Grain Transportation Overview by Sector: 3/7/19

This article has been reprinted from the March 7 USDA Grain Transportation Report.

Rail

U.S. Class I railroads originated 21,695 grain carloads for the week ending February 23—up 2 percent from the previous week, 8 percent from last year, and 2 percent from the 3-year average.

Average March shuttle secondary railcar bids/offers (per car) were $2,061 above tariff for the week ending February 28—up $749 from last week, and $1,344 from last year.

Average non-shuttle secondary railcar bids/offers were $275 above tariff, up $25 from last week.

There were no non-shuttle bids/offers this week last year.

Barge

For the week ending March 2, barge grain movements totaled 239,000 tons—39 percent less than the previous week and down 38 percent from the same period last year.

For the week ending March 2, 161 grain barges moved down river, which is 83 barges less than the previous week.

There were 513 grain barges unloaded in New Orleans, 19 percent lower than the previous week.

Ocean

For the week ending February 28, 33 ocean-going grain vessels were loaded in the Gulf, 20 percent less than the same period last year.

Sixty-seven vessels are expected to be loaded within the next 10 days, 26 percent more than the same period last year.

For the week ending February 28, the ocean freight rate for shipping bulk grain from the Gulf to Japan was $39.50 per metric ton, 1 percent more than the previous week.

The cost of shipping from the PNW to Japan was $22.75 per metric ton, 2 percent more than the previous week.

Fuel

For the week ending March 4, the U.S. average diesel fuel price increased 2.8 cents from the previous week, to $3.076 per gallon. This is 8.4 cents above the same week last year.