Despite dip in rates, truck shortages still hurt the industry

Truck shortages for produce loads were noted Dec. 9 in multiple regions but rates declined from the previous week, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In the fruit and vegetable truck rate report, the agency noted a shortage of trucks for Colorado, Oregon, Minnesota, North Dakota and Washington’s Columbia Basin.

A slight shortage of trucks, according to the USDA, also was reported for multiple regions in California, Idaho, North Carolina and central Wisconsin.
Dec. 9 truck rates for Mexican crossings through Nogales, Ariz., declined 5% to 12% compared with the previous week, according to the USDA. 
In California’s Kern District, rates dropped between 8% and 16%, while the San Joaquin Valley showed rate declines from 5% to 21%.  Even with double-digit rate percentage decreases compared with Dec. 2, truck rates from California’s Oxnard District ran as high as $9,600 to Boston on Dec. 9, according to the USDA.

DAT Solutions reported in a Dec. 9 update that the total volume of refrigerated freight is lower year-over-year largely because of the depressed foodservice sector. Using early December USDA data, DAT Solutions reported 2020 domestic loads of produce (which account for 53% of total produce volume) are down 18% year over year.