Bulk Freight News & Industry Updates - Stay Ahead in Trucking

FARGO, N.D. -- The region's row crop harvest is looking mostly good, and is coming in at a pace that most people couldn't have anticipated at mid-summer. Here is what elevator operators were saying on Oct. 5 along a route starting in the southern Red River Valley, and clockwise through the central and upper part of North Dakota. Yields coming in COLFAX, N.D. -- Carrol Duerr, manager of the Colfax (N.D.) Farmers Elevator, says soybean harvest was about 90 percent complete. Yields were ra

Customers must help truckers keep drivers to reduce costs, says consultant Shippers need to do more to help trucking companies reduce rising driver turnover rates and help keep transportation costs in line, a transportation consultant says. "Shippers are going to have to become more flexible to trucking company needs," CostDown Consulting CEO Joe White said. The alternative could be a greater increase in transportation costs, as higher driver turnover rates push up hiring, operating

If you want to see large piles of corn that big elevators typically make for temporary storage at harvest, then clean out as winter unfolds while grain is still in good condition, you may have to head west to Iowa, or perhaps head into extreme northwestern Indiana or northern Illinois. A good part of Indiana, Ohio and even central and southern Illinois are looking at highly-variable corn yields, with very meager to downright poor yields in some areas. One large commercial elevator near Edinbu

Avery Weigh-Tronix introduces the Field Foreman grain cart software, a unique program featuring powerful data collection and export capabilities tailored to grain cart applications. Fairmont, MN (PRWEB) October 10, 2011 Avery Weigh-Tronix introduces the Field Foreman grain cart software, a unique program featuring powerful data collection and export capabilities tailored to grain cart applications. Field Foreman software was specifically developed for the user-friendly model 3060 touch s

Early on Friday, the Illinois village of Tiskilwa had to be evacuated when a freight train derailed and exploded. Ottawa Fire Department Capt. Steve Haywood said that the train was carrying highly flammable ethanol and other materials being transported for Archer Daniels Midland Co., which is a corn processor. The incident happened about 2am on the Iowa Interstate Railroad, and at least six of the tanker cars were emblazoned in bright orange flames. There weren't any reports of injuries, however

The revived global economic jitters sent Cargill profits tumbling to their lowest since the last financial crisis, with only one of the agribusiness giant's five divisions reporting a rise in earnings. Greg Page, the Cargill chairman and chief executive, said the group was focused on "regaining earnings momentum" following a 66% decline to $236m in earnings in the June-to-August period. This figure was the lowest since the March-to-May quarter of 2009. Mr Page, terming the quarter "t

COATSBURG, Ill. -- No one was injured when grain truck overturned on a private road at a railroad crossing at 7:39 p.m. Sunday, closing tracks for 90 minutes. The Adams County Sheriff's Department reports James R. Blacketer, 63, of Coatsburg, was driving a 1976 international grain truck leaving a field on the north side of U.S. 24 at Coatsburg, one-quarter west of County Road 2000 East, when the truck stalled as it reached the railroad tracks. Blacketer had the 17-year-old male passenger exit

Cargill Inc.'s first-quarter earnings fell 66% from a year-earlier period that included a contribution from its Mosaic Co. investment, and the grain merchant pointed to uncertainty in the global economy and volatile commodities markets. "It was a tough quarter," Chief Executive Greg Page said. "With results down from recent levels, ... View Original Post

"The new norm for farmers worldwide is high commodity prices, high volatility of production costs and little or no safety net for crop failures," says Sterling Liddell, vice-president for Rabo Agrifinance. Speaking at the Southern Peanut Growers Association meeting in Panama City Beach, Fla., Liddell said prices U.S. farmers get for their crops over the next few years will in part be driven by farm decisions made in China, India, Russia and Brazil. Over the past 4-5 years corn has been a

Late last week, on an otherwise hum-drum news day, a notice came in indicating Michigan was contemplating a $5 environmental levy on retreaded tires. That livened up the newsroom. Placing a surcharge on what has to be recycling's posterchild product is silly enough, but wait until you hear why. Michigan State Representative Douglas Geiss (D-Taylor) would like to see a fee of $5 tacked on to all retreaded tires to cover the cost of collecting all the tire debris from Michigan's highways -- deb

The introduction of agriculture generally is thought to signal one of those epic cultural transformations in the history of civilization. Traditionally referred to as the Neolithic Revolution, it represents the shift from a nomadic way of life based on hunting and gathering many wild foods to a more settled way of life based on the cultivation of one or a few kinds of plants. Settling down in villages led, in turn, to the rise of social inequality as chiefs, priests, warriors, artisans a

Oct. 08--Owensboro Grain Company has received nearly $2 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to defray the capital costs it incurred in building its biodiesel plant in 2007-08. The $1.984 million award is from the federal government's Rural Development Program. "This money is a delayed payment -- applied for a couple of years ago," said Jeff Erb, the local grain company's CFO. The funds are allocated to companies making products according to quality specifications of the indus

Long-haul trucking's days may be numbered. Trucking itself isn't going anywhere -- in fact it's projected to grab a bigger share of the transportation market, which includes rail, air, water and ground transport, according to an American Trucking Associations forecast. But the weekslong trips on which Chattanooga-based U.S. Xpress and crosstown rival Covenant Transport built their business are destined to fade away, as demographics change the face of truck driving, U.S. Xpress co-Chairman

Oct. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Tanker cars involved in a train derailment and fire today in north-central Illinois were carrying ethanol for Archer Daniels Midland Co. %u21CSix or seven%u21D cars of ethanol were coming from a plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, D.H. Miller, chief executive officer of Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd., said in a telephone interview. The National Transportation Safety Board sent a team to investigate the derailment, the board said in a statement. Residents of Tiskilwa, Illin

Manufacturers fully support the request made this week by House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor to the President to withdraw the Department of Transportation's proposed changes to the trucking hours of service rules. Citing a $1 billion regulatory burden imposed by these changes and specific impacts to small business, the two House leaders identified this proposed rule as a "helpful first step toward lowering the $1.75 trillion annual cost of federal regulations." Manu

CHATTANOOGA (WRCB)-- Mark Shepherd has needed no nudging to shift gears into a trucking career. "Job security," he says. "I just came off a two-year-layoff from Alcoa." After seven weeks of commercial driver training at Chattanooga State, he already has a job. "They came in and recruited us," Shepherd says. Chatt State has about 15 people enrolled in its daytime class; about ten at night, according to coordinator Don Hunt, of the Tennessee Technology Center Division. "Six are

Top House Republicans have thrown their support behind the trucking industry and are urging the Obama administration to hit the brakes on proposed regulations that would further limit how long each day that tractor-trailer drivers can stay behind the wheel. House Speaker John A. Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor on Wednesday sent a letter to President Obama and implored him to pull the plug on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) new trucking guidelines, which are e

(Host) The Shumlin administration is urging Congress to grant Vermont a waiver to allow heavier trucks to use the interstate highway system. Transportation officials want to get these big trucks out of Vermont's downtowns. As VPR's Bob Kinzel reports, the leaders say road damage from Tropical Storm Irene makes the situation even more critical. (Kinzel) Currently, the weight limit for big trucks on Vermont roads is 100,000 pounds. But the limit on the federal Interstate system is 80,0

The trucking industry hired 2,600 new payroll employees in September, according to preliminary numbers released Oct. 7 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS also revised downward its employment estimates for trucking during July and August by 800 jobs. Compared with September 2010, trucking employment is up by 42,200, or 3.4 percent. Payroll employment is up by 28,400 jobs, or 2.3 percent, in 2011 and by 57,100 jobs, or 4.7 percent, since the bottom of trucking employment in March 2010.

For some folks, there were those "good old days" when the value of the dollar kept falling in relation to foreign currencies. If you weren't trying to buy fertilizer at the time it was great, because foreign buyers were gobbling up US grain and pushing prices higher. Yes, those were the "good old days," because times have changed, and the foreign grain buyers are no longer knocking down the granary door. Grain prices have fallen and exports have declined. Those two do not seem to go hand

Mid-September 2011: Sorry it's been so long since my last report. I had epic computer failure (hard drive crash), and have been busy with limited access to Internet. But since we've last talked, we harvested wheat in Kansas, South Dakota, and North Dakota. Kansas went smoothly, with yields anywhere from 10 bushels/acre to 60 bu/ac. Around the middle of July, we packed up the equipment on semis and made the drive to South Dakota. It took two trips, but we started cutting the day we got th

The recent turkey meat recall has forced lay-offs at Cargill's plant in Springdale, AR. A Cargill official has confirmed that about 130 workers will be laid off from the Springdale plant and a recent turkey recall is to blame. The layoffs were effective immediately. Mike Martin, the company's director of communications, says the plant has not produced any ground turkey since September 9 and the plant has had trouble "finding things for people to do." Company officials held a meeting on 3 O

MAUMEE, Ohio, Oct. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Andersons, Inc. (NASDAQ:ANDE) today announced it will soon begin construction on a 3.8 million bushel capacity grain elevator facility near the towns of Anselmo and Broken Bow in Custer County, Nebraska. The facility is slated to be open in time for the 2012 harvest. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081104/CLTU081LOGO ) "Constructing a new facility located in the center of Nebraska fits well with our strategy to provide service to c

A Halifax company has developed technology that it says will help long-haul truck drivers stay awake. U-Sleep, web-based software that tracks drivers' use of therapeutic devices in the treatment of sleep apnea, was released Tuesday, said Umbian Inc. The company conducted several months of trials in conjunction with The Snore Shop, a Nova Scotia chain of sleep therapy clinics. The pilot program involved Continuous Positive Airway Pressure devices. "Average industry compliance for peop

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Truckers are having a hard time getting around Vancouver and it could be slowing your commute. Congestion and new Port Metro Vancouver rules have been creating issues. Traffic changes within the port and a ban on trucks using Nanaimo Street have some truckers using other routes you might be using to get to and from work. A new one-way traffic pattern change at the South Shore Port means truckers can only enter via Commissioner Street to head westward. Peter Xot

Chris Gould can't fully rely on the meters on his harvester to tell him precisely how productive his fields of corn and soybeans were this year. But so far, Gould, who with his family farms near Maple Park, said he likes what his running totals are showing. "I'm just looking at the yield meters in the combine," said Gould. "And we're just getting started. "But this is shaping up to be a pretty good year, I think." Across Kane County and elsewhere in northern Illinois, farmers have bee

NEW YORK, NY, Oct 04, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- With the sudden slowdown in the US economy analysts were concerned that the trucking industry could be in for a difficult second half to 2011. ATA chief economist Bob Costello is more optimistic, explaining that "freight has been going sideways for much of this year, but it isn't falling significantly either, which suggests the U.S. economy just might skirt another recession." The Bedford Report examines the outlook for companies in the truck

A new study by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) claims that the cost of congestion to hauliers in the US – measured as wasted fuel and delay – was $23 billion last year. While trucks only account for 6% of the miles travelled in US urban areas, they represent 26% of the total cost of congestion, says the Urban Mobility Report 2011. Steve Wagner, of the National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education, which provided funding for TTI's freight research, noted

Potholes and high fuel prices could soon be the least of the trucking industry's problems. New federal regulations expected to be released this month would cut the number of hours that tractor-trailer drivers can spend behind the wheel each day, forcing companies to hire more employees and put more trucks on American highways to haul the same amount of goods. The rule, crafted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), is designed to alleviate driver fatigue and reduce the

BALTIMORE -- Maryland police agencies have issued thousands of tickets to drivers for using handheld cell phones behind the wheel in the year since a ban took effect. Records from more than 70 police agencies in the state that participate in the Electronic Traffic Information Exchange were obtained by The Associated Press from state police. The records show 9,248 tickets have been issued to drivers who failed to use a hands-free device since the ban went into effect in October 2010. About 4

Five people were sent to hospital Saturday after a pickup truck pulling a horse trailer collided with a freight train in Warwick Township. Lambton OPP say CN Police, EMS and members of the Watford Fire Department all responded to the incident occurred around 5 p.m. at the rail crossing at Donnelly Road. All five occupants of the truck were taken to Strathroy-Middlesex General Hospital, where three children, ages 8, 9 and 11, were treated and released. A 43-year-old woman remains in hosp

A combination of lifestyle, competition for "quality drivers" and small increases in freight demand are conspiring to increase the turnover rate for over-the-road truck drivers. According to the American Trucking Associations' latest Trucking Activity Report, the turnover rate rose to 79% in the second quarter, up from the first quarter rate of 75%. It is the third quarter in a row of "increased churn" in the driver market, the ATA noted. "Even though the increase was small, we still bel

St. Louis, Mo. - a U.S. federal District Court ruling issued monday denied a preliminary injunction, filed Aug. 23 by Syngenta that would require Bunge North America to accept Agrisure Viptera corn from growers. A statement from Bunge said the court ruling "is consistent with and validates Bunge's decision to reject Agrisure Viptera corn at all of our locations as a legitimate and reasonable business decision." In rejecting Syngenta's request, the court said the public interest would best

Sept. 27 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama proposed new fees on U.S. inland-waterways users such as Cargill Inc. and American Electric Power Co. that would raise $1.1 billion over 10 years to build and repair locks and dams. The administration is seeking a two-tier fee that would augment diesel-fuel taxes paid by vessel operators, according to details of its deficit-reduction proposal sent to members of Congress. The fuel tax brings in about $80 million to $100 million a year. Many l

More than 75 truckers have already signed up to move 'em up and head 'em out! The World's Largest Truck Convoy, presented by Special Olympics Texas (SOTX) – Greater Houston area, rolls out of the Bayou City on October 15. The convoy is a unique opportunity for truckers to partner with SOTX athletes to raise awareness of the movement and celebrate the trucking industry. The 7th annual event will begin with a continental breakfast at 8:00 a.m., followed by registration at 8:30 a.m. Opening Cere

FOREST RIVER, N.D. -- An elevator company in the northeastern North Dakota town of Forest River hopes to break ground for a new facility this fall to replace one that was destroyed by fire. No one was hurt in the Sept. 13 blaze at the Forest River Farmers Elevator. It destroyed the main elevator and two annexes. The 500,000-bushel facility was about half full. The cause was not immediately determined. Damage was estimated at up to $5 million. The elevator is operating out of the Forest Riv

Western Canadian farmers saved $35 million in grain transportation savings during the previous crop year, through CWB programs designed to reduce producers' costs for moving their grain to port. "Farmers bear all the costs of grain transportation, so the CWB is constantly looking for ways to keep those costs down," said Bill Woods, a CWB farmer-elected director from Eston, Saskatchewan. "We are the largest shipper in Western Canada. This gives us negotiating power with grain handlers and rai

These days, you can order just about anything from the online retail giant Amazon.com: books, music, dish towels, truck parts ... truck parts? Yes, indeed. Navistar Parts has announced that it now sells truck and bus parts through Amazon's e-commerce platform. Buyers can use Amazon's search capabilities to locate items by type, price, make, and model, as well as view suggestions for products that complement their selection, according to Patti Corso, Navistar Parts' e-commerce manager. They a

GOSHEN - Clinton Center Feed Inc. has surrendered its buyer/warehouse license, effective this week. The announcement, made by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, means the grain operation can no longer act as a grain warehouse or buyer. Jerome Hawkins, director of the Indiana Grain Buyers and Warehouse Licensing Agency, said the grain company voluntarily gave up its license, but the reasons behind the decision are protected by confidentiality laws. Hawkins said a notice about t

Agricultural manufacturing will make a comeback in Watertown with the production of protein meal by Afgritech LLC. The manufacturer's plant, at 200 Willow St., was the Blue Seal Feeds mill before that feed company consolidated its operations in Adams Center in 2008. Afgritech, a joint venture of Carrs Billington Agriculture, Stanwix, England, and Afgri Operations Ltd., Centurion, South Africa, bought the facility a year ago and has spent millions to upgrade it into what company officials

Obviously the grain and soy markets will need to make some serious adjustments to accommodate for this morning's "BEARISH" USDA data. My thoughts are corn falls below $6.00, soybeans will fall below $11.00 and wheat will mover closer to $6.20. Obviously with the corn ending stocks number moving above 1 billion the "bulls" will be scrambling for coverage. It wouldn't surprise me to see corn actually test the new $0.40 cent limit to the downside. I continue to preach that you must be extremely c

One-time fees for special services high on carriers' negotiating list, TCP says More than two-thirds of truckload carriers plan more use of accessorial charges, adding income from shipping fees to higher rates, Transport Capital Partners said. The consulting firm said 68 percent of the carriers it surveyed in the third quarter plan to renegotiate accessorial fees across more categories with shippers. Those accessorial fees include detention charges, mentioned by 42 percent of carrier

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - Expect slackening to flat freight volumes for the remainder of 2011, warned Cormark Securities' David Newman at yesterday's SCL-Nulogx breakfast conference aptly entitled "Transportation Strategy: Planning for 2012 in Uncertain Times." Cormark's Freight Monitor, which is an average of four key North American transportation market indices, declined to 3.6% in July after peaking at 12.4% in June 2010. It has been on a fairly steady decline since the start of the year. The

The Texas Transportation Institute has just released its annual Urban Mobility Report, serving up in gory detail all the horrors of traffic congestion. Washington, D.C., regains its prized spot as most congested city in the United States, with Chicago number two. Friday, it turns out, is the worst day nationally for traffic congestion, with 200 million more hours of delay than Monday. And 40 percent of delays don't even occur during rush hours -- they creep up midday and overnight, when they're

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Two former local executives of a local trucking company charged with bank fraud, plead guilty in federal court. Former Dart Trucking Company Chief Operating Officer Timothy Kephart was the only member of the trio to plead not guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Former company President Lee Stoneburner, of Canfield, and former Chief Financial Officer Mark Michael, of Clearfield, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty. They'll be sentenced in December. The three wer

The GROWMARK Grain Division is making news. First off, the division will have a new VP as of November 1. Brent Ericson has been named Vice President, Grain, replacing Davis Anderson, who retired in September. As VP, Grain, Ericson will be responsible for the overall management, oversight, support and growth of GROWMARK's grain business, which includes 80 grain members and companies inIllinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Combined, the 80 companies market approximately 1 billion bushels of grain

The main trade group representing U.S. trucking companies spent $395,825 lobbying the federal government in the second quarter, according to a disclosure report. That's up from $291,597 the American Trucking Associations spent in the first three months of the year, and down from the $433,226 it spent in the second quarter of 2010. The ATA lobbied on legislation involving issues such as transportation of hazardous materials, global warming, fuel efficiency and truck driver shortages. In

Viterra Inc. officially took over full operation of the grain terminal at the Port of Montreal at a ceremony Tuesday in Montreal. Mayo Schmidt, president and CEO of Viterra, told the gathering of customers, employees and government and industry officials that large, complex infrastructure is needed to handle, market and transport grains and oilseeds around the globe. "Strategically located port facilities are critical within Viterra's grain handling and marketing chain,'' Schmidt said in

Alabama trucker Kenneth Laymon had been on the road 13 hours and had traveled 437 miles when he punched a number into his cell phone. It was a short call. And his last. It ended when Laymon crashed head-on into a van carrying 12 people to a Mennonite wedding. Only two small children in the rear of the van survived. Laymon and 10 others died in that March 2010 crash in Kentucky. Driver fatigue and distraction were later blamed for the tragic accident. Laymon had been texting and t

It can be easy to take for granted the fact that we have the right to freely market our skills. If you are seeking a master's in business administration (MBA), you will be able to market yourself to countless businesses; if you are an artist, you will be free to share your work and attempt to sell it at various galleries and stores. Imagine a different scenario. What if you were required to submit your skills or products to a board that would then decide for you where and to whom your product

Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh: In another horrific story of police atrocity, a truck driver has been beaten to death by officials in Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh. His crime: refusing to pay Rs. 5000 as bribe. Truck driver Anant Kumar Gupta was on his way from Delhi to Bihar with a consignment of medicines when he was stopped by Regional Transport Office (RTO) officials and five UP Police constables at Naubatpur in Chandauli. The driver's son, who was accompanying him, says the officials