Shifts in Rail and Truck Transportation of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Excerpts from the report Introduction: Year-round availability of fresh fruits and vegetables has come to be regarded as an essential feature of life in America. This availability would have been impossible, however, without the growth of a vast transportation system linking specialized growing areas and centers of population. During the winter, production is concentrated in a few high-yield areas with suitable winter climates. The result is that today California and Florida grow approximately one-half of the Nation's commercially produced fruits and vegetables. Most of this fresh produce moves to market by rail or truck. During recent years, the percentage of the total volume moved by truck has risen, while that moved by railroads has declined. The purpose of this study is to determine the characteristics of the gains by one type of carrier in relation to the other by comparing traffic patterns in 1954 with those in 1951