How is wheat transported to the different ports?

Question

How is wheat transported to the different ports?

Answer 1

The vast majority of field crops move via truck, train, and barge transportation. Truck, rail and water represent 16.6, 44.1 and 27.4 percent, respectively, of the ton-miles of field crops transported. When simply looking at tons hauled, the numbers are 66.4, 17.6 and 8.2 percent, respectively (USDA). The clear indication is that rail and barge haul significantly longer distances than trucks, which handle a large amount of the grain movement. As a vast majority of grain that enters the inland waterway is bound for export markets, and yet the use of rail accounts for 44.1% of field crop transportation on a ton-mile basis, one can conclude rail is being used primarily for long haul domestic destinations. Transportation mode usage is influenced by availability, infrastructure, fixed costs, variable costs per mile, local supply and demand, and competition.