Ohio offers transportation benefits

Even without its muck soil and cornucopia of produce, Ohio is a natural nexus for transportation and the shipping of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Not only is it centrally located, but within reach of, well, practically everywhere.

“Ohio has a great balance of excellent produce shippers and a diverse selection of carriers to haul that produce around the country,” said Kerry Byrne, President of Total Quality Logistics, LLC, Cincinnati, BB #:203922

Byrne works out of the company’s headquarters in Cincinnati, overseeing dozens of branch offices across the nation.

Lou Silvestro, category manager for Economy Produce & Vegetable Company, Inc. in Cleveland. BB #:102471 stresses the importance of building and maintaining relationships with transportation providers, especially in today’s tight truck market.

“There’ve been some real challenges with the shortage of drivers and ELDs coming into play,” he said. “It’s become even harder to source partial loads, so those relationships with transportation partners are so important as you’re putting together loads.”

This is an excerpt from the most recent Produce Blueprints quarterly journal. Click here to read the full version.