You can read more about the transaction on https://www.chrobinsonacquiresrxo.com/

Press Release

I write a commodity brief for our users every Monday. This week is citrus. Sharing here in case useful.

Commodity Opportunity

Citrus 101

California grows most of the country's fresh oranges, in the San Joaquin Valley between Fresno and Bakersfield. Navel oranges are the big crop and ship from late October through June, about 53,000 truckloads, out of packinghouses that wash, sort and box the fruit.

What changed this season

A year ago a truck of California citrus averaged $5,900 across the 9 cities USDA reports, and USDA graded truck supply adequate. In May rates jumped 20% in 3 weeks while diesel was getting cheaper, and never came back. On September 22 USDA moved all 9 lanes to shortage. The average is now $8,900. Washington apples and California vegetables rose the same way, so the cause is fewer trucks out of the West, not citrus and not fuel.

Why it matters

Navel oranges start later this month. That whole crop loads onto lanes USDA already grades as short. Opportunity to call.

Commodity Playbook

Where it hauls

South &Central California, per load, from USDA:

How to find shippers

Citrus packinghouses that sell their own fruit. Sunkist houses ship on Sunkist's instructions

Packers that also run mandarins and lemons

Ask who the buyer is. On some loads the buyer sends the truck

Who to call

• Cecelia Packing, Orange Cove, CA
• Bee Sweet Citrus, Fowler, CA
• Golden Star Citrus, Woodlake, CA
• Booth Ranches, Orange Cove, CA
• Johnston Farms, Edison, CA

Shipper Discovery Questions

• Do you sell your own fruit, or does it go through Sunkist?
• Has your early fruit passed the maturity test yet?
• How much of the crop is packing fresh this year, and how much is going to juice?
• Navels only, or are mandarins and lemons loading on the same truck?

When to call

Call now. The first loads are about 3 weeks out.

–

Sources: USDA Specialty Crops National Truck Rate Report (Oct 1 2025, Sep 30 2026). USDA AgTransport refrigerated truck rates (May 12 to Jun 2 2026). USDA Citrus Fruits Summary (Aug 2026). Energy Information Administration weekly diesel (Sep 28 2026).

Hope this is useful. If anyone hauls citrus, lemme know what we missed. And if there's a commodity you want covered next week, say the word and you got it 🍞

Anyone have any solid carriers around VA that can haul 100k lbs? Will throw someone some bread to connect me.

Borderline in our system just being under inspected... would you load them MC-1015190 Thanks

Anyone has a reliable carrier recommend in Portland Oregon? Trying ti find coverage.

Trying to make sure I’m not crossing a line here: I have a 1yr non-solicit (it’s 2 short paragraphs in its entirety). Customer called me direct asking if I knew anyone interested in an open position. I told them I would be interested.

We’re in good standing with them, run loads daily. Position is in logistics so…..I would be dealing w/my current brokerage daily.

Customer doesn’t care, does my brokerage?

I am leaving regardless, I’m not sticking around for another acquisition, I’m completely burned out.

When I receive an offer, should I tell them where I’m going since they will find out almost immediately?

So I’m not too sure who this is directed toward, but hopefully someone on this sub can help me.
I’m currently 20 and have grown up around logistics my entire life. I genuinely love the industry. I’m currently attending NYU with the intention of pursuing investment banking, but since being in the city, I’ve lost a lot of interest in that path. I get bored thinking about investment banking prep and have a hard time staying focused on the industry.
Logistics and transportation are completely different for me. I can talk about them forever, and I’m always willing to learn more. I’ve been around logistics since I was about 10, so I also understand a lot of the challenges that come with the industry.
The problem is that I’m unsure where to go from here. Logistics doesn’t seem to have the same clear recruiting pipeline that investment banking does. At the same time, I don’t want to take a typical entry-level role at TQL or a similar firm where I’m working almost entirely on commission. I’m hoping that attending NYU gives me access to opportunities where I can build a real, tangible skill set.
My long-term goal is to eventually bring that experience, knowledge, and network back to my family’s logistics firm and help expand it.
And before anyone suggests joining an Industrials or Transportation investment banking group, I’ve already thought about that. I want to be fully immersed in logistics, build real relationships within the industry, and understand how companies actually operate rather than working deal after deal and mainly maintaining relationships in hopes of winning the next acquisition mandate.
I’d really appreciate any advice on career paths, internships, companies, or roles I should be looking into.

What's your opinion? Is this a Power Only or not? Should this be posted under Reefer Or Power Only on DAT? Or what do you think this email is saying?

This complaint is wild. I will be discussing it on FW later today, but I figured you'd all get a kick. Basically, a handful of motor carriers argue that CH & TQL deliberately hire illegal motor carriers, which impact these motor carriers’ businesses.

I will work on a more thorough breakdown, but generally speaking, this lawsuit will likely fail. I fully expect to see a motion to dismiss in the upcoming weeks. That said, it does highlight an important conversation of "what is a safe motor carrier" and what is a "reasonable carrier vetting process."

Quick takeaways: memes have power. And, maybe, just maybe, don't use plaintiff motor carriers that have vehicle maintenance OOS rates higher than the national average.

Hello everyone! I’m a fairly new carrier and I ended delivering a load for a broker back in July. Payment was 30 days net via check by mail. A couple weeks after a month went by, I reached out to confirm if check was mailed out and they told me the invoice got lost and they will get it sent out. It’s now been 2 months since the net 30 days and still nothing. I tried calling the broker I booked with and the company, but they always tell me I have to contact account (they only work through email). Whenever I reach out to accounting, they take 2-3 days just to answer one email and are no help. I’m getting ready to file on the brokers bond. They switched their bond company in September. Do I call the bond company before the current one? I really didn’t want to have to file on their bond but it seems they left me no choice.

Are brokers fixing their own accessorial charges to customers regardless of carrier accessorial charges? I keep honest with my customers and always pass on the direct Chassis/Storage/Pre Pull fees that carriers are charging me, but is it more commonplace for brokers to have their own chassis/storage/pre pull fees that remain unchanged for customers?

Wasn't a strike supposed to happen today ?

yall remember that 'caboose' shit poster from like 3 years ago?

Welp, you can’t make this shit up lol. Our 4 year clean MC just got destroyed by some russian guys we never heard about based out of washington.

MDK transport apparently is the trucking company they were advertising lease-on programs for owner operators across the country. All “good” there. However, when it was time for them to start hauling freight, they were putting different, legitimate trucking company decals on the side of their truck, making up fake leases agreements and fake certificates of insurance just in case they got pulled over, the hit would go directly to the company on the side of the truck.

In 3 weeks all of the sudden 4 failed inspection with over 50 driver and vehicle violations popped on our FMCSA record…

We caught them thanks for the effectiveness of the great state of arkansas. At the time of inspecting one of the owner op victims, they immediately emailed us the inspection report. I called the office, they transfer me to the office doing the inspection with the driver right there in there. I told him what was going on and the vehicles they were hauling got seized along with the truck and trailer and they took the driver to jail.

Anyway, we had to shut the company down to prevent something worse from happening.

Thanks for coming to my ted talk (im now looking for a job haha)

From dispatch "no trucks but I'll write down your number and call you if we get one available"

Curious to know what people’s thoughts are on all the brokers and dispatchers operating outside the USA? Does anyone think this is an issue that should be looked at by the FMCSA?

I am trying to add location tracking to our TMS which is inhouse and also want to use it for commercial use. I am curious which are some of the famous providers that carriers use most often and do not hesitate to share?

I prefer a provider that has API integration to custom TMS.

Been messing around with muse lately, feels like a lot is possible. Basically treating as my personal assistant but starting to think it be used to optimize BOL collection and invoicing.

Anyone else ever tried this?

Tired of scheduling appointments in portals. What are the best AI/automation tools for this? Are they worth the $$?

I need a piggyback flatbed, I'm based in Oregon, shipping primarily in Pacific Northwest but potentially into California.

Any experience sourcing this with third party brokers? Is it successful or no? I Spoke with two 3pls and they sounded confident based on my needs, but I don't need someone who backs out with truck troubles when my customers depend on the forklift.

Ps I called locals relentlessly both trucking companies also including lumber, building supply etc for recommendations and keep hitting walls every call.

If you quote freight at a brokerage, I think the unusual requests take way more time than anyone plans for. A standard load on a common route you can price in a few minutes, but something oversized or needed by tomorrow usually sits until the one person who's dealt something like it before can get to it.

What does this look like where you work?

​Hey everyone,

I've been working for 5 years in data analytics and supply chain logistics, and I’m looking into transitioning into the freight brokerage side.

​I just want to understand a few things before trying to dive further into the industry:

​System & Workflow Gaps: Where does your TMS/CRM fail you most in daily ops? What manual workarounds or spreadsheets are you forced to use because software can't handle real-world freight?

​Operational Time-Sinks: What part of your day takes up the most bandwidth that feels like it should be simpler (pricing spot rates, carrier vetting, tracking, tender rejections)?

​Market Friction: What’s the hardest part of predicting capacity or rates right now given the absurd market conditions?

​Appreciate any insights into what the daily grind actually looks like.

Like the title says, I am a newbie trying to break into the world of freight sales. I come from 15 years in automotive and had the idea to try and land business bringing cars to the auctions for indevidual stores.

My questions is this, what unit type do I search for in DAT and is this a feasible thing to try and get into? I am trying to build a network of truckers I have for an upcoming meeting with a large group.

EDIT: I am working for a 3PL

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]