agricultural shippers

Export grain shippers mull options amid limited barge, rail capacity

Grain shippers have been scrambling to consider all their export options in the wake of low water levels on the Mississippi River and its tributaries. 

“Because of the low water conditions on the river, which is a major conduit for soybean and grain exports, there are a lot of farmers and a lot of agricultural shippers who are asking themselves, ‘What is my plan B? What is my plan C?’” Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition, told FreightWaves. “And that answer is...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/export-grain-shippers-mull-options-amid-limited-barge-rail-capacity

Economic impact from freight rail strike could total $2b per day

An aerial photograph of locomotives parked in a rail yard.

Rail stakeholders are concerned that a possible strike by some union members due to stalled contract negotiations could result in multibillion dollar economic impacts.

The Association of American Railroads estimates that a nationwide shutdown of rail operations could cost $2 billion in lost economic output each day, according to a report released Thursday. AAR reached its conclusions by updating data from a 1992 Federal Railroad Administration econometric study. 

AAR, which represents freight and...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/economic-impact-from-freight-rail-strike-could-total-2b-per-day

Grain shippers eye hiccups on rail network

A train hauling hopper cars passes through a desert.

As the U.S. harvest season ramps up, grain producers — and other rail stakeholders, such as the Surface Transportation Board — will be watching to see if rail service can keep up with the increased need to ship grain both domestically and for export.

For now, grain producers overall are expressing some nervousness about rail service, given the service issues that arose earlier this year, particularly in the western U.S. 

The railroads are “certainly trying to do things to remedy [rail service...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/grain-shippers-eye-hiccups-on-rail-network

Union Pacific ordered to improve service to California chicken processors

A Union Pacific locomotive passes through a railroad crossing.

The Surface Transportation Board has ordered Union Pacific to improve its service to chicken farms in California.

Foster Poultry Farms, a chicken grower and processor, told STB last Wednesday that since February, it has had challenges getting the animal feed it needs from the Midwest to the company’s facilities in Traver and Turlock, Calif. 

UP’s service failures “have resulted in numerous instances where Foster Farms has suspended its production and distribution of feed for tens of thousands of...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/union-pacific-ordered-to-improve-service-to-california-chicken-processors

Patriot Rail to establish rail district in central California

Patriot Rail CEO John E. Fenton is hoping the creation of a new rail district in central California will be a boon not only for his company but also for agricultural producers in the region. 

Patriot Rail is part of a public-private partnership with local leaders to develop a rail district for central California. Patriot Rail will lease approximately 6,500 feet of track and related property to Merced County, and the company will invest $1.2 million to increase rail capacity there at the Castle...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/patriot-rail-to-establish-rail-district-in-central-california

FreightWaves Haul of Fame: ADM Trucking serves ADM and others

An ADM tanker truck on the move. (Photo: ADM/lpk)

This is an overview of ADM and its in-house fleet of trucks. However, the company also owns barges, railcars, boats and oceangoing vessels. Now a Fortune 100 company, ADM had a humble origin.

George A. Archer and John W. Daniels began a linseed crushing business in Minneapolis in 1902. In the 119 years since then, the company has grown from a regional linseed oil business to a global leader in human and animal nutrition.

Growing the company

Archer and Daniels named their company the Archer-Daniels...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freightwaves-haul-of-fame-adm-trucking-serves-adm-and-others

AAR, Railinc and agricultural shippers create visibility portal

A black and white photograph of grain hopper cars.

The Association of American Railroads, data provider Railinc and agricultural shippers have joined forces to create an online portal aimed at improving visibility for covered hopper cars.

The portal will provide shippers with information that will help them prevent potential cross-contact with food allergens and conform to food safety standards, the group said.

The portal, which should launch in late 2021, aims to better identify the last contents hauled in a particular railcar. It will include a...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/aar-railinc-and-agricultural-shippers-create-visibility-portal

GSCW chat recap: AgTC on challenges faced by food exporters

This fireside chat recap is from Day 3 of FreightWaves Global Supply Chain Week. Day 3 focuses on food shippers.

FIRESIDE CHAT TOPIC: The transportation challenges faced by U.S. food exporters.

DETAILS: The global transport system is short of containers. Carriers are racing to get available boxes back to China for lucrative headhaul trades. This is leaving U.S. exporters of food and containerized agricultural products short of the boxes they need.

SPEAKER: Peter Friedmann, executive director,...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/gscw-chat-recap:-agtc-on-challenges-faced-by-food-exporters

War of words escalates as exporters scramble for scarce containers

export containers port

A war of words is heating up over U.S. exports, particularly food exports — and the outcome of that clash could affect U.S. containerized imports as well.

Reports first surfaced in late October that carriers were rushing containers back empty from California to Asia to serve lucrative headhaul trades instead of loading U.S. export cargoes.

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Chairman Michael Khouri warned in December: “We are looking into all potential responsive actions, including a review of...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/war-of-words-escalates-as-exporters-scramble-for-scarce-containers

Ag shippers feel pain from lack of ocean containers

A photograph of railcars passing by a railroad crossing.

A perfect storm of container unavailability, labor shortages and lack of chassis and warehouse space is wreaking havoc for U.S. agricultural shippers this fall, according to panelists participating in the Agriculture Transportation Coalition’s (AgTC) virtual meeting Tuesday.

“This is one of the most difficult seasons we’ve been facing trying to move our cargo out of the United States,” said Maria Zermeno, logistics manager for Hughson Nut, a coalition member.

Zermeno said her bookings with ocean...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/ag-shippers-feel-pain-from-lack-of-ocean-containers

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