– Shippers complain that rail cars are often rejected because they are in poor condition
THREE
HILLS, Alta. – Canada controls 40 percent of the world’s export pulse trade,
but its reputation as a timely supplier is poor.
“All
parties including shippers, railways and transloaders agree the system is
flawed,” Greg Cherewyk, a transportation specialist with Pulse Canada, told a
recent producers meeting in Three Hills Nov. 16.
“For
the first time, growers have seen transportation as important as market access,
research and development and health research.”
Pulse
Canada has set up a committee of its members, grain companies and transportation
service providers to improve logistics as well as figure out the costs to the
entire industry.
Shippers
often send a load to ports without booking a container or a spot on a vessel.
However, advance booking does not guarantee a container will be available when
needed.
As
well, ships are overbooked to ensure they have a full load.
Seasonality
also adds problems.
For
example, lots of peas move in August and September to arrive on the Indian
subcontinent before the Australian and Indian harvests to capture market
advantage.
“Railroads
would prefer steady movement of all commodities,” Cherewyk said.
The
committee also wants tracking to show how long shipments took, including where
loads might have sat waiting to be picked up.
On
average, it takes 16 days, plus or minus eight days, to ship pulses to port
from any given point, he said.
That
delay may result in a container missing its place on a vessel. It must then be
put on the next available ship.
Shipper
education is needed so everyone along the trip knows the logistics involved in
moving products in a timely fashion rather than passing on problems to the next
handler.
Cherewyk’s
research showed shipments to eastern ports involved 57,000 tonnes of pulses
moving in boxcars, 313,500 tonnes in domestic containers, 139,000 tonnes in
international containers and 127,280 tonnes in hopper cars.
