Monday, December 08, 2008

The current state of trucking. The 2008 Christmas Season.

Wow! We're almost to the end of the 2008 shipping season.

This has been the slowest I've ever seen it. Usually we're given orders not to plan vacation time after the end of September. Not this year.

Food shippers are usually running 24/7 this time of year. Atlas of Malvern, Pa did no shipping the end of last week. They were doing an inventory and not shipping out. That is almost never done this time of year. Most of these companies wait till middle of January to start inventory. Maybe Atlas Cold Storage is planning a sell off?

I'm seeing fewer trucks at the docks of major food warehouses. Even Walmart DC's were looking a bit empty just before Thanksgiving.

Just a final thought here....

Has there been a sudden decrease in the eating population of the country? Or, maybe we're seeing the end of JIT (Just In Time) delivery in the US?

My guess is JIT shipping is going to go away for awhile. More warehousing will be done. Longer shelf life items are going to start showing up. Makes you wonder about fresh foods.

Okay, I'm starting to post more I guess.

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If I don't get back on here before Christmas,

Merry Christmas from me and mine to you and yours.

God speed drivers!

1 comment:

Wilson Hines said...

I don't understand it either. I get asked all the time about it. JIT dying? I don't know. I haul produce exclusively, what do you haul? Produce is JIT and will always be JIT. However, there is a big push with the Green freaks to buy more local to prevent the GH gas emissions and promote "local economies." But, even so, you can't get produce out of the Hudson Valley in NY to feed NYC in the middle of Winter. It just won't work.
People have to eat, right? I don't understand it. I just live through it LOL