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Containerized freight challenges continue

Containerized freight challenges continue to plague the movement of some agricultural products.

Randy Duckworth with the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance says there’s a shortage of containers.

“We want to make sure that we have containers ready to ship products when our customers want it, and that’s not always possible here in the Midwest. For example, empty containers being shipped back overseas sometimes, which can be a frustration.”

He tells Brownfield some of the challenges come and go, and in many cases are a sign of growing pains as containerized shipping gains popularity.

“These problems do eb and flow in fact, but we have seen growth in our industry, so we see both. We have to compete with other products for those shipping containers, so those products sometimes might be of higher value.”

Duckworth says the expansion of transportation options, including further development of the Great Lake’s St. Lawrence Seaway, would help alleviate pressure on containerized freight.

He says this is one of the issues that will be covered during next week’s Transportation Go! Conference in Minneapolis.