Loading cars

[cottonpicken]

Is anyone involved in loading your own railway cars?

What are the pros and cons?

[lakenheath]

Pros:

Save on elevation and handling fees charged by the grain companies. Around here it works out to 25 cents a bushel.

Cons:

Lose the benefits offered by grain companies such as blending up grades, drying, storage, trucking incentives, etc.

Grading can be an issue with producer cars, but most farmers I have talked to have been very happy with the grades they have been getting and the dockage.

I have not done it myself, but I know a lot of farmers who have.

[rosco]

Pros-saving all the elevation, handling and general gouging that goes on at the concrete tombstones.
Cons-putting your life on hold while waiting for cars that are supposed to show up on monday, now tuesday, wait, wednesday, er thurs..., aww screw it, lets just go to Farmtech and wait for the phone call and go home then. Damn thing never did come that week, showed up sometime the next week, and then once we loaded it, it sat for a month while the f'n union was on strike. We are on a spur so we get pathetic service, if you are on a mainline service is better.
They say to keep a sample when you load, but that is less than useless when you get into a dispute, trust me. I've been down that road, just finally won my challenge on dockage. From now on I'm putting grain confetti in my cars so I have a backup.
Hate to paint a bad picture, but the worst part is dealing with the railroad. It really is a good time loading and watching all the chaos and general mayhem of loading day!! Plus beer in the bar after is always good.

[JohnKenneth]

If you are in a position to deliver/sell to Mission Terminals at port, who handles a lot of board grains into thunder bay, i think they'll guarantee grade at delivery based on an sgs sample.

[wedino]

If you've got a producer loading site, make sure you use it. We're on a CP main line & last time our site was utilized was '04. CP says it's not used enough & took it off the producer car list. I learned this last fall when I tried to get cars for malt barley. Closest site for me is Estevan(30 mi) or Milestone(60mi). I filed a lack of service complaint with CTA, mediation booked for Apr. 3, '07.

[Ron]

It cant be worse than a 4 hour lineup at a high throughput Agricore/Richardson/SWP/Cargill/Dreyfus elevator can it? (didnt want to pick on any on company, they are all a mess when trying to draw 100000 tonnes in a day).
And I have been jerked around so many times when trying to move grain into an elevator, 1) no cars, 2) not enough cars, 3) we got the cars but they are for anything but what you have in the bin, 4) sure bring your grain in with the other 75 super-Bs'
You would lose trucking premiums and would the freight be higher? Or do any incentives remain with the elevator anyways?

[grefer]

I have loaded a few cars recently and it went quite well.I am on a CN mainline and service is always a big issue when dealing with them,but the grain companies face similar issues.I find it finacially rewarding dispite the hasles and it is nice to keep the elevator companies out of your pocket when possible.

[cottonpicken]

Thanks for the input guys.

[food4u]

I have loaded producer cars for several years and am very pleased with grading, not so pleased with rail service and very disappionted with the CWB when it comes time to get paid.The CWB has ONE person that writes all the cheques for these cars and sometimes it takes a month or more to get paid.This is after the car is unloaded at port.I am registered with the railway and can track my cars after they leave the loading facility.