As the temperature begins to rise in Arizona, snowbirds will not be the only thing on the move. Every spring, like clockwork, lettuce growers & shippers make the journey up to the Salinas Valley. They will remain in Salinas until November and then make the trip back down to Yuma. This move takes intense planning and includes everything from the harvest equipment to the wash lines in the plant. Around 85% of the country's leafy greens come from Yuma and Salinas.
The companies have this move to a science; typically taking under sixty hours to complete the entire process. With no time to waste, they harvest up to the last minute and immediately begin to wash and load the equipment. They take all the processing and washing equipment apart, and load it onto a specific truck, leaving an empty warehouse behind. These moves are high priority and need to be completed in a very small window of time. But surprisingly, the most important factor is caution to prevent any damage to equipment which can bring the project to a halt.
One grower we are in contract with will move over 1,400 tons of equipment. Their move is set to be completed in 56 hours. To accomplish this they will need around 200 people and 72 tractor/trailers. They begin the process at least a month in advance to go over estimated equipment numbers that are needed. They work together to find the best overall solution to provide the quickest possible move with the least amount of equipment.
These moves can create a tough capacity market being this short window of opportunity will create the need for 10 times the normal capacity in the area. This has a ripple effect as this forces them to deadhead equipment in from other markets. This will also create the reverse effect in the market where the orders may generate an over surge of capacity.
Bryan Lundberg
Business Development Specialist, Phoenix
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Bryan Lundberg graduated from Minnesota West with a Degree in power sports technology. His experience in the industry started with managing a trucking company before joining the Allen Lund Company in Phoenix as a Business Development Specialist in September 2014.
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About Allen Lund Company: Specializing as a national third-party transportation broker with nationwide offices, the Allen Lund Company works with shippers and carriers across the nation to transport dry, refrigerated (specializing in produce), and flatbed freight; additionally, the Allen Lund Company has an international division, which is licensed by the FMC as an OTI-NVOCC #019872NF, and a logistics and software division, ALC Logistics.
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