Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
While 90 percent of Michigan apple shipments for the upcoming season were 
lost to freeze, the state should have more loads of blueberries this summer, plus a near normal volume with vegetables. Blueberries should be up over 10 percent from last year (81 million pounds is forecast). However, cherry shipments are pegged at only 1 million pounds, down over 70 percent from a year ago.
Otherwise, volume with vegetables have been increasing during June and should hit peak shipments in July. Veggies, which avoided the freeze damage to apples, started in early June with radishes and turnips. Since then various types of leafy lettuces, zucchini, and cabbage have become available. There also are greens and cilantro. Warm weather is expected to bring on grape and roma tomatoes in mid-July, followed by sweet corn in early August, two weeks or more earlier than usual.
As California table grape shipments will soon be starting from the San Joaquin 
Valley, it is a good two-week swing from a year ago, when the vineyards were 10 to 14 days later than normal. This year, the product is being shipped a few days earlier than normal – and two weeks or more earlier than in 2011. Projections call for 101.6 million, 19-pound boxes of California grapes to be shipped, up 4.5 million cartons from a year ago.
Stone fruit shipments are coming out of the Southern San Joaquin Valley in light to moderate volume and will pick up in volume quickly as the harvest moves northward. The Bakersfield area is shipping potatoes and carrots.
California cherry shipments from the northern part of the valley are winding down, as Washington state will soon take center stage with loads of cherries.
There are still grapes from Mexico and California’s Coachella Valley being shipped in volume. Those areas will still be providing loads into mid July.
One word of caution. There are reports of some red grapes from Coachella having splits, cracks and being low in color. Make sure whoever is paying the freight is aware of this situation before you load — and of course check for quality yourself at the loading dock.
Demand for trucks remains heavy from the Salinas Valley as many vegetables are in peak production. There’s also good volume with strawberries from the nearby Watsonville district. The Santa Maria area has lighter, but consistent movement with vegetables.
San Joaquin Valley stone fruit and vegetables – grossing about $8300 to Baltimore.
Bakersfield area carrots and potatoes – about $6800 to Atlanta.
Produce shipments on the East Coast are a mixed bag this year and some areas 
are shipping more normal volumes, with other areas doing less.
Shipments of New Jersey blueberries, along with vegetables continue to be loaded in normal volumes. Jersey peach loadings are ramping up and should be in peak volume soon, continuing through July.
Further south in the Mid-Altantic area, sometimes referred to as the Eastern Shore, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia are shipping a variety of vegetables, with more coming into play as we enter July. This area, however, has struggled over the years, as it tries to provide shipments during a gap between states to the south of it, and New Jersey to the north, which in theory is supposed to begin shipments when Delaware, Maryland and Virgina are finishing.
However, it’s a gamble every year and if the southern states are late coming in, or Jersey is early, the the Mid-Atlantic states tend to face poor markets, and fewer loading opportunities for produce haulers. As a result this area does not have as many shippers as it used to.
Meanwhile, there are fewer Georgia vegetables, Vidalia onions and peaches this year due to weather factors, although the vegetables were easily hit the hardest of the three.
Vidalia, Georgia onions – grossing about $3200 to New York City.
New Jersey blueberries – about $1800 to Boston.
Record shipments of highly perishables, but high rate paying cherries are 
getting underway from Washington state, along with apricots and onions, and joining the late season apples and pears.
Cherry loadings start in limited volume from the Yakima Valley, but tonnage quickly increases. 23 million boxes are forecast to be shipped from Washington state, which should break the previous record by 3 million cartons….Apricot loadings are close behind starting in mid June, with peak movement occurring the first half of July.
The Evergreen state continues to ship apples and pears from the 2011/12 season, and remains the heaviest volume for produce. About 1,750 truck load equivalents of apples and pears are being shipped weekly from the Yakima and Wenatchee valleys.
Onions from the Walla Walla Valley should get underway the week of June 18th. The Walla Walla onion shipping area is located in Southeastern Washington and Northeastern Oregon. Primary shippers are located in or near Walla Walla, WA and Hermiston, OR.
Washington apples and pears – grossing about $6000 to Philadelphia.
NOTE: Apples, pears and apricots can be loaded on the same truck, but oder from the fruit can be absorbed by potatoes, onions and some other items. Source: TransFresh “Fresh Produce Mixer & Loading Guide.”
Since California rates shot upward on June 4th by $1000 dollars or more from 
California to the midwest and east coast, rates have pretty much maintained that level (around $6000 to Chicago and about $9000 to the east coast). Now the question is whether loads for the 4th of July holiday will take another jump. Since the 4th falls on a Wednesday, there are differing opinions whether rates will go any higher, as opposed to if the holiday fell on, say a Monday or a Friday, making for a long holiday weekend.
In California’s Westside District of the San Joaquin Valley, cantaloupe and honeydew shipments will be starting around Independence Day. Normal shipments are expected, although there’s plenty of apprehension among some melon shippers over the ramifications of the cantaloupe listeria outbreak last year with Rocky Ford region cantaloupe in Colorado. That outbreak adversely affected cantaloupe shipments for other production areas as many consumers stopped buying melons.
In Southern California, record shipments of avocados continue. The region is shipping about 30 million pounds of avocados weekly to points around the USA, with a total for the season expected to hit 415 million pounds!….California cherry loads from the Lodi-Stockton area will be winding down within the next week or so, which will end with a record of around 23 million boxes, up 3 million boxes from the amount shipped a year ago.
Meanwhile, there’s heavy volume with vegetables coming out of the Salinas Valley, and increasing stone fruit shipments from the San Joaquin Valley.
San Joaquin Valley stone fruit – about $5500 to Chicago.
Salinas Valley vegetables/Watsonville strawberries – around $9200 to Boston, and can be a few hundred dollars higher or lower depending upon the day of the week, demand for trucks, etc.
Ohio ships a substaintable amount of vegetables during the summer and fall 
and volume is increasing. The Buckeye state has several major farming operations scattered around different regions shipping dozens of different types of vegetables ranging from squash to bell peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and beans.
Although shipments have started on some items, Ohio cranks up in July.
For example, cabbage and snap bean shipments area just starting, while items such as potatoes and sweet corn will get going by mid July.
The single most active area in the state with a handful of large shippers providing the most shipments, is located in central Ohio around small communities such as Willard and Plymouth.
However, there’s at least one significant vegetable shipping operation just Southwest of Akron in the eastern part of the state — at Hartville. There’s also a couple of vegetable operations in Northwest Ohio, not that far south of Detroit, MI – in towns such as Napoleon and Alvordton, OH.
We are quickly approaching time for shipments of produce for the Fourth of 
July holiday. Since Independence Day falls on a Wednesday, a lot of consumers will only have that one day off work, although many do tie extra days off around the holiday.
But to help you try and plan your schedule so you can be home for the holiday, here’s a look at some shipping areas that will be pretty active a week or so before the Fourth, hopefully increasing your chances for faster loadings, transits and getting to your destination.
In the West, the Watsonville district will be the only California area shipping strawberries, but it good volume. The nearby Salinas Valley should be rockin’ with plenty of vegetable loads. The same goes for the San Joaquin Valley shipping stone fruit and vegetables.
In Washington, the eastern part of the state has moderate volume with blueberries, but better volume will be coming from Yakima and Wenatchee with late season apples from storage, as well as with cherries, with loadings at a peak.
At Nogales, watermelons from Mexico crossing the border have more than doubled over the past decade. Yet, loading opportunities are being limited, depending upon with whom one talks, because of the escalating drug cartel violence south of the border.
In Michigan, decent blueberry shipments are expected for the Fourth of July, plus vegetable volume is increasing.
New Jersey blueberry shipments will be supplying most Eastern markets for Independence Day. The state also is shipping vegetables.
In the Southeast, Georgia continues with Vidalia onions, Ft. Valley area peaches and vegetables from the central and southern part of the state.
Overall Florida produce shipments are down subtantailly by this time of the year, but Belle Glade is shipping a lot of sweet corn.
California rates to the East Coast topped $9000 this week, at least from the Salinas Valley, where vegetable volume is really cranking up, plus 
there is building volume with the nearby Watsonville district strawberries and other berries. Rates also have increased from other regions of California, ranging from the San Joaquin Valley, to Santa Maria and in the Southern part of the state. Truck supplies have definately tightened up, but so far, my sources are reporting you can get a truck, if you’re willing to pay for it.
In Arizona, rates remain strong as Mexican melons and table grapes are moving in good volume across the border into the USA.
If for some reason, you are stuck in New Mexico, the new crop of storage onions from the Southern part of the state are now being shipped. Rates are usually less on onions with a significant factor being you can haul them on flatbeds and other non-refrigerated equipment.
Texas remains active for produce loads, in large part thanks to Mexico. There are a variety of Mexican vegetables and tropical fruit crossing into South Texas. The Lower Rio Grande Valley is shipping watermelons, although weather troubles has reduced loading opportunities there. The Winter Garden District, just south of San Antonio is loading onions.
Salinas Valley vegetables, Watsonville berries – grossing about $9000 and more to Boston.
San Joaquin Valley stone fruit – about $4000 to Atlanta.
Nogales melons and grapes – about $5000 to Chicago.
New Mexico onions – $3000 to Chicago.
Texas produce – $3000 to Atlanta.
I arrived in Chicago yesterday (June 4) and the talk both with people in trucking and in the produce industry was the rates had shot up $1,000 on 
loads from California to Chicago. There sure was a lot of complaining from produce companies, but big smiles on the folks in transportation. It should come as no surprise to anyone. It happens around June 1st every year as produce spring shipments increase and refrigerated equipment comes into short supply, although trucks seemed to be available, if you were willing the pay the price.
The down side to the rising produce rates, is, as every year, the westbound dry freight rate are awful. Dry freight from Chicago and the Midwest is grossing only $2400 to $2500 to the West Coast — and some of it is even cheaper. That may pay for the number 2 diesel, but it’s not going to cover the cost of the driver, or the truck.
Another downside is be wary of companies with which you may not be familiar. Some receivers will look for any little thing to make a deduction from your load. I’m talking about things as petty, for example, as the product in your trailer being one degree off the recommended pulp temperture. That $1000 extra you thought you were making with the rising rates, isn’t going to look near as good when you are paid, if you face a deduction of $200, $300, $400 or more.
As of today, here’s what some loads are paying coming into Chicago.
From California to Chicago:
6 pick ups, five drops, grossing $7,000
5 pick ups, one drop, grossing $6400 (Think I’d take the next load instead, see the next one listed!)
Fresno, 1 pick up, 1 drop $6400
Nogales melons and grapes – $5000 to Chicago
West Texas (90 miles north of Laredo), potatoes – $2400 to $2500 to Chicago.
By Bill Martin
Special thanks to Eclipse Dist., Elburn, IL for the rate information.
Central Florida potatoes – $3000 to Chicago.
Supplies of refrigerated trucking equipment continue to tighten as spring 
produce volume continues to increase, and is being reflected in rates, which are rising.
The pressure to increased rates on produce loads, as usual, is being led by California. More specifically, the San Joaquin and Salinas valleys continue to build in volume. In the San Joqauin Valley, even though an April hail storm knocked out about 15 percent of the stone fruit crop, there will still be around 40 million boxes of peaches, plums and nectarines for hauling this season. The valley also has a lot of vegetables, which doesn’t even include grape shipments that won’t begin until July.
In New Mexico, one normally doesn’t think of produce loads. But if you are in the area, onion shipments are in light volume the Hatch (Las Cruces) area.
Peach shipments from the Ft. Valley, GA area are moving in decent volume, although loadings for the overall season are forecast to be down about one-third. Shipments are expected to finish in late July, a couple of weeks earlier than normal…..South Carolina peach shipments have started and should continue into August.
Georgia peaches – grossing about $2600 to Baltimore.
$8000-plus loads from Salinas to New York City are becoming more common.