Why you pay more for food
I just came across this blog because I was googling about fuel prices in NY and I read the post about the Governor not willing to help out with gas taxes. Recently the governor stated he would not give in to pressure from Republicans to give the state a sales tax holiday between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
I am a trucker who is a member of the Teamsters. Most of my routes are between Rochester and Virginia areas with about 10 stops along the way, I mainly transport agricultural products. As a trucker I buy Diesel, I buy a lot of it. Here are the best prices I am seeing in the states on my route:
NY $4.71
Pennsylvania $3.99
Virginia $3.91
Maryland $3.60
Why the difference you may ask? Mainly TAXES! I know what a lot of you may be thinking. That’s not much more than I am paying for my gas, However to fill my tank up costs $450, I do it twice a week sometimes three. The tax hoilday would bring us closer to our neighbor states.
Before you start to feel real sorry for me think about this, I do not pay for the gas. The company that contracts me does. What do they do with the extra cost? They pass it on to you with the lettuce and corn that I am bringing up here lately. Now you know why that salad and corn you enjoy at dinner with your steak has become more expensive (Yeah I am a Trucker so I love steak)
Next time you are at your favorite grocery store and trying to figure out which is worse the gas prices or the food prices remember they are rising for much the same reason.
This is the first time I have ever posted to a blog, Sorry if the grammar is not perfect, but I think you get my thoughts.
2 Responses to “Why you pay more for food”
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I don’t know the logistics of food farm to market. Is there any reasonable benefit to truck containerized perishable food to rail terminals? Or does loading/unloading at rail sites not work with short shelf life perishables?
Its mailnly less handling between points of loading and unloading. I can go right from a farmers co-op to a supermarket distribution center, in about 8-10 hours. That gives the perishables longer shelf life. Also with more specialized purchasing such as organics,there is less variation in shipment quality due to smaller lot sizes.