A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/S, owner of the world’s largest shipping line, said the United States will continue to be an important driver for growth, even as emerging markets show potential, Bloomberg News reported.

The produce shipping season is in full swing this year and affected by unpredictable weather patterns that have created shipping peaks in parts of the South and Pacific Northwest and weaker-than-usual demand in California, experts said.

CHICAGO — Shipper representatives speaking at the McLeod Software User’s Conference 2011 here last week said the most important things a carrier should do are to be on time, provide delivery status and maintain dependable relationships.

Truckers and other carriers are reporting a seasonal pickup in freight volumes this fall that is in sharp contrast to 2009, when the recession ravaged cargo volumes, experts said.

The owners of cargo originating overseas and damaged while traveling to a U.S. destination by rail or truck under a single bill of lading cannot seek full reimbursement of their losses, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled.