Transportation: Page 3

Railroads ready for big 2026 grain harvest

Major carriers report adequate equipment and crews despite some fleet reductions from last year.

Agricultural grain elevator facility with large metal storage silos and conveyor systems in rural landscape

Brand Insights

Thermal Performance and Gearbox Selection for Grain Handling Applications

SEW-EURODRIVE, Inc.

SEW-EURODRIVE’s Austin Burdette discusses heat challenges in grain handling gearboxes and how proper thermal management can reduce downtime and extend equipment life.

Thermal Performance and Gearbox Selection for Grain Handling Applications

Grain Trade & Export

Corn, soybean shipping costs to Japan climb

Transportation expenses rise for both Gulf and Pacific Northwest routes as ocean freight rates jump.

Large cargo ship docked at industrial port with grain silos and loading cranes

Business & Markets

Ethanol offers pump relief amid price surge

New federal data shows E15 fuel saving drivers 11.5% per gallon as gasoline costs jump 42% in three months.

Fuel pump nozzles with colored E10 and fuel grade labels at a gas station

Skilled CDL driver shortage persists in agriculture

Kansas Ag Summit panelists discuss the driver pipeline and other ways to address the gap.

Semi-truck loading at grain elevator facility with large cylindrical storage silos

Rail grain carloads outpace 3-year average

Barge traffic drops 26% week-over-week while ocean vessel loadings fall short of last year’s pace.

Large agricultural grain elevator facility with metal storage silos and conveyor system in rural prairie landscape under clear blue sky

BioMar orders new feed vessel for Norway

The ship will boost delivery capacity along the Norwegian coast starting in 2029.

Blue and white Boskalis dredging vessel anchored in coastal waters with mountainous backdrop

Railroads shift soybean freight strategies

Major carriers adjust rates as domestic crush rises and exports to China remain uncertain for marketing year 2026/27.

Rusty railroad tracks converging toward horizon with gravel ballast and weathered wooden ties

Grain rail traffic up despite weekly dip

Rail carloads increased 11% year-over-year while diesel prices jumped nearly $1.75 per gallon.

BNSF Railway diesel locomotive number 4566 traveling through desert landscape with sparse vegetation

NGFA opposes Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern railroad merger

Its filing with federal regulators argues the revised merger plan still falls short of the competition test required for approval.

Union Pacific diesel locomotive with freight cars under overhead catenary structure on railroad tracks

Grain shipping costs to Mexico climb in Q2

Transportation expenses and farm values pushed landed costs higher from first to second quarter 2026.

Railroad tracks extending into the distance with wooden ties and metal rails in perspective view

Senate confirms Hedlund to second STB term

Grain association praises rail regulator’s experience as she begins new five-year appointment.

US ethanol exports surge on foreign demand

Strong international buying drives record sales despite production fluctuations.

Gas station fuel pump nozzles with colored labels including E10 ethanol blend option

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