Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
The Port of Philadelphia has long been the major port in the United States for the arrivals of imported produce and other items from around the world. 
Central American and Chilean imports are among the leaders.
Chilean table grapes and stone fruit are big items this time of the year. Despite economic conditions in the United States the port is reporting total imports at its facilities were up in 2011 over the previous year. Initial Chilean fruit imports apparently are causing optimism that 2012 could be even better.
Much of the fruit being unloaded off of boats arriving at the Port of Philadelphia are stored in local refrigerated warehouses, then delivered by truck to points primarily in the midwest, east and to eastern Canada. However, some arrivals at the Port of Philadelphia eventually are trucked to the West Coast when necessary.
Florida shipments for vegetables are continuing to improve as product continues to recover from an early January freeze. If Mother Nature doesn’t mess things up there should be gradual volume increases resulting in greater
shipments as vegetables move towards peak volume in April and May.
Increases in Florida shipments are occurring with bell peppers and squash. The hardest hit veggie apparently was with Belle Glade area green beans, causing frequent increases and decreases in shipments in the weeks ahead…..A milder winter than normal has been going on in the Southeast, including Georgia, where some partial veggies loads are available. Sometimes you do what you have to do to fill out that trailer — especially in the lighter volume winter months.
There’s also other items coming out of Flordia ranging from tomatoes, strawberries, oranges and grapefruit. However, use caution when loading these items with other produce. Make sure they are compatible, especially if they are going to be on the truck a couple of days or more.
Southern Florida vegetables – grossing about $2200 to Philadelphia.
If you haul produce during the winter months you know it can sometimes be a dicey proposition when it comes to weather adversely affecting perishable items. California reports freeze after freeze this winter, but so far has dodged the proverbial bullet for the most part.
There have been some losses of citrus, but you shouldn’t see that much difference in loading opportunties. Strawberries also have been sparred for the most part. With nearly 70 percent of the citrus remaining to be harvested, there will be ample loading opportunities in the months ahead. A mid January freeze is expected to cut navel orange shipments by about 10 percent, and the much smaller mandrins crop by about 20 percent.
As for strawberries, there will be fewer shipments out of Santa Maria for the next couple of weeks. Strawberries from the Oxnard district and further south in Orange County escapted freeze damage.
Southern California – citrus, strawberries grossing about $6000 to New York City.
PS – Yesterday (Feb. 2) I visited with a company driver in Atlanta who had just delivered a load of Washington state apples to the farmers market for $6250 going to the truck.
Loadings of potatoes from shipping points on Prince Edward Island in Eastern 
Canada are about 30 percent ahead of normal this season. Few spuds are shipped year around out of here, with most product finished by June. However, due to brisker than usual loadings, shipments will probably end weeks early than normal. This is primarily due to fewer potatoes and loadings originating from New Brunswick, as well from Aroostrock County, ME. Thus, buyers are ordering more potatoes from PEI.
Various citrus items are now being shipped from California, Arizona, Texas 
and Florida. No major freeze damage or quality problems have been reported from the major shipping areas, so this should reduce your chances of claims at destination.
In California and Arizona, loadings of items ranging from oranges to lemons are pretty normal…In the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas overall loadings of grapefruit, which accounts for about 75 percent of the citrus volume, are expected to be off about 20 percent from a year ago….Florida continues shipping product ranging from oranges to grapefruit and tangerines.
Note: It’s okay mixing citrus together in reefer units ranging from oranges to tangerines, mandrians an clementines. But mixing these items with products such as lettuce, broccoli and other veggies available in the same region can result in loss of quality and claims, especially on longer hauls.
California citrus — grossing about $4800 to Atlanta.
Texas citrus – about $2300 to Chicago.
Florida citrus – about $2400 to New York.
There’s been some freeze damage to fresh produce in the West this month, but overall it should not have a big affect on your loading opportunities. The biggest event will be the cold of January 16-17 slowing the growth of some items, which in turn reduces volume for shipping.
There’s been pretty good movement of Iceberg lettuce and romaine out of the Yuma District, but expect reduced shipments beginning in early Februrary….In the nearby Brawley and El Centro areas of the Southern California desert broccoli escaped freeze damage, but again, shipments will eventually decline for a period while the product rebounds from the cold.
As for strawberries, it looks like Oxnard and Orange County in California dodged the freeze bullet, but product out of Santa Maria will have lighter than normal loadings through the middle of February.
Yuma lettuce – grossing about $6000 to New York City.
In the San Joaquin Valley, oranges apparently escaped freeze damage, while mandrains were not so lucky, especially from areas north of Fresno.
We’re starting to get a little more information on that Florida freeze that hit the night of January 3rd, particularly in regards to how it might affect loading opportunities for tomatoes. The Immokalee area is the primary winter production site for winter tomatoes in the state. As is often the case, some fields and areas got colder than others, or stayed below freezing for more hours.
There’s about 100 loads a week of mature green and plum (roma) tomatoes being shipped a week. However, plants affected by the early January freeze are expected to produce a lot less next month. So expect Immokalee tomato loading opportuities to plung for a couple of weeks starting in mid February.
Mostly mixed loads due to light volume this time of the year from Florida. So you can expect multiple pick ups that may range from tomatoes, to various veggies, strawberries and citrus. Be sure and add 0nto the freight rate for mulitple picks and drops.
Florida produce grossing about $3000 to Boston.
Peaches, nectarines, plums and table grapes from Chile are now arriving at ports by boat on both the East and West coasts. That fruit is distributed all over North 
American via truck. The stone fruit arrivals should start arriving in larger volume by the end of January….The heaviest volume for grapes should begin by late January as well and continue through March, when a seasonal decline will start, with the season ending by May.
The East Coast ports at Wilmington, N.C. and Philadephia receive a majority of the Chilean produce. The primary port on the West Coast is at Long Beach, CA.
California, Arizona and Texas are all importing winter produce from Mexico. There are Baja tomatoes coming into California. The biggest change is happening in Arizona where various types of veggies and melons are crossing
the border at Nogales. Volume is building and plenty of action should be taking place at the many distribution loading docks on this side of the border between now and the next three months or so….Still overall produce loads are not nearly as plentiful as other times of the year in the U.S. Too often produce truckers are facing multiple picks ups starting in Southern California, then proceeding to Yuma, AZ and possiblity even Nogales.
Mexico produce in crossing the border at McAllen, TX ranging from various veggies to citrus and tomatoes. You might have to fill out the load with Lower Rio Grande Valley citrus or cabbage from the Winter Garden District, just south of San Antonio.
Texas produce – grossing about $2600 to Chicago.
Nogales mixed loads – around $5500 to New York City;
$3500 to Chicago.
Oranges, potatoes and sweet potatoes are among the larger volume produce items shipped during the bleak, cold winter months. In a 
recession (or is it a depression?) that has been going on for at least three years, big crops of potatoes mean good movement (loading opportunities) as cash strapped consumers look for something less expensive to eat.
Idaho easily leads the nation in potato shipments. Rails haul a lot of them, but there are only so many rail cars and tracks, so big rigs are still hauling the marjority of the product. Idaho potato shipments are expected to be up 6%, while the nation as a whole is up 7%…..As for sweet potatoes, eastern North Carolina has the most shipments, with loadings also available from California, Louisiana and Mississippi. Total loads are forecast to be up 13% over a year ago.
As for oranges, Florida expects to ship 147 million boxes compared to 58 million boxes for California. Florida is up some from the previous season, while California is down slightly. Florida’s forecast could eventually be reduced some if a recent freeze damages some of the citrus.
California sweet potatoes – grossing about $4800 to Atlanta.
North Carolina sweet potatoes – $2200 to Detroit.
Florida citrus – $2000 to Baltimore.
Idaho potatoes – $3400 to Dallas.