Shipping & Trucking
In addition to labor, trucks, especially refrigerated rigs, continue to be in limited supply. Enforcing California Air Resources Board (CARB) compliance continues to increase, while carriers are finding the necessary modifications to be expensive. “With all the rules and regulations now, we have carriers we’ve worked with for 30 years that can’t come into California anymore,” says Travis Lee, in dispatch and sales for Dawn Transportation, Inc., a truck broker.
“Fuel costs aren’t as much of an issue currently, but CARB is limiting the amount of trucks that can deliver from California, and as a result, the rates go up during high season.” Lee estimates rates have risen about 10 percent annually over the last several years, and “the cost has to be paid somewhere, and usually ends up on the consumer’s plate.”
Final Thoughts
Even with the ongoing challenges of drought, and labor and truck short- ages, the Salinas Valley is still the nation’s foremost producer of leafy greens, broccoli, and cauliflower, and a new leader in strawberry production. Peppered with a long history of obstacles and successful yields, America’s Salad Bowl promises to overcome and continue its tradition of delivering some of the best produce in the country.
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