US trucking gets Valentine's Day boost

Temperature-controlled truck rates also rise due to cold weather and driver shortages

- ABHINAV PARMAR LISA BAERTLEIN

A US Customs and Border Protection agent inspects imported flowers from Ecuador for pests or diseases at Miami International Airport in Florida last Saturday.

Florida trucking company owner David Armellini is paying about 20% more this year for each of the roughly 200 extra drivers he is hiring to haul fresh-cut Valentine's Day flowers to wholesale florists and grocery distribution centres around the United States.

That could mean a small increase in the price of a bouquet this weekend if sellers pass along the higher cost. For Mr Armellini, it could be a sign that the longest and deepest US trucking slump is ending. Shippers across the United States are paying more to truck flowers, fresh produce, and other temperature-sensitive cargo, after deep cold this winter hiked demand for the temperature-controlled trucks — called reefers —that are needed to protect them from extreme temperatures. Job cuts due to trucking company bankruptcies and an increase in immigration checkpoints have also limited the number of drivers, according to some industry experts.

“Where have all the trucks gone? Maybe carriers are waiting for rates to improve when more volume hits the market in March, or as many suspect, they've left the industry for good,’ said Dean Croke, principal analyst at DAT, a freight analytics firm.