"We typically will ship, East Coast to West Coast – we used to do it for about $7,000," he said. SpartanNash, a U.S. grocery distributor, last week said it has become harder to get supplies from food manufacturers, especially processed items like cereal and soup. In Australia, grocery chain operator Woolworths Group, said last week that more than 20% of employees at its distribution centers are off work because of COVID-19. In the U.S., recent snow and ice storms that snared traffic for hours along the East Coast also hampered food deliveries bound for grocery stores and distribution hubs. While growers with perishable produce are forced to pay inflated shipping rates to attract limited trucking supplies, producers like Myers are choosing to wait for backlogs to ease.
