Registration will open for the conference in two phases. Phase 1 will open on August 1, 2021 for shippers, grocery receivers and food service companies. Phase 2 will open on September 1, 2021 for all other attendee types. If you are currently receiving this eNewsletter, then you are on our current mailing list and will receive an invitation voucher from media@foodshippersofamerica.org, which will be required to register for the conference. If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please complete the information at the following link: Request for Addition to FSA Mailing List Survey(foodshippersofamerica.org)
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The 2022 conference will be held from February 20 – 22, 2022 at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes Resort in Orlando, Florida. Overflow rooms will be available at the adjacent Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Please continue to take advantage of the industry information available on our FSA website, in our eNewsletter, our bi-annual Food Shippers of America magazine, and on our LinkedIn page.

If you have any questions please contact Paul Newbourne, Executive Director, at executivedirector@foodshippersofamerica.org  or 847-302-1496 cell.

We have recently been made aware that a company, getmailinglist.com, was soliciting the sale of a mailing list to Food Shippers' members. Food Shippers does not make available, nor sell, any information collected as part of our conference or membership activities. We have reported this company to the Federal Trade Commission and request that if you do receive such a solicitation you please contact us immediately, at executivedirector@foodshippersofamerica.org so that we can notify the appropriate authorities.

Thank you to all our members for your continued support!

Food Shippers is now accepting applications for the 2022 John J. Murphy Scholarship Program.
The scholarship program is open to any dependent of a current Food Shippers of America member. For more information on membership please visit our web site at Food Shippers of America.org. For additional information on the scholarship application process please visit our Food Shippers of America Scholarship page.

The top scholarship winner for the 2022 John J. Murphy Scholarship Program will be announced at the 2022 Food Shippers of America annual conference in Orlando, Florida.

Our current issue of Food Shippers of America magazine is also available in digital format,and includes an array of industry information, tips and perspectives. Read features about pandemic trends in food purchasing and other retail disrupters, the changing regulatory environment, and the pace of infrastructure improvements. Inside you will find perspectives on the 2021 economic outlook by ATA Chief Economist and Senior Vice President Bob Costello and a host of industry insiders who will also discuss many other facets of the food and beverage industry.  Please click here for immediate access. 

Previous issues may be found in our association website archives, or by clicking here. 

Food Shippers of America is looking for FSA Members to feaure in our upcoming issues of the bi-annual Food Shippers of America magazine and monthly newsletter.

Tell us how you've weathered the pandemic and what your vision is moving forward. Perhaps how your organization is finding new solutions to capacity issues, or how new infrastructure legislation is affecting your  company's responses to increasing freight demands, We offer a unique opportunity for FSA Members to share their company's goals and successes, visions and innovations. 

If you would like your FSA Member profile to appear in our print and digital publications, please contact Food Shippers at media_advisor@foodshippersofamerica.org.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (June 23, 2021) – Hirschbach Motor Lines announced its acquisition of Eagan, MN based Lessors, Inc. (represented by Transport Capital Partners).

Hirschbach, a refrigerated/temperature control specialist, has a current driver/operator base of 2,200 and is expected to exceed 2,400 after the integration with Lessors.

Progressive Grocer
New Hampshire-based C&S Wholesale Grocers announced this week its acquisition of the Piggly Wiggly Midwest brand, including 11 corporate stores and 14 Butera Markets in the Chicagoland area as well as 84 Wisconsin franchisees operating under the Piggly Wiggly banner.

Grocery Dive
Midwest grocer and wholesaler, SpartanNash will open its first micro-fulfillment center (MFC) in Caledonia, Michigan. The 55,000-square-foot MFC will accommodate 16,000 items and process and handle about 1,000 Fast Lane orders per day once up to full speed.

FreightWaves and Echo Global Logistics
A recent survey of trucking companies, brokers, shippers, and 3PLs indicate a strong 2021 produce season could very well impact dry van capacity, with a third of respondents saying it may well be a significant impact, according to FreightWaves. Produced in partnership by Echo Global Logistics and FreightWaves, this white paper gauges the industry's expectations and how tight market conditions coupled with a strong produce season could impact an already constrained market.

FreightWaves
Abruptly shutting its fuel hedging program in June amid a host of unpaid settlements, a spokesman for Chicago-based K-Ratio said this week that an internal audit of the K-Ratio X, LLC fuel protection program found insufficient hedging "appears" to have been conducted. The company has asked carriers who are owed money to sign a universal settlement agreement, but many of the affected parties have yet to be notified as to when they would be paid.

Food Logistics
Balancing efficiency with transparency can be tricky, especially in the food and beverage industry where spoilage and the cold storage environment can present unique challenges to traditional barcode tracking systems.

Grocery Dive
Food and beverage topped all categories of online sales growth in 2020, with gains more than doubling to 75% from 32% in 2019. Compounded annual growth rate in the channel is projected at 30% through 2024, according to Forrester, highlighting the long-term path for e-commerce grocery sales.

Forbes
An importer in Russia urgently needs tomatoes, while a grower in South Carolina has to dump crops due to oversupply. Trading between the two is rare as the lack of information concerning each other’s needs is not readily available. Creating a trusted environment to solve the asymmetry of production/supply may be key to strengthening the global food supply chain.

American Shipper
Despite container shipping rates at all-time highs and spot rates for midsized bulkers continuing to top $30,000 per day, shipping stocks have fallen in "pretty much the entire shipping universe, regardless of sector," said Jefferies analyst Randy Giveans.

FreightWaves
Rolled out in March 2020 in response to food shortages resulting from increasing pandemic lockdowns, the 50-state emergency hours-of-service waiver is again being reviewed by FMCSA and may well be lifted sooner than the August 31 expiration date "if conditions warrant." While a boon for some, the waiver has been confusing for others, especially employee driver versus owner-operator haulers.

Supply Chain 247
With the ever-growing fulfillment demands for e-commerce, same day delivery or instore pickup, back-of-house micro-fulfillment solutions have become one of the fastest-growing segments in the order-fulfillment automation sector.

Transport Topics
Class 8 sales rose above 19,000 units in June, a nearly 50% increase in volume compared year-over-year, and second only to March 2021 with more than 22,000 units sold, according to WardsAuto.com.