By Cain Adams
Trinity Logistics/Longboard Logistics
Meridian, ID
(Editor’s note: Our logistics pro, Cain Adams with Trinity Logistics/Longboard Logistics in Idaho, provided us with a special mid-month update that looks at the storms causing problems all across the country. Cain has a unique perspective and speaks to issues from his transportation viewpoint. For more on S. Texas onions, see separate story on in this week’s OnionBusiness.)
We are not loading anything this week out of Texas. We are focused on Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Storms have really put
pressure on freight costs, and trucks are having a hard time getting back to the West Coast. The Northeast is the hardest lane out of the Northwest.
Storage seems to be the safe place to load. We just need to get trucks to the docks to load and give a heads up about delays on arrival.
Demand seems average for now, but we think demand will go up once the weather lets up at delivery locations. People will want to shop and stock back up.
The Texas onion crop was hit hard. We think that will push up prices for Mexico onions and send more across. Mexico sells to itself when pricing is lower; if the money is right, then they will send it north.
We are not sure if they have power back in Northern Mexico. Five million were without power due to a natural gas shortage from cold weather.
We think April and May will need to be looked at. Will Brawley have enough acres for any gap? Will those be held back due to weather in California?
We think New Mexico and Arizona will be okay. We are hoping for a fast thaw so we can get truck volume back up to take some pressure off what may happen in the Northwest.
It could play in favor of the farmers in the Northwest. They took a beating on freight this fall and winter. We hope they can empty their sheds and get prepped for 2021 soon.
