The cost of fuel has added significantly to the price buyers and consumers pay for produce.

While people may not have gotten used to it, “we know what to expect from it,” said Kevin Hannigan, executive vice president for J&J Distributing Co., St. Paul, Minn.

For G.O. Fresh Inc., Minneapolis, fuel costs are about the same as they were last year, said Marylou Owen, owner and chief operating officer.

Generally, suppliers absorb increased freight costs, she said. An exception was in 2008, when fuel costs spiraled out of control and many suppliers added fuel surcharges.

Since then, priced have stayed relatively high but not have not spiked to that extent.

“We have not seen (surcharges) since then,” she said.

Russ Davis Wholesale Inc., Wadena, Minn., has its own fleet of tractor trailers and box trucks for smaller deliveries, said Jeff Nagel, sales manager, East.

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Truckers hauling to California be forewarned, while the average price of diesel in the country continues to drop, fueling up in the Sunshine State can cost you a pretty penny with at least one fuel station in the state listing the price for diesel at close to $6/gal. this week.

According to the May 14 Diesel Boss Fuel Report, the price of diesel at surveyed California truck stops was at least 30 to 60 cents higher per gallon than the highest prices elsewhere in the country.

According to the Dept. of Energy the average price of diesel for the week of May 14 in California was $4.349/gal., 35 cents a gallon higher than the national average price for diesel.

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Although “freight is not sitting on the dock right now,” demand “has not changed in any meaningful way … and is growing at the same rate as 2011,” according to Derek Leathers, president and COO of Werner Enterprises

PRINCETON, NJ. Although “freight is not sitting on the dock right now,” demand “has not changed in any meaningful way … and is growing at the same rate as 2011,” according to Derek Leathers, president and COO of Werner Enterprises (NASDEQ: WERN). Mild weather at the start of 2012 that allowed some trucking activity to be pulled forward accounts for some of the current weakness in the freight markets, “but the tonnage index is still ahead of the previous years and now the freight has to move,” he said during his keynote address at the ALK Transportation Technology Summit.

Declaring Werner to be “mode neutral,” Leathers said the company remains bullish on intermodal growth and will compete with intermodal services “where it makes sense because if we don’t, someone else will.”  Overall, though, he pointed out that trucks currently carry 77% of all domestic surface freight and even as intermodal grows “that won’t change.”

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PORTLAND, Ore., May 17, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — In April, the TransCore DAT North American Freight Index achieved the highest volume in a single month since the Index was established in 1996. On a year-over-year basis, volume increased 17 percent, and rose 3.5 percent compared to March volume.

TransCore’s monthly DAT North American Freight Index reflects spot market freight availability on the company’s network of load boards in the United States and Canada.

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Leading transporter recognized by third-party logistics provider for excellence in nationwide freight transportation

FreightCenter.com, a third-party logistics company, has announced YRC Freight as its National Carrier of the Year for 2011. FreightCenter.com recognized YRC Freight for demonstrating a mutual commitment to excellence in nationwide LTL freight transportation.

YRC Freight, a subsidiary of YRC Worldwide Inc., has been selected based on its reputable standards of quality, dedication to serving shippers and feedback from customers surveyed post delivery. YRC Freight received the inaugural award for 2010 Carrier of the Year, which made it the only national carrier to receive the top honor from FreightCenter.com.

“We proudly recognize YRC Freight for its integrity and commitment to shippers,” said Matthew Brosious, CEO and co-founder of FreightCenter.com. “We rely on YRC Freight to deliver best-in-class service to our customers.”

Known in the industry as a leading transporter of less-than-truckload (LTL) freight throughout North America, YRC Freight specializes in advanced shipping solutions for commercial supply chains. More than 60 percent of all FreightCenter.com accounts require expert business-to-business logistics, making YRC Freight the leading supplier of nationwide LTL freight transportation.

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