Produce hauling, planned by season
Produce loads, booked with the season and the shed in mind
Produce loads move with the harvest, and so do the rates. We plan your truck around where produce is shipping, read the pre-cool and pulp terms on every rate con, and push detention when the shed runs late. Reefer only, your MC, every load approved by you.
Produce seasons by region
When is produce season in trucking? It depends where you are
Pick a month to see what usually ships from the big produce states, based on USDA's usual harvest and marketing dates. For any state, use the full Produce Season Finder.
January
California 18 items
Apples, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Grapefruit, +10 more
Arizona 9 items
Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Lemons, Lettuce, Oranges, Spinach, +1 more
Texas 5 items
Cabbage, Carrots, Grapefruit, Spinach, Oranges
Florida 11 items
Bell peppers, Cabbage, Cucumbers, Grapefruit, Oranges, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Avocados, +3 more
Georgia 2 items
Cabbage, Carrots
North Carolina 2 items
Apples, Cabbage
New Jersey 1 items
Cranberries
Michigan 1 items
Apples
Washington 2 items
Apples, Pears
February
California 16 items
Apples, Artichokes, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Celery, Grapefruit, Kiwifruit, +8 more
Arizona 9 items
Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Grapefruit, Lettuce, Oranges, Carrots, Lemons, +1 more
Texas 5 items
Cabbage, Carrots, Grapefruit, Oranges, Spinach
Florida 11 items
Bell peppers, Cabbage, Cucumbers, Grapefruit, Oranges, Snap beans, Squash, Strawberries, +3 more
Georgia 2 items
Cabbage, Carrots
North Carolina 1 items
Apples
Michigan 1 items
Apples
Washington 2 items
Apples, Pears
March
California 19 items
Apples, Artichokes, Asparagus, Carrots, Celery, Grapefruit, Lemons, Lettuce, +11 more
Arizona 9 items
Cabbage, Cauliflower, Grapefruit, Lettuce, Oranges, Broccoli, Carrots, Lemons, +1 more
Texas 5 items
Cabbage, Carrots, Oranges, Spinach, Grapefruit
Florida 11 items
Bell peppers, Cabbage, Cucumbers, Grapefruit, Oranges, Snap beans, Squash, Strawberries, +3 more
Georgia 2 items
Cabbage, Carrots
North Carolina 1 items
Apples
Michigan 1 items
Apples
Washington 2 items
Apples, Pears
April
California 24 items
Artichokes, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Cucumbers, Grapefruit, +16 more
Arizona 6 items
Grapefruit, Oranges, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Lettuce
Texas 8 items
Cabbage, Carrots, Cucumbers, Grapefruit, Oranges, Squash, Sweet corn, Watermelons
Florida 12 items
Bell peppers, Blueberries, Cabbage, Cucumbers, Grapefruit, Oranges, Snap beans, Squash, +4 more
Georgia 4 items
Cabbage, Carrots, Blueberries, Squash
North Carolina 3 items
Strawberries, Apples, Cabbage
New Jersey 1 items
Spinach
Michigan 2 items
Apples, Asparagus
Washington 3 items
Apples, Pears, Asparagus
May
California 29 items
Artichokes, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Cherries, Chile peppers, +21 more
Arizona 6 items
Cantaloupes, Grapefruit, Honeydews, Oranges, Carrots, Watermelons
Texas 11 items
Bell peppers, Cucumbers, Squash, Sweet corn, Watermelons, Cabbage, Cantaloupes, Carrots, +3 more
Florida 12 items
Bell peppers, Cabbage, Cucumbers, Grapefruit, Oranges, Snap beans, Sweet corn, Tomatoes, +4 more
Georgia 11 items
Bell peppers, Blueberries, Cabbage, Carrots, Cucumbers, Snap beans, Squash, Cantaloupes, +3 more
North Carolina 5 items
Blueberries, Cabbage, Strawberries, Apples, Snap beans
New Jersey 4 items
Lettuce, Spinach, Cabbage, Squash
Michigan 2 items
Asparagus, Apples
Washington 3 items
Apples, Asparagus, Pears
June
California 28 items
Asparagus, Cabbage, Cantaloupes, Carrots, Celery, Cherries, Chile peppers, Cucumbers, +20 more
Arizona 6 items
Cantaloupes, Honeydews, Watermelons, Carrots, Grapefruit, Oranges
Texas 10 items
Cantaloupes, Peaches, Tomatoes, Watermelons, Bell peppers, Cabbage, Carrots, Cucumbers, +2 more
Florida 10 items
Bell peppers, Cabbage, Oranges, Watermelons, Avocados, Grapefruit, Snap beans, Squash, +2 more
Georgia 12 items
Bell peppers, Blueberries, Cabbage, Cantaloupes, Carrots, Cucumbers, Peaches, Snap beans, +4 more
North Carolina 9 items
Blueberries, Cabbage, Cucumbers, Snap beans, Squash, Sweet corn, Bell peppers, Strawberries, +1 more
New Jersey 8 items
Blueberries, Cabbage, Lettuce, Snap beans, Spinach, Squash, Cucumbers, Sweet corn
Michigan 7 items
Asparagus, Cherries, Strawberries, Apples, Blueberries, Cabbage, Celery
Washington 7 items
Apples, Asparagus, Cherries, Strawberries, Apricots, Blueberries, Pears
July
California 29 items
Apples, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Celery, Chile peppers, Garlic, Grapefruit, +21 more
Arizona 4 items
Watermelons, Carrots, Chile peppers, Grapes
Texas 4 items
Cantaloupes, Peaches, Watermelons, Sweet corn
Florida 6 items
Avocados, Grapefruit, Oranges, Sweet corn, Tomatoes, Watermelons
Georgia 10 items
Cantaloupes, Peaches, Snap beans, Squash, Sweet corn, Tomatoes, Watermelons, Bell peppers, +2 more
North Carolina 10 items
Bell peppers, Cabbage, Cucumbers, Peaches, Snap beans, Squash, Sweet corn, Tomatoes, +2 more
New Jersey 11 items
Bell peppers, Blueberries, Cabbage, Cucumbers, Lettuce, Peaches, Snap beans, Squash, +3 more
Michigan 13 items
Blueberries, Cabbage, Celery, Cherries, Snap beans, Strawberries, Bell peppers, Carrots, +5 more
Washington 9 items
Apples, Apricots, Blueberries, Cherries, Peaches, Strawberries, Carrots, Pears, +1 more
August
California 31 items
Apples, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cantaloupes, Cauliflower, Chile peppers, Garlic, +23 more
Arizona 4 items
Grapes, Apples, Chile peppers, Watermelons
Texas 3 items
Cantaloupes, Chile peppers, Peaches
Florida 1 items
Avocados
Georgia 5 items
Grapes, Peaches, Snap beans, Apples, Blueberries
North Carolina 12 items
Cabbage, Grapes, Snap beans, Tomatoes, Watermelons, Apples, Bell peppers, Blueberries, +4 more
New Jersey 11 items
Bell peppers, Cabbage, Cucumbers, Peaches, Snap beans, Squash, Sweet corn, Tomatoes, +3 more
Michigan 15 items
Bell peppers, Blueberries, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Cucumbers, Peaches, Pears, +7 more
Washington 9 items
Apples, Blueberries, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Sweet corn, Apricots, Carrots, +1 more
September
California 29 items
Apples, Asparagus, Bell peppers, Cabbage, Carrots, Chile peppers, Cucumbers, Garlic, +21 more
Arizona 5 items
Chile peppers, Grapes, Watermelons, Apples, Lemons
Texas 5 items
Chile peppers, Cucumbers, Cantaloupes, Oranges, Peaches
Florida 3 items
Avocados, Grapefruit, Sweet corn
Georgia 7 items
Cucumbers, Grapes, Snap beans, Squash, Sweet corn, Apples, Blueberries
North Carolina 10 items
Apples, Cabbage, Grapes, Snap beans, Tomatoes, Bell peppers, Cucumbers, Squash, +2 more
New Jersey 9 items
Apples, Peaches, Snap beans, Squash, Tomatoes, Bell peppers, Blueberries, Cucumbers, +1 more
Michigan 16 items
Bell peppers, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Cucumbers, Grapes, Peaches, Pears, +8 more
Washington 9 items
Apples, Blueberries, Carrots, Grapes, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Sweet corn, +1 more
October
California 29 items
Apples, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cantaloupes, Carrots, Chile peppers, Cucumbers, Grapes, +21 more
Arizona 7 items
Apples, Cantaloupes, Chile peppers, Honeydews, Lemons, Watermelons, Grapes
Texas 5 items
Cabbage, Cucumbers, Carrots, Grapefruit, Oranges
Florida 10 items
Avocados, Cucumbers, Grapefruit, Tomatoes, Bell peppers, Cabbage, Oranges, Snap beans, +2 more
Georgia 8 items
Apples, Bell peppers, Cucumbers, Snap beans, Squash, Sweet corn, Tomatoes, Grapes
North Carolina 6 items
Apples, Cabbage, Snap beans, Cucumbers, Grapes, Tomatoes
New Jersey 11 items
Apples, Cabbage, Cranberries, Lettuce, Snap beans, Spinach, Squash, Bell peppers, +3 more
Michigan 14 items
Apples, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Grapes, Pears, Pumpkins, Bell peppers, +6 more
Washington 7 items
Apples, Carrots, Cranberries, Grapes, Pears, Blueberries, Plums
November
California 27 items
Apples, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cantaloupes, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Grapes, +19 more
Arizona 13 items
Cantaloupes, Honeydews, Lemons, Apples, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, +5 more
Texas 6 items
Cabbage, Carrots, Oranges, Spinach, Cucumbers, Grapefruit
Florida 11 items
Avocados, Bell peppers, Cabbage, Cucumbers, Grapefruit, Snap beans, Squash, Sweet corn, +3 more
Georgia 8 items
Apples, Bell peppers, Cabbage, Squash, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Snap beans, Sweet corn
North Carolina 3 items
Cabbage, Apples, Snap beans
New Jersey 6 items
Cabbage, Cranberries, Lettuce, Spinach, Squash, Apples
Michigan 6 items
Apples, Carrots, Celery, Cabbage, Pears, Pumpkins
Washington 5 items
Apples, Carrots, Pears, Cranberries, Grapes
December
California 22 items
Apples, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Grapes, Kiwifruit, Lemons, Oranges, +14 more
Arizona 9 items
Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Lemons, Lettuce, Oranges, Spinach, Cabbage, +1 more
Texas 5 items
Cabbage, Grapefruit, Oranges, Spinach, Carrots
Florida 11 items
Avocados, Bell peppers, Cabbage, Cucumbers, Grapefruit, Oranges, Snap beans, Sweet corn, +3 more
Georgia 3 items
Cabbage, Apples, Carrots
North Carolina 2 items
Cabbage, Apples
New Jersey 4 items
Cabbage, Cranberries, Spinach, Squash
Michigan 1 items
Apples
Washington 3 items
Apples, Pears, Carrots
Highlighted items are in their most active window. Source: USDA NASS usual harvesting and marketing dates (2006, 2007). Seasons move with weather; use this to plan, then check current USDA market reports.
- Winter
- Florida, Arizona's Yuma district and South Texas carry most domestic vegetables, with citrus out of Florida, Texas and California. Mexican produce crosses at Nogales, AZ and South Texas.
- Spring
- Florida and Texas peak, California's coastal valleys ramp up, and Georgia and the Carolinas start on vegetables and berries.
- Summer
- California runs at full volume, the Pacific Northwest ships cherries and berries, and Michigan, the Northeast and Midwest add sweet corn, vegetables and blueberries.
- Fall
- Washington and Michigan apple and pear harvests, California grapes and vegetables, and storage crops like onions start moving out of storage.
What produce shippers expect
Produce hauling has its own rules at the dock
Pre-cooled trailer
Many produce shippers want the box at setpoint before the doors open. Under the FDA rule, a carrier responsible for temperature pre-cools as the shipper specifies.
Continuous mode
Produce often ships in continuous mode so air keeps moving through the pallets. Use the mode on the bill of lading; don't switch to save fuel.
Pulp temps at pickup
Probe a few cases and get the readings on the BOL. If product loads warm, the record protects you.
Timing
Sheds load when product is packed, which can mean waiting. We confirm load times and push for detention when the wait runs long.
Clean, odor-free trailer
Shippers reject trailers that smell or carry debris. Washouts are common between loads.
Careful at delivery
Receivers inspect produce closely. If a load is rejected, the paperwork you built at pickup is your defense.
The rules behind these, from the FDA's sanitary transportation requirements to documentation that heads off claims, are in our guide to refrigerated freight.
Rates in season
Produce rates follow truck shortages, region by region
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service publishes a weekly Specialty Crops National Truck Rate Report: spot per-load rates for 48-53 ft reefers out of the main shipping areas, broker fees included, with a truck availability rating for each region. It's the best public window into what produce lanes pay right now.
Two examples from the report for the week of February 10-11, 2026, as summarized by DAT: Florida to New York $4,900-$5,100 per load; to Chicago $3,400-$3,600 out of Florida, where trucks were short, and Nogales to New York $8,100-$8,300 per load out of Nogales, Arizona. Those are long hauls in a tight week, not typical loads. In October 2026, DAT described reefer rates easing as the produce rush cooled, while staying well above a year earlier.
- Commodity
- Tomatoes, per shipper temp
- Gross load pay
- $5,000
- Loaded miles
- 1,150
- Rate per loaded mile
- $4.35
- Dispatch fee at 6%
- $300
How we book produce
Season first, then the shed, then the rate
- 1We watch where produce is shipping and where trucks are short, using USDA reports and the boards.
- 2We work brokers who move produce out of those regions, and check their pay terms and claim history.
- 3On each load we read temp, mode, pre-cool and pulp instructions, and the shed's loading window.
- 4We negotiate, then bring it to you with the numbers. You say yes or no.
- 5After pickup we watch the delivery appointment and line up the next load, often back toward the next shipping region.
The fee is 6% of gross for one truck, 5% per truck for 2+ (limited-time fleet rate). Read the pricing and how it works. Produce brokers and boards have their quirks; our guides to reefer freight brokers and reefer load boards explain them. Or return to the reefer dispatch home page.
Produce hauling questions
When is produce season in trucking?
There's produce shipping all year, but volume shifts by region: Florida, Arizona and South Texas in winter and spring; California most of the year with a summer peak; the Southeast in spring and summer; Michigan and the Northwest in summer and fall. Truckers often call late spring through summer "produce season" because that's when the most regions ship at once and trucks get tight in the busy ones. The Produce Season Finder shows it by state and month.
Do produce loads pay more?
When a region is short on trucks, they can. USDA's truck rate report rates truck availability by region from surplus to shortage, and rates move with it. In February 2026, for example, USDA reported Florida to New York $4,900-$5,100 per load; to Chicago $3,400-$3,600 out of Florida while trucks there were short. We don't promise any rate; we track the reports and negotiate with them.
What happens if a receiver rejects a produce load?
Under PACA rules, a receiver generally has to reject a truck load of fresh produce within 8 hours of being notified it arrived, and the window extends if a federal inspection is pending. If a load is rejected, we document times and temps, get the broker on the phone, and help arrange the next step. Your pulp temps and the unit download are the most important papers you'll have.
Do you only dispatch produce?
No. Produce is a big part of reefer freight, but we also book frozen, dairy and meat loads so your truck stays busy between seasons. We only dispatch reefer trailers.
Sources
- 01USDA NASS Agriculture Handbook 507, Vegetables: Usual Planting and Harvesting Dates · May 2007 · checked October 2026
- 02USDA NASS Agriculture Handbook 729, Fruits and Tree Nuts: Blooming, Harvesting, and Marketing Dates · December 2006 · checked October 2026
- 03USDA AMS Specialty Crops National Truck Rate Report (FVWTRK, report 2375) · weekly · checked October 2026
- 04USDA AMS truck rate report of Feb 10-11, 2026, summarized by DAT · Feb 2026 · checked October 2026
- 05DAT blog, Reefer Report: rates ease as produce rush cools (Dean Croke) · published Oct 1, 2026 · checked October 2026
- 0621 CFR 1.908, Requirements applicable to transportation operations (carrier paragraph e) · current regulation · checked October 2026
- 077 CFR 46.2(cc), PACA regulations, definition of reasonable time · current regulation · checked October 2026
Doors open
Get your reefer into the next produce region early
6% of gross for one truck, 5% per truck for 2+ trucks (limited-time fleet rate). No setup fee, no contract, cancel with 30 days notice. You approve every load.