Rail cars galore!

[VelocityYellowRules!]

Ya, I know, not directly related to Corvettes at all.

Finally, after 11 weeks, rail cars arrived. A local car loaded company turned down cars due to the truckers strike in Vancouver - these were for field peas. So these cars were just stilling there. I jokin gtold my mom maybe they were ours? But she called CN, talked to several different people and was told beyond the shadow of a doubt they were not ours. So we unplug our equipment, tell our workers they were not needed and then CN calls an hour later and say oh those cars are yours, do you want them?

It gets better. We had amde arrangements where we would get 4 cars to load and 5 days to do so before we were charged demurage. They give us 8 cars and say demurage will start in 24 hours!

Of course no penalty to them for the 11 weeks we've been waiting for cars to have then cancelled every week!!

Anyway, the weather is actually OK, -19 to -5, not much for wind, and it is good to get some grain (canola) moving finally. Cashflow ya know...........

One car was filled yesterday and we'll get rolling here this morning yet.

Cheers,

Garry

 

[Keith Tedford]

How long would CN last as a private company? Not long at all I suspect.

 

[VelocityYellowRules!]

It is the odd thing about competition Keith. If I get PO'ed at CN for their lacklustre performance (unless I happen to be shipping crude, coal or wood) what are my options? It is still more expensive to ship by truck so they have you by the short and curlies and bent over a barrel. Talking with them on the phone - wow what an experience! That sort of attitude would destory a private company but their attititude is hey if you don't like the way we do things tka eyour business elsewhere.

We need a US style system where there are so many rail lines and competition that they actually have to perform.

Frustrating to be sure but in the end I am aware of this as a primary producer and if I don't like it I am also free to choose a different career too............

I don't know how this could ever be solved. Sort of like when countries (Japan) have such high tariffs we can't export actual canola oil to them, but only the raw seed. So again with all raw materials we happily ship them out of the country for the creation of industries and employment for other countries but can't ever conceive of instead putting in place export tariffs to prevent raw materials for being exported to other countries and only allowing finished products to be sent out instead - creating jobs and industries here.

Oh well, off the soap box and back to the grain truck!

Cheers,

Garry

 

[Keith Tedford]

We need reciprocal tariffs with every country we deal with to level the playing field. It's not like these countries are actually poor and need protection.

 

[VelocityYellowRules!]

Good evening Keith,

Oh if only that could happen! How long in Canada have we been an exporter of raw materials for the benefit of other countries. Sure things like labour costs play into these issues but odd that the higher volume of the raw material can be affordably shipped overseas for processing rather than a much smaller volume of the processed product!

So a nice day, one rail car loaded, the 2nd one started and all the rest of the grain loaded picked up off the ground into the trucks to head to town tomorrow morning. Screw the deer I've fed them enough this winter.

Then the wait for perhaps 4 to 12 weeks to get paid.

Still I will sleep like a baby tonight with this job almost completed. I have a bit more to ship out yet but that is all in bins at the farm so it is safe from the elements and animals.

Cheers,

Garry

 

[Riley P]

I now work for a company where people's only choice is to go through us with practically no other option available, well there are other options but it would be expensive and impractical. I saw the attitude of the people I work with and had the fortune of going to a staff meeting the first day. It was very evident that we are continuing to work towards being more efficient and to provide better service to customers so they can see that they get value for their money. Even though we have no direct competition here, we want to do our best so people are happy with us. IT's very rewarding in this respect to not be with a business that enjoys just floating.

I'm surprised CN doesn't take this approached. Sounds like the management is just putting in time until they get to retire.

 

[VelocityYellowRules!]

Riley I think that sort of attitide is rare and uncommon. Competition usually brings out the best for customers, a lack thereof for the companies. You see this in agriculture not only with CN/CP but also with the reduction in 20 years from some 4,000 grain elevators to about 250 I think now and just three or four grain main buyers. Plus they rarely put more than one high through put elevator in a location, usually with 45 miles inbetweent hem. Can you say collusion? Same with machinery dealers and agro suppliers. We used to have five machinery dealers locally and now have one, had 4 fertilizer dealers and now two. The service is poor and the staff attitude is worse ("if you're not happy take your business elsewhere"). Recall last spring, after having pre-bought all the fertilizer I would need in the winter for spring use, when I lost THREE seeding days because the dealer ran out of fertilizer, no offer of compensation or even an apology. Ditto when the fertilizer dealer screwed up on my blend of fertilizer than cost me $20K in lost crop - no offer of compensation or an apology.............

Look at the experience I had with that car shipping company? What happened to doing the right thing for them? My ex-wife honouring the marriage contact we'd signed before we got married when she decided to divorce me??? A person's word these days seems worthless I hate to say.

Having a contract with a grain company for example - to deliver so many tonnes in a certain month. If I'm late or short in tonnage, a penalty. If they can't take it that month tough noggies for me.

It is all so one sided.

And you wonder why people break and go postal these days?????

Cheers,

Garry

 

[Riley P]

Yep. Only one Corvette Forum in Canada and look at what a dick the owner is. Some days I could just ban that guy.

I really wonder where the change from customer service to the bottom dollar started in business practice. We are still feeling the effects of a recession so it's not like there is too much business out there to the point where customer service doesn't matter anymore or you are so busy you have to close your doors.....unless your Pfadt...... bazzzing! (Still don't get why they closed and it sucks).