U.S. Class I railroads originated 30,716 grain carloads during the week ending April 4, marking a 6% increase from the previous week and 9% more than the same period last year, according to the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service Grain Transportation Report. The figure represents a notable 20% jump above the three-year average, indicating strong rail demand for grain transportation.
Rail pricing showed varied trends across different car types. Average April shuttle secondary railcar bids reached $442 above tariff for the week ending April 9, down $125 from the previous week but $449 higher than the same week in 2025. Non-shuttle secondary railcar bids averaged $88 above tariff, declining $9 from the prior week and $163 lower than last year.
Barge transportation faced headwinds during the reporting period. Grain movements totaled 505,000 tons for the week ending April 11, dropping 6% from the previous week and 10% below last year’s levels. River traffic reflected this decline, with 302 barges moving downstream, 30 fewer than the prior week. The New Orleans region processed 658 grain barges, representing a 14% decrease from the previous week.
Ocean shipping also experienced reduced activity. Thirty oceangoing grain vessels loaded in the Gulf during the week ending April 9, down 9% from last year. Looking ahead, 33 vessels are expected to load within the next 10 days, 38% fewer than the same period in 2025.
Shipping rates to Japan increased across both major export corridors. Gulf-to-Japan rates reached $64.75 per metric ton, while Pacific Northwest-to-Japan rates hit $34.75 per metric ton, both up 2% from the previous week.
Diesel fuel costs provided some relief, decreasing 3.5 cents to $5.608 per gallon for the week ending April 13, though prices remained $2.029 above last year’s levels.
Export sales data revealed mixed commodity performance. Unshipped balances for corn, soybeans and wheat totaled 32.92 million metric tons for marketing year 2025/26, down 3% weekly but up 24% annually. Corn export sales increased 3% to 1.40 million metric tons, while soybean sales dropped 16% to 0.25 million metric tons and wheat sales fell 39% to 0.10 million metric tons.
