September/October 2019 - 22

LOGISTICS
SHIPPING & RECEIVING
Freight
Update
SHIPPING INDUSTRY CONTINUES
TO BE VOLATILE, AS CARRIERS
BALANCE DRIVERS, CARGO
By Zeke Jennings
Managing Editor
SHIPPING IS AN ESSENTIAL PART of
the food supply chain and a significant
factor in everyone's bottom line along
the way. Transit costs can be volatile;
they hinge on any number of factors
beyond food producers' control, such as
oil prices, availability of truck drivers
and weather.
Idaho not only produces more
potatoes - one of the most consumed
and versatile vegetables in the world -
than any other U.S. state, it also produces
more spuds than any other region in the
Western Hemisphere. Idaho's distance
from large North American population
bases and seaports has always made
shipping a challenge, however.
" Approximately 60% to 70% are
moved by truck, with the other 30% to
40% moved by rail, " said Shawn Boyle,
president of the Idaho Grower Shippers
Association (IGSA). " If you've asked
me those numbers 15 to 20 years ago,
they would have been about reversed. "
20 SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2 019
" If it's a nice facility,
they treat the drivers
well and load them
quickly, then (the
drivers are) going to
want to go there. "
- Shawn Boyle, president of the Idaho
Grower Shippers Association
The trucking industry has been
unstable in recent years. In December
2017, required compliance of the Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Administration's
(FMCSA) Electronic Logging Device
rule for tracking drivers' hours of
service went into effect. For months,
it caused delays and backlogs in product
movement while the industry adapted.
Driver shortage?
The struggle to get goods moved in
a timely manner in 2018 wasn't lost on
end consumers. The Washington Post
ran a series of articles that documented
a shortage of drivers to move freight,
quoting industry estimates of some
63,000 unfilled driver positions.
Eric Arling, director of operations
of Integrity Express Logistics, which
is based in Cincinnati, said the market
for talented drivers can be very
competitive. The situation in 2018 was
an unusual one, however, as it was
the result of numerous factors coming
together, including a strong economy,
major storms and the aforementioned
ELD compliance situation.
" From a capacity standpoint,
we've done very well, especially in
2018. That was a unique year with
the compression of the market, " said
Arling, whose company is involved
in moving produce, among other
products. " You had the backlog from
two different hurricanes, you've got
ELDs and you throw tax cuts in there
as well. "
Capacity shortages, as in 2018,
result in a correction on the part of

September/October 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September/October 2019

September/October 2019 - 1
September/October 2019 - 2
September/October 2019 - 3
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September/October 2019 - 6
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September/October 2019 - 30
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/september-october-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/2024-digital-buyers-guide
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/july-august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/may-june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/march-april-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/january-february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/november-december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/september-october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/2023-digital-buyers-guide
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/july-august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/may-june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/march-april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/january-february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/november-december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/september-october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/2022-digital-buyers-guide
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/july-august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/may-june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/march-april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/january-february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/november-december-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/september-october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/july-august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/may-june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/march-april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/january-february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/november-december-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/september-october-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/august-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/july-august-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/may-june-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/march-april-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/january-february-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/november-december-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/september-october-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/august-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/july-august-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/may-june-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/PRO/march-april-2019
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