Latest News From Logistics

Verdant Technologies is partnering with Sobeys Inc. on an innovation to eliminate ice from the Canadian grocer's broccoli supply chain.

The San Jose, Calif.-based IT consulting firm specializing in information technology, cybersecurity and data analytics said this new service helps growers and shippers understand cybersecurity risks ahead of harvest.

The Food and Drug Administration and Customs and Border Protection said the arrangement will help improve how the agencies capture and share data.

With strategic investments in new equipment, terminal infrastructure and channel improvements, the port continues to solidify its position as a vital hub for trade in the Gulf region. 

The McAllen, Texas-based logistics company is highlighting its service, innovation and advocacy and will mark the milestone by hosting events throughout the year.

In the role, Matt Minthorn will focus on the carrier side of ALC's business, overseeing activities related to carrier relations, compliance, and fraud prevention.

A weather-related bump in demand for truckload capacity pushed spot freight volumes to all-time highs for January, according to a report from DAT Freight & Analytics.

Major ports continue to build their import and export volume while launching projects to improve their infrastructure and enhance their operations.

SpartanNash now enables the real-time exchange of food traceability data across its suppliers, distribution centers, company stores and independent grocer customers.

KeHE Distributors has opened a new Miami distribution center with 360,000 additional square feet, which it says will bring job opportunities and economic growth to the local community.

The department said the grants will help strengthen the middle of the food chain in several states.

Company adds routes to the Northeast from Columbia, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador to boost supplies of bananas, pineapples, dragon fruit, mangoes and limes.

The biggest headache resulting from geopolitical upheaval is the associated costs that companies will have to bear on top of the rising operating costs they have to already face, says a report from Container xChange.

Freight costs for produce shippers declined during 2023, but the rate dip may be setting up a return to firmer pricing in 2024, some experts say.

Container xChange has released its second annual "2023 Shipping Industry Trends and Future of Shipping in 2024" report.

A massive pallet fire beneath a raised section of the busy 10 Freeway near downtown Los Angeles has caused headaches for tenants on the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market and surrounding produce businesses.

The new facility is expected to strengthen Lineage’s network in Texas, which now spans more than 189 million cubic feet of capacity across 19 locations.

According to advocacy groups, the Financial Protection for Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Act seeks to provide needed financial protections that would help avoid bankruptcy, such as the recent case of Lakeside Produce.

DAT Freight & Analytics projects truck contract rates to decrease across all markets over the next 12 months.

“For us, it was a perfect, unicorn type of an event — you just don't get these kinds of opportunities very often, if ever,” Frutura’s CEO David Krause tells The Packer in a Q&A about what these acquisitions mean.

The Guatemalan fresh produce supply chain is experiencing logistics delays due to protests and road closures, says the Guatemala Produce Trade Association.

The National Association of Perishable Agricultural Receivers is getting a makeover. The Washington, D.C.-based trade association founded in 1989 is now the Produce Distributors Association.

The document shares critical elements to help retailers and their suppliers further understand and accelerate the use of reusable transport packaging assets, according to a news release.

In a move it says advances maritime sustainability, Chiquita recently added two new ships to its fleet. The vessels are the biggest ships the brand owns to date.

Apeel Sciences’ RipeTrack tool aims to offer real-time, digital insights about ripeness and quality across the fresh produce supply chain.

The company says it has seen expansion over the last few years due to providing complete third-party logistics services.

The Michigan-based food solutions company is advancing its long-term strategic plan and repositioning its go-to-market strategy in the second half of 2023, encouraged by strong second-quarter earnings.

Business magazine Inc. reports that Fifth Wheel Freight (FWF) ranks No. 2260 on its 2023 Inc. 5000 list.

Delivering a load of fresh fruits or vegetables on time and in good condition is no easy task.

Shippers have been enjoying a substantial drop in transportation costs this year after enduring some of the highest freight rates ever during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those rock-bottom prices could be short-lived, though.

The agtech company is celebrating 20 years of postharvest innovation through its ripening management solution, SmartFresh.

While truckload freight volumes and spot rates held firm in June, contract rates fell to their lowest points in almost two years.

Robinson Fresh has been awarded The Grand Lion for Good Vendor Award from retailer Food Lion for its support of hunger relief projects and commitment to driving efficiencies across the fresh produce supply chain.

The supply chain and produce marketplace platform is partnering with the table grape grower-shipper to deliver a novel direct-to-retail procurement model with hopes to scale and expand to other categories.

Bozeman, who previously held executive roles at Ford and Amazon, will also serve on the board of directors for the Eden Prairie, Minn.-based global logistics company.

Selected from the global logistics company’s network of 96,000 contract carriers, the program recognizes 23 carriers that stood out for exceptional quality and more.

The automated facility, with 1.7 hectares of roof space, is expected to pack more than 125 million kilograms of apples per season — twice the volume of apples currently packed — once construction is complete.

To learn how the late start to this year’s domestic produce season might impact transportation costs and availability, The Packer recently spoke with Dean Croke, principal analyst for DAT Freight & Analytics.

Truckload freight volumes declined and national average spot rates for refrigerated loads fell for the fourth consecutive month in April, according to DAT Freight & Analytics.

While the majority of Salinas Valley acreage was not greatly affected by two rounds of atmospheric rivers and floods, some growers are leveraging other growing regions to ensure continuity of supply.

The company says its new warehouse opens up a "world of possibilities" in terms of storage and production, doubling Canadawide’s capacity to 14,000 pallets as well as its number of ripening rooms.

Beaverton, Ore.-based trucking intelligence firm DAT Freight & Analytics reports that refrigerated spot truckload rates dropped to a two-and-half-year low in March.

The 220,000-square-foot facility near the Port of Savannah offers cross-docking services and 23 inbound and outbound lanes that can process more than 40 trucks daily, moving up to 1.4 million pounds of produce per day.

Los Angeles-based Warp has launched DirecTrack, bringing real-time location updates to the movement of goods throughout the shipment’s entire journey as part of its fully managed solution.

Industry veterans Pat Compres and Maria Bermudez founded the company to provide additional levels of support and expertise to companies trading in fresh produce.

Dynapro Transport, a Courchesne Larose Group company specializing in the transport of fruits, vegetables and dry goods, has acquired Quebec-based Transport TEB.

The company says it anticipates distribution activities will begin fall 2023 at the locations in central Salinas, Calif., with the long-term goal of accommodating all of its shipping needs.

“Farmers in the Salinas Valley were picking up the pieces from January’s flood event when hit by the March storm and subsequent flooding,” said Chris Valadez, Grower-Shipper Association of Central California.

Los Angeles-based freight network WARP has launched DirectFresh, a service enabling perishable shippers with same-day and next-day direct store delivery. 

The company has received three awards lauding its workplace, culture and competitive advantage in recent months.