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Future Forward

Thoughts and predictions on 2015 from throughout the industry
Front Feature

This is backed up by Smith-Vighetti: “As an Eastern grower-shipper of broccoli, traditionally considered a Western vegetable, we have grown our business because of the value East Coast retailers find in our proximity.” This proximity can be critical in a transportation industry battling tighter hours of service and a driver shortage. “Receiving product quicker, and therefore fresher, has now become even more imperative with the challenges in the trucking industry. Organizations able to find affordable solutions and increase efficiencies under these conditions will be in high demand.”

Game Changers
A number of issues facing the industry could be considered ‘game changers’ and our experts point to transportation, regulations, and the federal budget to name a few. The midterm election proved to be a game changer itself, though few can gauge how the results will impact perishables.

Kenny Lund sees technology as a big game changer in transportation, ranging from platooning and driverless trucks to new equipment both inside and outside of the cab. Tim Rose, vice president of sales for Tom Lange Company in Dallas, TX, is excited about the capabilities of devices like the “SmartTraxx GO,” which he says can “track real-time location and temperature within the trailer, and could really reduce stolen loads, late deliveries, and temperature issues upon delivery.”

On the political front, Hunt Shipman, the Produce Marketing Association’s Washington, DC representative, is taking a wait-and-see approach to what will happen with the new Congress. “The real challenge is going to be if Republicans can achieve what they want and demonstrate their ability to govern and find issues of common agreement, so Democrats don’t feel their only option is to filibuster bills and shut down debate. It’s up to Senate Democrats to figure out if they want to be a party of ‘getting things done’ or a party of ‘doing to the Republicans what was done to them’,” he says.

Regarding the federal budget, the new Congress could affect the Farm Bill. “Republicans have always been fiscally-minded; to achieve a budget in 2015, do they embark on a path of budget reconciliation—examining mandatory programs for potential funding cuts? What does that mean for the industry?” Several of the Farm Bill’s new programs have yet to be implemented, and may be on the chopping block to reach savings targets. Programs that aren’t up and running yet are often more difficult to defend.

Concluding Thoughts
One thing everyone can agree on is that anything can change in a year. While many of these thoughts and predictions may come to pass, as long as the crystal ball continues to elude modern science, new developments and unforeseen circumstances may change the game along the way. Check back with us next year to see how our experts and pundits fared, and to get a vibe on 2016.

Image: Shutterstock

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M.B. Sutherland is a Chicago-based writer with more than twenty years of experience.