Transporting corn and soybeans from farms to elevators to ethanol plants?

Discussion in 'Questions To Truckers From The General Public' started by trucking_noob, May 19, 2013.

  1. trucking_noob

    trucking_noob Bobtail Member

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    Apr 6, 2012
    Vancouver, BC
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    I was wondering if there are any drivers who can share some insight into the process for transporting corn and soybeans from farms to grain elevators and to ethanol plants. I found a great study which (see below) which talks about corn shipments to ethanol plants in Kansas. It mentions that among the 10 ethanol plants sampled, that they receive, on average, 67 truckloads of corn per day (I'm estimating that the biggest one receives about 160 truckloads per day, at 50,000 lbs per load). From other research, I've found that the average trip is about 50-100 miles from elevator to plant. It would be great if anyone here are answer any of my questions below:

    1) How many trips is a truck doing per day? I would imagine that with such a short round-trip, the trucks are doing at least 2 trips?

    2) Who owns the trucks that are transporting the corn? Are they the farmers, the elevator operators or for-hire carriers?

    3) Can anyone names some of the companies that supply the corn and soybeans to the plants? I'm confused as some research says that the corn fields are owned by big conglomerate companies while the corn grower associations say that they are family run operations.

    Google: "Transportation Impacts of Increased Ethanol Production: A Kansas Case Study"

    FYI, I finished my air brake course and will be writing a knowledge test for a commercial trucking license and air brake endorsement soon. Getting closer and closer to my commercial driving license!
     
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  3. d o g

    d o g Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    Sep 20, 2010
    Texas
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    A lot of the grain haulers hang out in this thread:

    http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...rator/80808-hopper-dump-o-os-and-drivers.html

    That's a link to the first page several years ago, and with over 7,000 posts, you might want to skip to the end. But, much of the information that you're asking can be found in there. If you don't find what you're looking for, just ask a specific question and some of them will be glad to help you if/when they have time.
     
  4. MJ1657

    MJ1657 Road Train Member

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    Jan 28, 2012
    Isanti, MN
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    I haul corn and beans in MN. Not sure if any of my answers are what youre looking for but i'll throw it out there.

    I haul between 2 and as many as 5 loads a day with 3 to 4 being the norm. We haul most of our loads to the river terminals in St. Paul. Our length of haul is around 50-70 miles one way.

    Elevators hours vary quite a bit depending on the time of year and the number of trucks coming in. Number of loads a day are determined by how long it takes to load, wait time at elevator, elevators hours and distance from farm to elevator. Some farms have old equipment and small augers to load.

    Most of the guys around here are owner op's and farmers.
     
  5. 25(2)+2

    25(2)+2 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    Sep 18, 2006
    the road less travelled
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    Ethanol involves corn and unleaded gasoline as inputs, the gas is used to denature the alcohol so that it can only be used as fuel. Soybeans aren't used to produce ethanol, although soy oil bio diesel is produced for some of the bio diesel demand.
    Ethanol production produces ethanol and by-products, which vary depending on plant design.


    Many of the plants were started by investors and were later bought out by oil companies and refining interests, the price fluctuations were more than were planned for and put the developers into bankruptcy trying to cover margins and contracts for inputs and production.


    Much of the trucking involves by products, some trucks haul feedstock in and load by products back out.
     
  6. volvodriver01

    volvodriver01 Road Train Member

    In Indiana most of the grain hauling is by farmers or their hired hands. Alot is also done by owner operators. Most of the elevators and ethanol plants have hundreds of different trucks coming in and out per day with alot being repeat trucks hauling from the bins on the farm or smaller elevators going to the bigger plants. Most smaller farms will have their trucks hauling 4-6 loads per day to the plants.

    One local farmer by me has grown alot the last 10 years or so. They have bought 4 smaller grain elevators, have 12 trucks of their own and now hire 100 owner operators for harvest season. What they do is fill up their elevators and then sell it to the bigger guys with roughly 4 million bushel going to the local ethanol plant.
     
  7. midnightrunner

    midnightrunner Bobtail Member

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    Oct 11, 2012
    La Crosse WI
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    How does a guy get involved in hauling grain to ethanol plants? My original plan for my truck has fallen through and one of the options im lookong at is leasing a hopper bottom to haul grain. Theres a fair amount of elevators in my area and an ethanol plant about an hour away from me, but im just not quite sure how to get started. Do i just go in the the elevator and talk to them? Or is the transportation set up by the ethanol plant? Sorry for the dumb questions but im learning as i go here, uncharted territory for me. Any and all help/advice is welcome and much appreciated.
     
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