The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service has released its latest Grain Transportation Report, revealing diverse trends across various transportation sectors. The report, covering the week ending June 7, 2025, highlights notable changes in rail, barge, and ocean transportation of grain commodities.
U.S. Class I railroads originated 24,019 grain carloads during the week ending May 31, showing a slight 1% decrease from the previous week. However, this figure represents a 9% increase compared to the same period last year and an 8% rise above the three-year average. The average June shuttle secondary railcar bids were $54 below tariff for the week ending June 5, marking a $30 increase from the previous week.
Barge movements saw significant year-over-year growth, with 725,950 tons of grain transported for the week ending June 7. This volume represents a 98% increase compared to the same period last year, despite being 16% lower than the previous week. The New Orleans region experienced a 12% decrease in grain barge unloadings compared to the previous week.
Ocean freight activity in the Gulf showed strong performance, with 32 oceangoing grain vessels loaded during the week ending June 5 – a 39% increase from the same period last year. Looking ahead, 44 vessels are expected to be loaded within the next 10 days, indicating a 33% year-over-year increase.
Export sales data for the week ending May 29 revealed mixed results across commodities. While net corn export sales for marketing year 2024/25 increased by 3% from the previous week, net wheat export sales showed a 62% improvement, albeit remaining in negative territory.
These fluctuations in grain transportation metrics underscore the dynamic nature of the agricultural supply chain and its responsiveness to market conditions.
