News
Wheat Freight Costs Rise as Plains Crop Shrinks
4+ hour, 38+ min ago (189+ words) NASHVILLE, TENN. (RFD NEWS) " Southern Plains wheat shippers face higher rail fuel surcharges as hard red winter wheat production falls toward a nearly 70-year low. USDA's Grain Transportation Report says BNSF and Union Pacific made only modest tariff changes for…...
Strong Grain Demand Pushes Freight Costs Higher Nationwide
1+ week, 3+ hour ago (173+ words) LUBBOCK, TEXAS (RFD NEWS) " Farmers have plenty of grain to move, and export demand remains strong, but transportation costs are rising across rail, barge, and ocean freight. USDA's Grain Transportation Report says last fall's record corn harvest helped push first-quarter…...
House Passes Legislation to Target Cargo Crimes Involving U. S. Dairy
1+ week, 4+ hour ago (113+ words) Aerial of a cargo ship carrying a container of exports. The House has passed legislation aimed at cracking down on organized retail crime, including cargo thefts impacting U. S. dairy shippers. The National Milk Producers Federation and the U. S. Dairy Export Council are…...
Freight Bottlenecks Reshape Grain and Fertilizer Shipping Routes
2+ week, 6+ hour ago (222+ words) NASHVILLE, TENN. (RFD NEWS) " Transportation pressure is building across several key farm freight channels, from the Panama Canal to the U. S. -Mexico border. The latest developments point to shifting export routes, higher congestion risk, and continuing cost pressure for grain, fertilizer,…...
New CDL Rule Could Tighten Farm Freight Capacity
1+ mon, 1+ week ago (172+ words) Starkweather Farm, Iowa. (2015) LUBBOCK, TEXAS (RFD NEWS) " A new federal rule limiting certain commercial driver's licenses (CDL) could reduce available trucking capacity, raising concerns about freight movement during key agricultural seasons. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration finalized changes that restrict…...
Mississippi River Reopens as Freight Costs Begin Rising
1+ mon, 2+ week ago (164+ words) NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD NEWS) " Grain transportation is shifting into spring mode as the Mississippi River system reopens, while rising diesel prices are expected to push freight costs higher in the weeks ahead. Transportation costs are now becoming a growing concern....
Rail Auctions and Fuel Costs Lift Logistics Risks
2+ mon, 3+ day ago (319+ words) MEMPHIS, TENN. (RFD NEWS) " Higher rail auction premiums and surging fuel costs are raising transportation risks for grain shippers " tightening margins for producers tied to export-driven markets. BNSF held its first auction for 2026/27 crop-year shuttle contracts on March 11, selling 35 shuttles…...
Grain Logistics Mixed As Rail Slows, Barges Rise
2+ mon, 1+ week ago (153+ words) View of the Panama Canal from a cruise ship. LUBBOCK, TEXAS (RFD NEWS) " U. S. grain transportation showed mixed signals late in February as rail volumes softened while barge activity and export shipping remained firm, reflecting shifting logistics demand across export corridors....
Tariffs and Cartel Violence Pose Challenges for U. S. -Mexico Agricultural Trade
2+ mon, 3+ week ago (364+ words) Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Meets with U. S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins in the National Palace in Mexico City. (Nov. 3, 2025) SOUTH TEXAS (RFD NEWS) " So far, 2026 has been a year of challenges for agricultural trade between the United States and Mexico....
Barge Markets Remain Volatile as Export Demand Builds
2+ mon, 3+ week ago (159+ words) A towboat, known as a pusher, pushes barges full of cargo up the Mississippi River near downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD NEWS) " Grain barge movement on the Mississippi River System is entering 2026 with strong export demand but continued…...