Produce season by state: a carrier’s guide to timing and planning

The carriers making the most money during produce season are not the ones scrambling to find loads after the rush starts. They already know where to be and when to show up.

Without knowing when and where volume spikes, you’re reacting instead of planning. High-rate loads go to carriers who got there first and positioned themselves ahead of the season. By the time you catch wind of a hot lane, the best rates are already gone.

This guide breaks down the top produce-hauling states by peak window, key commodity, and origin city, plus state-specific tips to help you run smarter lanes. Whether you’re a seasoned reefer operator or newer to fresh freight, this is the kind of reference worth coming back to season after season.

Why knowing produce season timing gives you a rate advantage

Produce is one of the most time-sensitive freight categories on the road. When a crop is ready to move, it needs to move fast. That urgency drives rates up, especially in regions where reefer capacity is tight relative to load volume.

The supply-and-demand math is simple. When a major growing region hits its peak window, load volume spikes and available trucks stay flat. Carriers who are already in position pick up loads at stronger rates with less deadhead. Carriers who show up late chase whatever is left.

Being in the right region at the right time means more loaded miles per trip, less time sitting empty, and a better rate per mile. Over a full season, that adds up to a meaningful difference in earnings. The spot market moves fast during peak harvest windows, and carriers who plan their positioning ahead of time are the ones negotiating from a place of strength.

Produce season by state

The table below is organized by state, with each row showing the peak produce window, key commodities, major origin cities, and a practical carrier tip. Use it to map your home base against regions that align with your preferred lanes and equipment.

Keep in mind that peak windows are approximate. Weather, drought, flooding, and growing conditions shift them year to year. A late frost in California’s Central Valley can push strawberry season back by two to three weeks. A dry summer in the Pacific Northwest affects apple and pear timing. Use this table as your planning baseline, then stay close to commodity news and monitor load board volume trends as the season approaches.

State	Peak Window	Key Commodities	Major Origin Cities
Arizona	Feb – May	Lettuce, spinach, citrus, broccoli	Yuma, Phoenix metro
Texas	Mar – Jun	Onions, watermelon, cantaloupe, citrus	Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, Laredo
California	Apr – Oct	Strawberries, lettuce, grapes, almonds, tomatoes	Fresno, Salinas, Bakersfield, Stockton
South Carolina	Apr – Jul	Peaches, watermelon, tomatoes	Gaffney, Saluda, Bamberg
Georgia	May – Aug	Peaches, blueberries, Vidalia onions, watermelon	Valdosta, Moultrie, Macon
North Carolina	May – Sep	Sweet potatoes, strawberries, blueberries	Goldsboro, Wilmington, Charlotte area
New Jersey	Jun – Sep	Blueberries, tomatoes, corn, peaches	Hammonton, Vineland, Bridgeton
Oregon	Jun – Oct	Pears, hazelnuts, berries, potatoes	Medford, Hood River, Salem
Washington	Jul – Oct	Apples, cherries, pears, hops, potatoes	Yakima, Wenatchee, Walla Walla
Michigan	Jul – Sep	Blueberries, cherries, apples, asparagus	Traverse City, Holland, Grand Rapids
Colorado	Jul – Sep	Peaches, Palisade melons, corn, onions	Grand Junction, Palisade, Pueblo
Minnesota	Jul – Sep	Sweet corn, potatoes, sugar beets	Moorhead, Rochester, Crookston
Idaho	Aug – Oct	Potatoes, onions, sugar beets, hops	Twin Falls, Nampa, Boise
Florida	Nov – Apr	Citrus, tomatoes, bell peppers, strawberries	Plant City, Immokalee, Belle Glade

Tips for the biggest produce markets

Florida: The winter produce anchor

Florida is the dominant produce market from November through April, filling the gap when northern states go dormant. Plant City, Immokalee, and Belle Glade are your key origins. Strawberries, citrus, tomatoes, and bell peppers move in high volume.

The Plant City Strawberry Festival each spring is a reliable indicator of peak season. In 2026, the festival is February 26 – March 8.

Outbound volume from Florida is strong, but the backhaul into Florida can be competitive because a lot of freight moves into the state too. Plan your return lane before you commit to the southbound run.

Arizona (Yuma): The winter lettuce capital

Yuma produces over 90 percent of U.S. lettuce between November and March. It’s one of the most predictable, high-volume produce markets in the country. If you’re looking for consistency in a winter lane, Yuma belongs on your planning calendar.

Position yourself in Phoenix or Tucson for easy access to Yuma loads without long deadhead miles eating into your margins. Season end in Yuma is abrupt. When April heat sets in, volume drops fast. Have your transition lane planned before the market shifts.

Texas (Rio Grande Valley): The early season launchpad

The Rio Grande Valley is the first major produce market to heat up each year, typically in February and March. Onions, watermelon, and cantaloupe create strong outbound volume heading north. Cross-border dynamics add some complexity here, so make sure you know your broker’s customs process before you arrive.

Onion season creates massive outbound volume. Pair it with a solid northbound backhaul plan to make the most of the run. Texas is a strong opening move if you’re building a spring produce circuit.

California: The nation’s produce engine

California accounts for roughly half of all U.S. produce. The Salinas Valley drives high reefer volume from April through October with lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and strawberries. The Central Valley adds grapes, almonds, tomatoes, and stone fruit.

Two route decisions matter here. I-5 moves faster but gets congested during peak strawberry pull. Highway 99 runs through the heart of the Central Valley and works better when you’re servicing Fresno or Stockton. Plan your pickup times for early morning to avoid the worst congestion.

California also has agricultural inspection stations at most entry and exit points. Factor that into your transit time.

Georgia: the peach and Vidalia corridor

Georgia runs a tight produce window from May through August, with two distinct freight opportunities. Vidalia onions are geographically protected and only grown in a 20-county region around Vidalia. That makes them a specialized haul with consistent demand. Peaches follow shortly after, but the season is short and volume spikes fast.

Blueberries offer a longer window with steadier freight through the summer months. Valdosta, Moultrie, and Macon are your main origins. Georgia sits in a natural circuit with Florida and South Carolina, which means you can build a spring-to-summer route that keeps your truck loaded across all three states. The I-75 corridor moves most of the northbound volume, and positioning in central Georgia gives you flexibility to pick up loads heading either to the Southeast or up the East Coast.

Washington and Oregon: The Pacific Northwest circuit

Cherry season in Washington is the single most time-sensitive produce haul in the country. Cherries ripen fast, bruise easily, and have a shelf life measured in days, not weeks. The entire harvest window compresses into roughly three weeks, and once the crop is ready, it has to move immediately or quality drops. Rain during harvest can split the fruit and wipe out value overnight.

Reefer rates spike sharply during peak cherry pull in late June and early July. If you want those loads, you need to be positioned in the Yakima or Wenatchee area before the rush, not after.

After cherry season, Washington transitions into apples and pears, which carry through October. Oregon runs a complementary window with pears, hazelnuts, berries, and potatoes out of Medford, Hood River, and Salem. Running a WA-OR circuit lets you minimize empty miles between harvests. Plan the transition before cherry season ends so you’re not scrambling for your next load.

How to plan your produce season calendar as a reefer carrier

Start by mapping your home base against the peak state windows in the table above. Look for states within a reasonable positioning range that overlap in timing. Then build a circuit rather than chasing individual loads.

A two or three state circuit keeps your truck moving between related harvest windows. California to Oregon to Washington is a classic summer circuit. Florida to Georgia to South Carolina works well in late spring. Texas to the Midwest handles the early-to-mid season.

The mechanics of finding produce loads on the Truckstop load board are worth getting right before the season opens. Set up saved lane searches for your target origins, filter by equipment type, and start watching rate trends and load volume before the market peaks. The carriers who see the ramp-up in real time get first pick of the best loads. For a closer look at preparing specifically for fresh produce hauls, the logistical side of temperature management, transit times, and documentation matters as much as lane selection.

What can shift produce season timing

Weather is the biggest variable. A late frost, prolonged drought, or flooding can push a harvest window back by weeks or wipe out part of a crop entirely. That affects both load volume and rates in ways that are hard to predict until it happens. Carriers who go in without a plan tend to make the same costly mistakes during produce season year after year, and most of them come down to timing and positioning.

USDA crop reports are one of the best tools for staying ahead of these shifts. They publish regular updates on crop conditions, planting progress, and harvest forecasts by commodity and region. Following a few key commodities that match your lanes gives you advance warning before load board volume changes.

Plan your produce season lanes before the market moves

Produce season rewards carriers who plan ahead. The state-by-state table in this guide gives you a starting point for knowing when and where volume peaks, which commodities to watch, and which origin cities anchor the biggest markets.

The state deep dives on California, Florida, Georgia, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and Texas give you operational detail that goes beyond general facts. Named highways, transition timing, and market-specific tips help you make real decisions.

Building a circuit across two or three states with overlapping harvest windows keeps your truck loaded and your deadhead miles low. Setting up lane searches ahead of the season means you see rate trends as they build, not after the best loads are already gone.

Weather and crop conditions shift every year. Check USDA crop reports for your target commodities and watch load board volume trends as each season approaches. The data tells you when to move.

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