Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
The Salinas Valley continues to provide the best loading opportunities with fall produce. Shipments of vegetables are holding pretty steady from week to week. Various types of lettuce is providing the heaviest volume. When you combine lettuce, with volume coming from celery, broccoli and cauliflower, the Salinas Valley is averaging about 3,400 truck loads of vegetables a week.
This doesn’t include various lighter volume mixed vegetables, or berries. While the Watsonville district is shipping around 500 truck loads of strawberries weekly, this volume is declining. The nearby Santa Maria district is remain fairly steady with less volume, while shipments from Ventura County are very light, but increasing.
In previous reports there has been coverage of California citrus hauling prospects. Here is some information on lemon shipments, most of which will originate from the California and Arizona deserts between now until February. Loads will also be available from California’s San Joaquin Valley. Overall, lemon volume could be up 20 percent over a year ago.
The San Joaquin Valley’s biggest volume currently is with table grapes and tomatoes. Grape volume easily leads the pack. From the Bakersfield are northward through the San Joaquin Valley, grapes are averaging about 1800 truckloads per week.
Mature green tomato shipments from Central California are totalling over 725 truckloads per week.
San Joaquin Valley grapes, tomatoes, etc. – grossing about $6700 to New York City.
Salinas Valley vegetables, berries – about $4400 to Chicago.
If you haul produce in the fall out of Florida, expect weather related small gaps in the early part of the sweet corn season as well as with small harvest and loading delays with green beans, bell peppers, cucumbers and squash.
Volume for early bean shipments also is expected to be off and on. However, loads are not expected to be until early December.
On some vegetables, including bell peppers, cucumbers and squash, be on the look out for quality issues resutling from frequent rains durng the growing season.
Sporadic harvesting and shipments could make things interesting for the active shipping period when deliveries for the Thanksgiving holidays could get a little dicey. I’m not saying this will happen, but just be aware of the potential problems.
Florida pepper shipments should be in decent volume by the end of October.
If Georgia experiences favorable November weather, shipments there could continue through Thanksgiving.
However, southern Georgia fall veggies are having some problems with whiteflies. For example, some yellow squash is looking more like albino (white) squash as the pests suck out the nutrients. I’d be sure and let my receiver(s) know what you are preparing to load rather than find out if they’ll accept it upon arrival!
Besides squash, the pests also are affecting cucumbers, bell peppers and grean beans. Sweet corn apparently isn’t being significantly hit. Lower yields will mean less product for hauling. Color of the fall vegetables also is being affected. Unfortunately, color and general appearance often receive as much emphasis as the quality of product in this cosmetic world.
South Georgia vegetables – grossing about $2200 to New York City.
Washington and Pennsylvania apple shippers are filling the gap left by major crop losses in Michigan and New York. However, many Eastern growers who thought they would be shipping through the end of the year, probably will not as they run out of product. As a result, the demand for Washington apple loadings likely will increase sooner rather than later.
Apple volumes from Pennsylavania were up to 20 percent more than expected, given the severe crop shortages in New York and Michigan.
Avocado Shipments
More avocados will be crossing the border from Mexico in the USA in the months ahead for distribution by truck throughout North America.
Mexico, which is the largest supplier of Hass avocados to the USA market, prediciting record loads for the 2012-13 crop and expects to export a record volume of avocados to the USA market during the 2012-13 season.
Mexico, projected exports of Hass to the United States from July 2012 through June 2013 will total more than 918 million pounds, up from around 782 million pounds during the prior year.
The most active shipping period and biggest volumes will occur from between October-through-December (around 291 million pounds) and the January-through-March period (around 269 million pounds).
Blueberry Imports
Blueberry imports from Chile just continue to increase and should be available from various USA ports in coming weeks. The initial berries will be arriving via air shipments through the first half of December. But as volume picks up, most blueberries will arrive at USA port via boats. Biggest volume arrivals should be during January and February.
Lower Rio Grande Valley (Mexican crossings of citrus, fruit, veggies, avocados, etc. – grossing about $2200 to Chicago.
Washington apples – about $6000 to New York City.
Potato haulers should find the quality of Maine’s potato crop this year to be the best in a number of years. Last year, growers were plagued with too much water and a disease known as blight.
The Maine potato harvest was recently completed, which is always a race against finishing before the first hard freeze, which damage spuds remaining in the ground. The majority of the state’s spuds are shipped throughout New England, the northeast and as far south as the mid-Atlantic states.
55,000 acres of Maine potatoes were harvested this year. This is small in comparison the nation’s biggest shipper. Idaho has increased its acreage by 25,000 every year for the past several years. This year, the state is reporting 345,000 acres. In 2011, it planted 320,000, and in 2010 it had 295,000 acres.
Idaho has increased in just two years the equivalent of the entire state of Maine’s production.
By comparison, Wisconsin has 63,000 acres, Colorado and Maine are at 55,000, Minnesota 51,000, Michigan at 46,000, Oregon has 41,000, and New York 17,000 acres.
Added together, these states tally 332,000 acres, 13,000 less than Idaho alone produces.
Most of Maine’s potatoes are grown and shipped from Aroostock County, the state’s largest county. It is the northern most county in the state and has a population of 71,482 as of 2011. In the Native American language it means “beautiful language” and is aptly nicknamed The Crown of Maine, in part because of its location.
The potato is northern Maine’s primary agricultural product and in the 1940s Maine’s potato production was tops in the nation. By 1994 however, Maine had fallen to the eighth ranked potato producer and the seventh in the number of acres devoted to potato cultivation in the United States.
The number of acres of farm land devoted to potatoes has decreased in recent years because of rotational crops, conservation and fewer farmers. However, in the year 2000, Maine grew 63,000 acres of potatoes and nearly 90 percent of that was in Aroostook County.
California orange shipments should hit 59.5 million cartons this season, up from 57.5 million boxes a year ago. The increase in available loads will be from early and midseason navels. Valencia shipments, which will come next year as the navel season is ending, should experience a slight decline.
Shipments of California lemons is predicted to remain about the same as last year.
This year’s California navel orange crop, estimated at 93 million cartons, should be slightly larger than last year’s estimated 89 million cartons.
Shipments navel shipmens should begin in early November, with good loading opportunities arriving around the middle of the month.
The fresh produce industry has a history of becoming too anxious to get started shipping – and in fact some shipper take pride in being the first to ship a vegetable or fruit from their district. The problem lies in the fact that too often produce is shipped before it is mature as the shipper seeks to get in on a high market. Cudos to the California citrus growers. In an effort to provide end users with a better-eating piece of fruit than in past years, the state’s growers have agreed to implement what they’re calling the California Standard.
That means some growers may have to hold onto their fruit a bit longer than usual until it meets a specific maturity — and taste — standard.
Not only should this mean more pleased consumers — consumer that will more likely make repeat purchases — but it could also reduce claims and deductions at the receiving end.
Arizona lemon shipments are expected to nearly double from 800,000 cartons to 1.7 million cartons.
Loading opportunities with Florida citrus will be up slightly from a year ago, following the trend of two other major citrus shipping states, California and Texas.
Overall orange shipments in Florida, which goes primarily to processors, is expected to increase four percent, from 206.2 million boxes to 214.9 million boxes.
The USDA predicts Florida loads to see only a slight increase, with the differnce coming in white grapefruit. However, a majority of grapefruit is for the fresh market.
Florida’s speciality citrus production is predicted to fall by seven percent for early-season and the later-season honey tangerines.
Overall Florida fresh produce shipments are entering the slowest time of the year. Good volume normally doesn’t return until late March or April when the spring mixed vegetable season cranks up.
As for USA citrus loading opportunities, the USDA sees a national increase for the fast approaching season. Overall USA citrus shipments are forecast to increase this upcoming season on all varieties except for Florida tangerines, California valencias and Texas oranges, which all are predicted to see slight declines. California’s main citrus volume is with navel oranges, while Texas typically ships a lot more grapefruit than oranges from the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
The USDA predicts the USA will increase overall citrus volume from last season’s 272.4 million equivalent cartons to 284.3 million equivalent cartons this year, a 4.2 percent hike.
Early, midseason and navel oranges are forecast to remain the same from last season, and late-season valencias are expected to increase from last season’s 73 million boxes to 80 million boxes this year.
Recent rains in the Red River Valley of eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota has helped the harvest due to badly needed moisture in the soil for digging operations. About 150 truck loads of potatoes was shipped last week and should be increasing in the weeks ahead.
Russet potato shipments are increasing from Central portions of Wisconsin. During the past week around 500 truck loads of potatoes were being trucked to various markets. There also are loadings of cranberries from Central Wisconsin, as well as cabbage from the Southeastern portions of the state.
Only about 25 percent of the Wisconsin potato volume is being shipped out of Nebraska. Most product is originating out out of the southwestern and the northeastern portions of the Cornhusker state.
In the Northeastern area of Colorado, there are moderate shipments of storage onions.
Michigan normally is shipping a lot more apples this time of the year, but a devastating freeze about six months ago has drastically reduced volume. There is light volume with potatoes, but the focus continues to be harvesting spuds for storage. Potato shipments should significantly increase in November.
Texas cabbage shipments are occuring from the Winter Garden District, just south of San Antonio. In another month shipments of grapefruit and oranges should be increasing out of the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
Central Wisconsin potatoes – grossing about $2500 to Atlanta.
Grand Forks, ND potatoes – about
Colorado potatoes – about $4000 to New York City.
Potatoes and onions, c
ommonly known as “hardware items” because they are less perishable and generally pose fewer problems when hauling, also normally do not pay as good a freight as most more perishable items. However, the further into fall and the closer to winter, overall fresh fruit and vegetable volume declines, and so do freight rates — and loading opportunties. Therefore, if nothing more than out of necessity potatoes and onions begin looking more attractive if you want or need to haul produce.
Oregon Onions
In the Snake River area of Oregon there is good demand heading into winter for trucks. An early start of the shipping season combined with fewer onions means less product is left for shipping than normal. Truck loads could be down 15-20% for Treasure Valley growers, due to the fourth-hottest summer on record and other weather-related issues. Fewer onions mean shippers are having less difficulty finding enough trucks to move product.
Idaho-Oregon Onions
Around the border area of Western Idaho and Malheur County, OR, nearly 700 truckloads of storage onions are being shipped weekly.
Washington-Oregon Onions and Potatoes
Similar volume with onion shipments are available from the border area of the Columbia Basin in Washington and the Umatilla Basin of Oregon. In Northwest Washington, just north of Seattle is light volume with red and white potatoes from the Skagit Valley.
Idaho Potatoes
The nation’s largest volume potato shipper has another huge crop this year. The state is averaging around 1500 truck load equivalents per week, although a significant amount of these potatoes are loaded in rail cars.
Colorado Potatoes and Onions
Storage onions are being shipped from Colorado’s Western Slope, near Olathe, and will continue well into January. Excellent quality is reported. Loads have been moving out of the area at a brisk pace in part because of Colorado’s freight advantage over western shippers….In south-central Colorado is the San Luis Valley, which is shipping around 750 truck loads of spuds per week.
Colorado potatoes – grossing about $1800 to Dallas.
Idaho potatoes – about $5500 to New York City.
Columbia Basin/Umatilla Basin (Washington and Oregon) potatoes and onions – about $4200 to Chicago.
Produce shipments in the Eastern shipping areas of the USA have entered its lightest volume period of the year. Still there are a number of states that ship produce the year around, although most of it is in light volume.
The New England states, particularly, Massachusetts and Vermont are loading apples destined primarily for markets in the Northeast as well as Eastern Canada….Massachusetts also is providing loading opportunities with cranberries from the Cape Cod area.
New York state probably has the best volume in the Northeast. Apple loadings are occuring in the Hudson Valley. Some other areas of New York have less volume than usual due to weather factors earlier in the year….The Empire State also is a major shipper of storage onions. It is averaging about 250 truckloads per week with volume increasing. Orange County, NY is providing the most shipments….New York also is shipping cabbage, primarily from the Buffalo and Rochester areas.
In the Applachacian districts of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia light to moderate volume of apples are moving. However, all four states combined are averaging only about 125 truckloads per week.
Sweet potatoes from Eastern North Carolina are moving in decent volume.
Southern Georgia has light shipments of cabbage, as well as kale and other greens.
Florida will have limited loading opportunities until spring. Grapefruit and other citrus are being shipped. If for some reason you are stuck in Western Florida, there are limited amounts of mature green tomates, as well as grape tomatoes being loaded.
New York cabbage – grossing about $1700 to New York City.
North Carolina sweet potatoes – about $2200 New York City.
Fall is definately settling in across the USA and autumn produce loads also are increasing.
The biggest indication the new season is gearing up is in the Northwest with shipments of apples from Washington’s Yakima and Wenachee Valleys. Last week the state’s apple volume exceeded 2,200 truckload equivalents and the amount will continue increasing in the weeks ahead. Demand for apples around the country is strong in big part due to Michigan losing most of its crop due to weather, plus significant losses in New York state.
In California, the heaviest volume for produce shipments continues with table grapes from the San Joaquin Valley, averaging about 1,600 truckloads per week. Salinas Valley lettuce is providing the next most available loads averaging about around 1,200 truckloads each week. There also are good loading opportunities with Watsonville area strawberries and with tomatoes from the Central San Joaquin Valley. The valley also is shipping stone fruit, but it is now in a seasonal decline.
In the upper mid-west, central Wisconsin about 400 truckloads of potatoes a week, but this will be increasing. In the same area, fresh cranberry shipments are small compared to potatoes, but still significant and will be increasing, particularly by the end of October as Thanksgiving shipments get underway.
In New England, there are light amounts of apples being shipped. Massachusetts cranberry shipments from the Cape Cod area also have started, and will increase in a similar fashion to those in Wisconsin.
On New York’s Long Island, about 60 truckloads of potatoes are being shipped weekly from the eastern end of the island.
Looking at North Carolina, the nation’s largest sweet potato shipper, there are about 65,000 acres of the product. Normal volume is expected. Some of the old crop is still being loaded. However, the new sweet potato crop will soon provide most of the shipments. A average amount of about 15 million cartons of sweet potatoes should be shipped from North Carolina over the next 10 or 11 months.
Washington apples – grossing about $4400 to Chicago.
Salinas Valley vegetables and berries – about $7100 to New York City.
Wisconsin potatoes – about $1000 to Chicago.
North Carolina sweet potatoes – about $1500 Atlanta.