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Truck dispatch in Floridabuilt for owner-operators.

Florida looks like a great freight market until you realize there's more freight going IN than coming OUT — especially south of Orlando. The drivers who win in Florida have a dispatcher who never sends them southbound without a confirmed northbound. We do that math, every load.

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// Top freight cities

Where freight moves in Florida.

Each city is its own freight micro-market. We dispatch in all of them and route you toward whichever one fits your equipment and home base best.

Lakeland / Plant City

Citrus and produce shipping capital. The Lakeland → Atlanta lane jumps from ~$800 to $1,200+ per load in peak citrus season. Reefer drivers who base in central FL during winter run premium rates north every week.

Miami

Latin America trade gateway. Port of Miami container drayage + South Florida hospitality and food service inbound. Outbound northbound produce in winter pays a premium; off-season Miami is the deepest deadhead trap in the country.

Jacksonville

JAXPORT — Puerto Rico ro-ro service, vehicle imports, commercial port. Outbound to Atlanta and the Southeast is steady. JAXPORT is your best Florida exit point if you're running northbound dry van.

Orlando

Distribution corridor — Disney + tourism + Central Florida DCs. Inbound consumer goods + retail. Outbound is harder; we route Orlando-finishing loads toward GA-bound backhauls.

Eastern FL coast (Cape Canaveral, Daytona)

Aerospace + post-launch freight + tourism. Smaller volume but specialty rates when SpaceX or NASA cycles are active.

// At a glance

Florida freight numbers we're tracking.

RPM range outbound
reefer $2.50–$3.20 in season; dry van $1.65–$2.10 off-season (deadhead-adjusted)
Top commodities
citrus + juice winter vegetables tomatoes strawberries seafood building materials beverages inbound retail
Seasonal patterns
Citrus Oct–Jun (oranges = 69% of FL crop). Winter tomatoes + peppers + strawberries Nov–Apr. Sweet corn + watermelon Apr–Jun. Hurricane season Jun–Nov: FEMA pre-positioning loads (water, generators, mobile homes) pay 30–50% above market when storms approach.

Top outbound lanes from FL

  • Miami → NYC produce
  • Lakeland → Northeast citrus
  • Jacksonville → SE retail
  • FL → Atlanta van

Top inbound lanes to FL

  • Midwest → FL retail (DC stock)
  • TX → FL building materials
  • NY/NJ → FL hospitality goods
// The deadhead trap + storm freight

The Florida math nobody tells you about.

Florida is a deadhead trap. More freight comes into Florida than leaves it — especially south of Orlando. Drivers who chase a southbound load without a confirmed return often eat 200–600 miles of deadhead getting back to GA or AL where there's freight again. We won't book you into Miami without a return plan, period.

Hurricane season is a real revenue lever. June through November, when a named storm targets the southeastern US, FEMA and private relief shippers pre-position water, generators, and mobile homes ahead of landfall. Rates spike 30–50% above market for the 5–10 days around a major storm. We track NHC forecasts and dispatch our willing FL drivers toward the surge.

Citrus season (Oct–Jun) is the steadier opportunity — Lakeland and Plant City reefer outbound to the Northeast pays consistently, and the lane has held up even as citrus greening shrinks total volumes. Tomatoes are increasingly the freight that fills out FL reefer schedules.

// FAQ — Florida

Common questions from FL-based drivers.

Should I run Florida freight if I'm based in the Northeast?
Citrus season (Oct–Jun) yes — northbound from Lakeland to your home market is reliable money. Off-season, only with a confirmed return load. We do that math before sending you south.
How does FEMA / hurricane freight work?
FEMA contracts run through master carriers; we book through brokers who hold those contracts. Rates spike but loads are time-sensitive and conditions can be rough. Optional — we ask each driver before routing them into a storm zone.
Is there year-round reefer work in FL?
Yes — citrus + tomatoes cover Oct–Jun, sweet corn + watermelon Apr–Jun, strawberries Nov–Apr. There's always something moving northbound in season; off-season we shift you to other markets.
Can I run drayage out of JAXPORT?
Yes — JAXPORT drayage to GA and SE distribution is steady. Less hectic than Miami-area port work. Per-move rates are competitive.

All FAQ →

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