The produce transportation market isn't in crisis mode, but it's under real strain. Higher costs, tighter capacity, and ongoing border complications are creating a more challenging logistics environment for shippers and buyers across North America. The pressures aren't isolated — they're hitting simultaneously and compounding each other.
This comes on top of an already difficult freight backdrop. Reefer spot rates recently touched $3.54 per mile heading into Labor Day, and border crossing complications have been a persistent theme this season, particularly for Mexico-origin volume.
For anyone managing inbound supply chains on high-velocity commodities — tomatoes, avocados, peppers, berries — tighter capacity means less flexibility for last-minute coverage and potentially longer lead times. Worth building more buffer into procurement timelines heading into the fall transition period.