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Historically high freight rates challenge growers/shippers As many growers coast to coast know, freight rates have spiked for produce shipments. “Transportation costs have drastically impacted the celery market. There is a lot of pressure for lower FOB prices to make up for exorbitant freight costs,” says John Chobanian, commodity account manager with Castroville, CA-based Ocean Mist Farms. Over in Scottsdale, AZ, Justin Bootz of Legend Produce LLC adds that there is a struggle currently to find trucks, even though rates are at all-time highs. “Two years ago in the time before COVID-19, you could find a truck going to the East Coast for maybe $6,000-$6,500. Now that same truck probably costs $10,000-$11,000,” says Bootz. ....