The Lepps own one semi with a Super B and usually rent a truck and two trailers during harvest. Ian says it’s essential first to calculate what it costs them per kilometre per tonne. This benchmark allows them to check with local trucking companies to see if they can haul cheaper.
“If we’re looking at prices an hour or more away, we call some trucking companies,” Lepp says. “Our grain broker deals with them quite a bit and it takes him one phone call.”
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For bulk commodities, haulage is a major component of net revenues for both the buyer and seller. Top marketers are always looking for savings in trucking and timely delivery.
Trucking efficiency is key in the feed business. Linda Feltz sources feed grains for Wallenstein Feed, north of Guelph, Ont. Feltz says feed mills base their buying price on the market with trucking on top. Sometimes, though, there may be back-haul savings. For example, a livestock farmer who produces surplus corn will arrange for pickup after a load of feed has been dropped off at the barn.
However, a back-haul opportunity doesn’t always pay. “If a feed truck is stuck loading corn for too long, it’s not out delivering feed and that’s where we make money,” says Feltz.
If a sucker truck is needed or an auger is only six inch, it increases load time. The driveway to the on-farm storage should be gravelled or paved and trees cut back, says Feltz. Trucks need a convenient place to load and turn around too.
