Agro logistics

Grain trucks, elevators, rail vs truck — agro-cargo specifics

Key aspects

Grain trucks

Grain truck — tipper ~40 m³ (tandem) or semi ~60 m³. Payload 20–40 t. Rule: load to the lower of volume/weight limits — overload is fined per axle.

Elevators

Intake: lab (moisture, trash, protein) → dispatcher → terminal. Queues in high season. Elevator settlement — by weight after cleaning (discount for moisture/impurities).

Rail vs truck for grain

Rail wins from ~300 km and large lots (70t wagon). Truck — under 200 km and urgent. Port logistics is often rail.

Seasonality & queues

Harvest (Jul–Sep) — grain-truck shortage, rates ×1.5–2. Book transport ahead or keep a mini-fleet.

Grain documents

Grain waybill, quality certificate, phytosanitary cert (export), GMO declaration if needed. Weighted at departure and intake.

Losses & claims

Natural shrinkage ~0.1–0.2%. Shortage beyond — claim against carrier with weighing act. General rule: record weight at both ends.

Agro logistics is seasonal: rates and truck availability swing with harvest. The most common mistake is counting only trip cost without elevator discount and queue dwell time.