April 16, 2024 • General

As May approaches, so does the beginning of produce season. And we at Full Sail Logistics are excited for it! Take advantage of this busy time of year and prepare for success in it.

May-August is peak produce season. Expect the following crops:

  • Avocados
  • Lettuce
  • Oranges
  • Grapes
  • Blueberries
  • Strawberries
  • Peaches
  • Melons
  • Tomatoes
  • Peanuts
  • Soybeans
  • Corn
  • Cotton

Concentrating on specific crops or regions can limit your reach. Remember, produce season spans across the country, and so should your efforts.

The following regions/states will be extremely active:

  • Southwest
    • Yuma Valley, AZ, San Joaquin Valley, CA, Central Valley, CA
  • Southeast
    • Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina
  • Mississippi Delta
    • Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana
  • Texas
    • McAllen, Laredo, Lubbock
  • Midwest
    • Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, Michigan

Be sure to consider the impacts to capacity and rates produce season causes. Both spot and contract capacity will see a tightening, so account for that in your rates during this time. As well, both partials and full truckloads will be affected.

The following equipment will be most impacted:

Of course, play to your strengths in attacking produce season. With our experience in LTL and last-mile delivery, we can piggy-back and match partials with reefers, sprinters, and expedited shipments. Don’t limit yourself to FTL when other shipping methods may be better to maintain the integrity of the produce.

If you’ve had success in the past in certain regions or crops, follow up early and often with those clients ahead of the peak. We have had great success in Florida shipping melons and citrus, in the Texas Valley shipping mangos and avocados, as well as the Southwest shipping grapes and berries, but that will not limit our outreach this year.

Let’s have a great produce season!

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