Brazilian food companies will be reeling for months from the after-effects of a truckers' protest that has blocked the country's main roadways this past week, industry sources said on Friday.

United Parcel Service Inc. jacked up fees by 30 percent to $650 for the largest items it delivers to discourage shippers from putting kayaks, refrigerators and other oversize items into a network meant for smaller parcels.

Joyce Brenny, chief executive of Brenny Transportation in Minnesota, gave her truck drivers a 15 percent raise this year, but she still can't find enough workers for a job that now pays $80,000 a year.