Moving Bulk Grains and Crops Quickly Around the World
In 2019, WTC Group built a new bulk handling system to increase the loading speed of grains and crops into containers sevenfold. The loading system dumps grain directly from railcars into one of four staged containers. With the system online, our company increased its grain loading capacity to over 13 metric tonnes per minute. This enhanced capacity helped to position WTC as one of Canada’s most advanced bulk containerization operations.
Here is an overview of what’s involved with moving bulk grains and crops and how we make it easy and efficient for you.
Common Grains and Crops Shipped in Containers
Canola and wheat are important crops in British Columbia. Canola alone accounts for more than $10 billion in annual revenue. Additionally, this crop improves the soil, preserves biodiversity, and captures less carbon.
WTC Group handles mostly pulse crops, such as lentils and peas, which require less nitrogen fertilizer. Other grains and specialty crops that do well in containerized shipping include:
- Peas
- Lentils
- Soybeans
- Malt
- Barley
- Other bulk grains
- Corn
- Distillery dry grain soluble (DDGs)
CFS and Transloading of Grains and Crops
Container Freight Station (CFS) and transloading services enable producers to get fresh produce to market fast. A CFS is a warehouse where logistics experts coordinate the consolidation and deconsolidation of imported or exported items. In addition, it serves as a centralized point to stage products for the next leg of the journey.
Transloading services move your grain and crops from land transportation, such as trucks or rail, to other modes of transport, including containers, intermodals, and ships. Here are some of the ways we make the process simpler for our customers:
- Multi-modal transfer using two or more transportation options (rail, air, sea, or truck) and a single bill of lading.
- Quality control inspections to ensure no one pilfers, tampers with, or compromises your product.
- Loading/unloading services, so you don’t have to lift a finger to ensure your food products reach the final destination in ideal shape.
Speed of Transportation
While grains have a longer shelf life than fresh fruits and vegetables, time is of the essence in transporting them across the country or even abroad. Because of this, WTC Group constantly works to expedite loading, unloading, and container handling with better equipment and processes.
Standardized Material Handling Equipment (MHE) allows us to transfer your containers in minutes, speeding them along to their destinations worldwide.
How Does International Containerization Work?
When commodities ship from Canada or the US to Asia, containerization saves time and improves logistics. For example, a container of grain arrives from Asia. Workers unload the contents and reload the container with new items that go back to North America.
Economies of Scale
Containerization has made grain and crop shipment less expensive, opening up new markets and helping the entire agricultural industry in Canada to thrive. Economies of scale are achieved when efficiency decreases shipping expenses while improving delivery speeds. Therefore, dealing in bulk quantities makes the process even more profitable.
Contact us online or call 1-844-WTC-GRUP (982-4787) for help choosing the right transport for your canola, wheat, or other crops. Containerization and transloading are just two of our areas of specialization. Let’s get your product to market faster!
