loads on squash, okra, butter beans and string beans have been hit hard. You’ll also notice these items are costing 20 percent or more at your local supermarket.
Some parts of Georgia has received rainfall amounts far exceeding normal. In June, for example, Augusta Regional Airport measured 10.83 inches of rain, the wettest June on record. July recorded 9.05 inches of rain, 4.72 inches above normal. The excessive mositure also is adversely affecting quality of produce.
Check closely what you are putting into the truck to reduce your chances of a claim or load rejection.
In another example, the South Carolina State Farmers Market in West Columbia, S.C., was recently selling sweet corn for $16 a box compared to $10 to $12 last summer, and a box of apples was up $5 to $35.
Weather has greatly reduce shipments of tomatoes from East Coast shipping areas. With no tomatoes in Florida or Georgia, East Coast markets area having to rely much heavier of truck loadings of tomatoes out of California.
Besides the excessive rains in the Southeast, it has been too wet in New Jersey which ships a lot of vegetables from the Southern part of the state. Eastern Canada also has have heavy rains. In Ohio, vegetable shipments are down due to excessive heat.
Onion shipments from the Northwest will be cranking up soon and produce truckers should use caution if you plan to haul this product. Excessive heat during the growing season has adversely affected quality of at least a small portion of the crop.
Arrow in photo points to yellow spot virus. Very light shipments of of Northwest onions actually started in mid July, but for the most part loadings of any significant volume will be coming in the next few weeks.
It already has been reported some onion fields in the Pacific Northwest are showing signs of stress because of excessive heat earlier in the summer. However, farmers are still saying the overall the crop looks good.
The initial shipment of reds and yellows for the 2013 season got underway last week.
Columbia River area onions are said to have tolerated the hot weather thus far, and with the eternal optimisim only seen in farmers, they still believe there will be plenty of loads availabe, not only for fresh onions, but from storage this year.
A similar situation is seen from onion fields in the Snake River area, which are showing a little stress from near-record high temperatures. In the Treasure Valley, there are already reports of some Irish yellow spot virus, but growrs are playing it down as not being serious.
Irish Yellow Spot Virus is a damaging viral pathogen of onions. The disease can devastate an onion field by destroying the photosynthetic area of the leaves of infected plants, thus reducing the ability of the plant to develop bulb size and directly affecting yield and grade of onions at harvest. Infected onions can overwinter and harbor the disease from one season to the next and serve as a reservoir of disease the following season (see photograph).
Northwest onions grossing about $4300 to Dallas.
The Salinas Valley remains one of the most active areas for produce shipments in the nation, not to mention the world. In the adjacent Watsonville district, strawberry shipments are averaging nearly 1,000 truck loads per week. This doesn’t include other berries and artichokes from this area.
California strawberry shippers are optimistic about a strong fall, unless of course, something like fall rains put a damper on loadings. Shipments to date are on track for yet another record-volume year. In 2012, California shipper over 190 million trays of strawberries.
Salinas Vegetable Shipments
While overall Salinas Valley vegetable shipments have been okay, it sure hasn’t been a “barn burning” year for loads. Whether it is lettuce, broccoli or cauliflower, which normal lead the pack of veggies when it comes to volume, none have been excetionally heavy.
This a a primary reason produce rates out of California have been anything but steller for this time of the year.
But keep in mind, even though California hasn’t been exceptional this summer, it still easily beats any other shipping area in country for the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables it ships. This holds true not only for the Salina Valley, but the San Joaquin Valley.
Salinas Valley vegetables and berries – grossing about $7900 to New York City.
San Joaquin Valley stone fruit, grapes, veggies – about $5300 to Chicago.
A lot of summertime produce shipments are occuring from Texas to states further north ranging from Missouri, to Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Michigan has the widest variety of produce shipments in this region of the country this time of the year. It is the leading state in blueberry shipments, which are increasing by the day. Michigan also ranks eighth in potato shipments. Its new season spud crop starts in a light way this week with round white potatoes. Michigan also has a wide variety of mixed vegetables ranging from sweet corn to celery, and watermelons that are on the increase. Most loadings are available in the central and western areas of Michigan.
Wisconsin
The Badger state has 63,000 acres of potatoes and ranks fourth nationally in spud shipments. Red potatoes and white potatoes are the first to come out of the ground and volume is increasing. Russets easily provide the heaviest volume and will start shipments in a few weeks.
Illinois/Indiana
Southeast Illinois and Southwest Indiana are just getting cranked up with loadings of watermelons and sweet corn.
Missouri
This writer has been feasting a on large, red fleshed seedless watermelon from the boot heal of Missouri, and it is excellent. Shipments have already moved into good volume.
Texas
Rio Grande Valley watermelon shipments are moving into good volume. There also are Mexican tropical fruits, plum tomatoes and mixed veggies crossing the border into South Texas….From the High Plains area around Hereford, TX as well as parts of Eastern New Mexico, the new crop of potatoes are increasing in volume.
South Texas produce – grossing about $2800 to Chicago.
Southeastern Missouri watermelons – about $1700 to Chicago.
Indiana/Illinois produce – about $1700 to Atlanta.
Michigan blueberries – about $3200 to Orlando.
I found this on the Texas Watermelon Association website for your reading pleasure. For what it’s worth!!!
When you sink your teeth into a slice of sweet, juicy watermelon, did you know you also could be enjoying a natural treatment for erectile dysfunction? Watermelon is a great source not only of beta-carotene and lycopene – two important phytonutrients for the heart and for sexual function—but also citrulline. Citrulline is important for several reasons. One, it can relax the blood vessels, which in turn improves blood flow. Two, when you eat citrulline-rich watermelon, the body transforms citrulline intoarginine. The amino acid arginine boosts the body’s levels of nitric oxide, which in turn relaxes the blood vessels in the penis and promotes an erection, which is the same basic effect Viagra has on the body. Although it might be a stretch to say that watermelon could be an erectile dysfunction treatment, it certainly won’t hurt to try it.
Produce truckers should not expect this summer to bring normal loading opportunitunites for many New York state vegetables.
Shipping gaps and less volume due to torrential spring rains interrupted spring plantings on many of the Empire State’s commodites, ranging from sweet corn, to green beans, cabbage, squash and potatoes.
This situation exists pretty much in every shipping area of the state.
For example shipping gaps on New York sweet corn will start in early August. In similar situation exists for green beans.
There also are question marks relating to New York cabbage shipments. Volume is predicted to be sporatic with shipping gaps occuring in late August and early September.
Excessive rains and recent triple digit heat a few weeks ago are expected to cut Orange County, New York’s onion shipments by 10 percent this coming season. Limited shipmentes are underway. Like many New York state veggies, these storage onions are typically shipped to East Coast markets through April.
The USDA ranked New York as the 7th leading vegetable shipping in the nation in 2011 for fresh market vegetables and 7th in the nation for production of processing vegetables.
New York vegetable shipments originate from numerous areas spread across this giant states. Likewise, apples may not come from as many different regions, but still are shipped from six primary areas the Eastern Hudson Valley, Western Hudson Valley, Champlain Valley, Central, Lake Country and Niagra Frontier.
New York ranks second nationally in apple shipments. It’s new season starts in a few weeks with an excellent crop being forecast.
Summer produce shipments continue from the Carolinas, but some items are winding down, while others still have a ways to go before seasonally ending.
Southern South Carolina shipments of peaches and watermelons are running later than usual due to the cold, wet spring. Loadings are expected to continue until around Labor Day. You”ll still find some mixed vegetables in moderate volume coming out of South Carolina, particularly with shippers just south of the state capital of Columbia.
Peach shipments currently are at a peak in South Carolina and will remain so for a couple of more weeks. Volume will then decline, but shipments are expected through Labor Day. Watermelon shipments are on the final leg of the season.
Georgia peach volume is on the decline, while New Jersey volume is just getting underway and remains light.
While South Carolina watermelon volume is light and on the decline, North Carolina melons are increasing in volume….In the Western region of North Carolina a new season has started with tomatoes, with light to moderate volume….Potato shipments from the Elizabeth City area of North Carolina are on in a seasonal decline.
North Carolina sweet potato shipments are lighter than normal for the old crop that is finishing up. Loadings for the new sweet crop are still a few weeks away.
North Carolina sweet potatoes – grossing about $1500 to Atlanta.
North Carolina watermelons – about $2300 to New York City.
Coast-to-Coast produce freight rates out of California have been a little soft this year with the exception of a relatively short period of time a couple of months ago. With few exceptions, there have not been bumper crops, in large part due to weather factors. This has resulted in mostly adequate supplies of refrigerated equipment. There were a few $10,000 rates from Salinas to the Northeast last spring, but that was the exception, not the rule.
Another factor holding down rates are the large refrigerated fleets that negotiate seasonal or annual freight rates on fresh fruits and vegetables. They receive a lower than normal rate during the peak spring and summer months, but tend to take in a higher rates during the slower winter months.
California apple shipments have got underway with the gala variety. The state isn’t known for its apple production and basically fills a nich between dwindling imports and Washington’s new crop that starts in few weeks.
California granny smiths and early fujis shipments will start in late August, with cripps pink getting started around mid-October.
Shipments from California for the 2012-13 season were about 2 million boxes, down from the usual 2.6 million to 2.8 million.
Grape Shipments
California is estimating 106.9 million, 19-pound- boxes will be shipped this season, which would be another record. A new estimate will be out shortly. Shipments are now coming out of the San Joaquin Valley.
San Joaquin Valley grapes, stone fruit, melons and veggies – grossing about $7800 to New York City.
Salinas Valley vegetables and berries – about $5300 to Chicago.
It is approaching the latter part of the shipping season for New Mexico onions and from a trucking stand point just make sure your receivers know the quality of the product being loaded. About one-third of the crop is only rated as fair, while two-thirds is seen as good or excellent.
USDA reports 31 percent of the New Mexico’s onion crop is rated excellent, 35 percent rates as good, and 34 percent as fair. New Mexico produced nearly 3,600 truckloads of onions this season.
Chili pepper growers in the Hatch-area apparently are shipping a quality crop. The USDA says over 50 percent of the state’s peppers are in excellent condition.
Drought conditions he lack of Rio Grande River irrigation water has once again forced growers to pump high salinity ground water on their crops, resulting in onion yields being down in the Hatch area.
In 2011 the state’s total onion shipments was nearly 3,400 truck loads, and 2010’s total yield was 4,125 truck loads.
The largest onion hauls in New Mexico in recent years were in 2007 when shipments hit over 4,400 truck loads and in 2003 when there were 5,300 truckloads and finally in 2002 with 5,500 truck loads.
New Mexico’s chili pepper shipments the Hatch area should get underway in early August, with shipments exceeding those of a year ago.
New Mexico onions are grossing about – $3200 to Chicago.