crisis management

[farmaholic]

I heard it was wood chips, which could be done by rail from the west coast if the system was operating properly...

**** sakes ...combines use to be delivered by rail in time for harvest....

No wood chips in Prince Albert or any other wood mill east of the Rockies?

[bucket]

No wood chips in Prince Albert or any other wood mill east of the Rockies?

Don't know but the trucker was basically getting fuel for the drive back...

[walterm]

There is alternatives for grain now as well....I have heard of loads of feed wheat being trucked from mid point saskatchewan to burnaby BC....

Not only feed grains in all lower mainland BC but a pile of milling wheat is trucked to Rogers food mills in Chiliwack and Armstrong has been for years and also new frac sand plant in Golden trucks sand back to prairies. Likely lots more opportunities.

[helmsdale]

ATS, formerly Reimer based their entire business model on hauling bulk commodities into the lower mainland. Take old super B flat decks, heavily modify them, then haul lumber out to western canada and wheat back. Lumber is their main haul, wheat is their back haul.

The lower mainland is a black hole for bulk commodities haulable by grain bulkers. Lots going in, next to nothing coming out. Grain Screening Pellets come off the port facilities but guys fight over them so hard they'll hardly cover your fuel coming back out at $30/mT. They're a real pleasure to haul in the winter time when it's +6 and pouring rain with no inside loading facilities. Then haul them over the rocks into alberta where its -20. Last load I hauled was frozen to the sidewalls and slopes. 4+ hours to try and unload, 3+ hours scratching and washing afterwards.

Or you can skip across hwy3 and pick up sulfate at trail bc, but you have to contend with one of the worst pulls anywhere I've ever seen over the kootenay pass. Miles upon miles of 8% grades peaking out at 5800 feet. Slinging chains in the winter, and best case dropping the throttle to the floor and pulling flat out at 12mph for close to an hour. Its horribly demanding on your drivetrain. 300+°f when you summit. Last 1000ft are done with the windows open, both cab heaters running flat out, and your truck constantly on the verge of overheating.

There's no money in servicing the lower mainland by hopper trailers, but try telling that to the guys who are constantly lining up to give it a try.

[furrowtickler]

[GDR]

GDR

US$7.00 ??

Surprised me too when I heard that, a friend is an operator and told me, also said they are planning on drilling 16 wells this year in his field so not all doom and gloom.

No different than farming different areas and even different fields in same area can have significant economics. The oilsands have huge potential just a lot higher cists of production compared to conventional oil.