# Do You Know the Actual Cost to Transport Grain to its Final Destination?

> The Illinois Waterway consolidated lock closures began July 1, 2020 and will last at least three months, with Starved Rock lock gates being replaced. Shippers must use more expensive transport modes until the river reopens. A USDA-backed study also found congestion and wait times raise transport costs and reduce producer revenue.

- Date: 2020-07-13 · published 2020-07-13T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/52195-do-you-know-the-actual-cost-to-transport-grain-to-its-final-destination
- Commodities: [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md)

## Why it matters

Barge disruption on the Illinois River raises freight costs and widens basis at inland elevators, which lowers farm-gate corn and soybean prices while lifting barge freight rates.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: bearish ▼
- CORN: bearish ▼
- BARGE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2026-05-08 | [Grain transportation demand strong despite fuel costs \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16365-grain-transportation-demand-strong-despite-fuel-costs-feed-and-grain.md) | +1.3% | -3.8% |
| CORN | 2026-05-22 | [Grain transport costs to Mexico rise in Q1 \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16361-grain-transport-costs-to-mexico-rise-in-q1-feed-and-grain.md) | -2.2% | -8.0% |
| CORN | 2025-03-14 | [US grain transportation costs to Mexico show mixed trends in Q4 2024 \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16467-us-grain-transportation-costs-to-mexico-show-mixed-trends-in-q4-2024-feed-and.md) | +6.8% | +5.7% |
| CORN | 2024-08-08 | [Grain Transportation Report, August 8, 2024](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16521-grain-transportation-report-august-8-2024.md) | -0.2% | +1.9% |
| CORN | 2025-08-21 | [Grain Transportation Report, August 21, 2025](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16433-grain-transportation-report-august-21-2025.md) | +0.3% | +10.0% |
| SOY | 2026-05-22 | [Grain transport costs to Mexico rise in Q1 \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16361-grain-transport-costs-to-mexico-rise-in-q1-feed-and-grain.md) | -0.8% | -5.6% |
| SOY | 2023-12-21 | [Grain Transportation Report, December 21, 2023](https://feedsoft.ai/events/32731-grain-transportation-report-december-21-2023.md) | -0.2% | -6.4% |
| SOY | 2022-04-14 | [Grain Transportation Report, April 14, 2022](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16716-grain-transportation-report-april-14-2022.md) | +4.3% | -0.9% |

## Sources

- dtnpf.com: https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/columns/cash-market-moves/article/2020/07/13/know-actual-cost-transport-grain

---
Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.