NASHVILLE, TENN. (RFD NEWS) — Southern Plains wheat shippers face higher rail fuel surcharges as hard red winter wheat production falls toward a nearly 70-year low. USDA’s Grain Transportation Report says BNSF and Union Pacific made only modest tariff changes for the 2026/27 marketing year, but fuel costs are rising sharply.
The biggest change is the fuel surcharge. USDA says BNSF’s June surcharge will rise to 46 cents per mile, up from 8 cents last June. Union Pacific’s surcharge will rise to 69 cents per mile, up from 30 cents.
That increase can add real cost to wheat movement. For Wichita-to-Houston shipments, USDA says higher fuel surcharges mean a $251-per-car increase for Union Pacific and a $387-per-car increase for BNSF.
The higher freight cost comes as USDA forecasts hard red winter wheat production at 515 million bushels, down 36 percent from last year and the smallest crop since 1957/58. Drought and a late-season freeze drove the decline.
Large old-crop ending stocks may still support transportation demand, but lower production and higher freight costs will shape movement.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Wheat shippers may face higher rail costs even as drought sharply reduces Southern Plains production.
Tony St. James, RFD News Markets Specialist
This case could influence how much leverage grain shippers have when a preferred rail outlet is blocked or priced too high.
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