Posts Tagged “fall produce shipments”
Tamara Dardari ALC Marketing
As the seasons shift from summer to fall, the produce harvest undergoes a major transformation. Shipping lines transition from delicate summer fruits to autumn produce like apples, pears, cranberries, pumpkins, potatoes, squash, and many more delicious foods. This shift also creates regional capacity surges across the Pacific Northwest and Upper Midwest, where a lot of these crops originate. Along with this change comes a transition in the equipment used to transport these perishable goods. While fall fruits still require temperature control from refrigerated vans, many autumn vegetables can be safely transported in insulated dry vans. With vented air circulation, dry vans create a safe environment for moving perishables while reducing fuel costs compared to refrigerated trucks.
This balance between temperature control and efficiency is becoming increasingly critical as extreme heat waves across the contiguous U.S. cost the economy an estimated $18.5 billion annually. Compared to the damage that localized disasters like tornadoes or hurricanes cause, extreme heat affects a wide range of geographic regions for weeks at a time. For shippers moving fresh produce or frozen goods, this prolonged exposure makes it difficult to find reliable refrigerated equipment. This matters because shippers must find trustworthy, vetted carriers with high-performing refrigerated units, pre-cooling compliance, and modern technology.
Since the summer heat doesn’t seem to be ending with fall approaching, it is important to know what measures to take to keep your trucks and freight in the best condition. Protecting perishable cargo starts with strict pre-cooling protocols that ensure the trailer reaches its optimal set-point temperature before loading. Carriers must complete thorough pre-trip equipment inspections and verify proper cargo spacing to maintain continuous airflow throughout the trailer. By combining disciplined prep work with routine in-transit temperature monitoring, drivers can detect heat spikes early, safeguard product quality, and ensure on-time, damage-free deliveries through late-season heatwaves.
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Tamara Dardari graduated from Chapman University in May of 2025 with a BA in Strategic and Corporate Communication and a minor in Creative and Cultural Industries. She started her career with the Allen Lund Company in the Marketing department last October.
tamara.dardari@allenlund.com
As the season shifts from summer to fall, so does the offerings of fresh produce for The Giumarra Companies of Los Angeles.
Giumarra reports excellent quality and taste with Fuyu persimmons which will be shipped October through December and Sugar & Spice persimmons will begin at the end around Christmas.
The company’s California green kiwifruit will run from October through February.
Mandarins and navels will be available at the end of October.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
Georgia fall produce shipments are underway, and should provide steady, although only moderate loading opportunities. The Carolinas have light volume veggies.
There are adequate supplies of bell peppers, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, sweet corn, green beans and cabbage coming out of Southern Georgia. One of the state’s largest vegetable shippers is Southern Valley Fruit & Vegetable Inc., based in Norman Park.
Another good sized vegetable shipper is Baker Farms LLC in Norman Park, Ga., which started shipping leafy greens, including kale and collard greens, on September 14th. Baker ships product throughout the year but increases its fall volume in September.
A number of Florida-based vegetable shippers also have farming and marketing operations in Georgia. One example is Pioneer Growers Co-op of Belle Glade, FL, which plans to start harvesting sweet corn and green beans in Bainbridge, Ga., in late September.
Carolina Vegetable Shipments
You’re probably not going to be finding full loads of produce in Georgia, and certainly not in the Carolinas this fall. There is light volume with greens from the Lexington, SC area, as well as from Eastern North Carolina. Even sweet potato shipments are lighter than normal from Eastern, NC. The old crop in virtually finished, while the harvest is underway for a new crop that needs to be cured before being shipped.
Otherwise, Western North Carolina has a number of vegetables ranging from bell peppers to eggplant and squash, all of which have light volume.
Fall produce shipments such as pumpkins, squash and ornamentals originate from about 40 different states and in most instances truckers tend to haul the products on a local and regional basis.
Shipments on the East Coast are starting about normal this year. For example, one shipper is Jackson Farming of Autryville, NC that ships a half dozen different varieties of pumpkins, as well as limited amounts of squash and ornamentals. Heaviest loadings will occur during October.
Another example is Todd Greiner Farms, based in Hart, MI, which ships a few different varieties of pumpkins, squash and ornamentals.
Lusk Onion Co. of Clovis, NM ships its pumpkins regionally to Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. The company has pumpkins with a heavy red color as well as white pumpkins, but its best volume is the medium-size carving pumpkins, which account for about 80 percent of its business.
Finally, there is Van Groningen & Sons Inc., Manteca, Calif., which ships a complete offering of pumpkins and ornamentals. The company packs and ships pumpkins in 24-inch short bins and 36-inch tall bins, or in high-graphic decorative bins.
Here’s an update on California fall produce shipments, plus a glimpse at the outlook for Oregon potato shipments.
Among the leading items for fall produce loadings out of California are grapes, apples and citrus.
Grape Shipments
California ships over 60 percent of its table grapes after September 1st. Total California grape shipments this season are estimated at 113.3 million 19-pound boxes. So far grape quality has generally been good. However, we need to keep an eye on hot, humid and occasional rainy weather that could adversely affect quality.
San Joaquin Valley grapes and other items – grossing about $6700 to New York City.
Apple Shipments
California gala apple shipments got off to a slow start in mid July mainly because of Washington state’s old crop still being shipped. Loadings have now picked up. Fujis and granny smith apples shipments get underway in September, followed by pink lady in mid October. Primavera Marketing Inc., of Stockton, CA is the state’s largest apple shipper, with about 1.1 million boxes. The state’s apple shipments have taken a hit, however, with Bidart Bros. of Bakersfield, CA, pulling out of the apple business following a listeria outbreak at its packing facility. The company, which packed about 400,000 boxes of apples, is now focusing on other crops.
Citrus Shipments
California navel shipments should start in mid-October, although volume will be down this season due to 20,000 to 25,000 acres of trees being dozed because of the drought. For easy-peel fruit, satsumas will starte ahead of navels, in late September or early October.v Clementine loadings start soon after navels. Volumes should be up as younger trees come into production.
Oregon Potato Shipments
Oregon fresh potato shipments are expected to be similar to the 2014-15 season.
However, excessive heat could change spuds as the harvest progresses, especially if vines start dying early.
The table stock harvest started in early August from the Columbia Basin, with harvest in the Klamath Basin following shortly thereafter.
Oregon fresh potato shipments are 17 percent of total state production, with fresh acreage being approximately 7,000 acres.
Oregon potatoes – grossing about $4300 to Chicago.