releases: https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=e76f3ae3-8052-46c7-a17e-a93b764a77e9
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=e76f3ae3-8052-46c7-a17e-a93b764a77e9 | Heitkamp Calls Out Canadian Pacific CEO for New Reporting System that Ignores Current Ag Shipment Backlog & Forces Grain Operators to Start From Scratch | 2014-08-28 | 2014 | 2014-08 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today called out Canadian Pacific Railway CEO E. Hunter Harrison for his companys new, yet seriously flawed, system to handle the delays of agriculture shipments in North Dakota. Specifically, the companys new rail car order and shuttle train system ignores the current number of unfulfilled requests from grain elevators, and forces North Dakotas farmers and grain operators to start from scratch in the middle of the states harvest season. Its making grain elevators essentially leave massive quantities of crops on the side of the road while the railroad will only transport new grain orders. Heitkamp has heard from numerous grain elevators who are customers of Canadian Pacific about the problems with the new system. For many, their number of open requests for grain cars has recently dropped dramatically. But it isnt because Canadian Pacific has fulfilled those requests. Rather, its because Canadian Pacific is making them cancel most of their open orders, leaving grain elevators without certainty that they will receive the cars they need under the new system while preventing them from selling the grain that has been delayed for months. Just over a week ago, some grain elevators using Canadian Pacific reported past-due cars ranging anywhere from 200 to 2,000 cars. But now, under the companys new system, those delays range from zero to 50 cars, despite Canadian Pacific moving far fewer cars than necessary to actually achieve such dramatic reductions in this short timeframe. Canadian Pacific is trying to pretend like the massive agricultural shipment delays across North Dakota dont exist despite the fact that grain has been piling up around the state for months, said Heitkamp. Our farmers and grain elevators are suffering, and just leaving crops from the past few months that havent been shipped because of the railroads failure to deliver cars on the side of the road hurts us all, including our states economy. While Canadian Pacifics new reporting system may provide more transparency in the long run, the company cannot just sweep under the rug the delays of the past year and start from scratch. Click here to view the letter Heitkamp sent today to Canadian Pacifics CEO. She also pushed the company for more details about how its new reporting system will limit the number of cars grain elevators can order at one time which could hurt grain elevators as they are trying to get grain to market. She also pushed Canadian Pacific about its preference to ship shuttles to the Pacific Northwest for export, while customers trying to ship east or south dont have any certainty those orders will go through. Since last February, Heitkamp has been pushing Canadian Pacific, Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, and others to rectify the unacceptable backlog of agriculture shipments. And Heitkamp has been working with farmers, elevators, the railroads, and government agencies to make sure the railroads can accommodate crops from the harvest that is already underway. In July, Heitkamp called on Canadian Pacific to communicate with North Dakota farmers on the status of agriculture shipment delays in the state and the steps the company is taking to improve them. During a meeting earlier this month with Canadian Pacific CEO E. Hunter Harrison, she pushed him to make a more concerted effort to address agriculture shipment delays in North Dakota that are causing preventable challenges for farmers and shippers across the state. In May, Heitkamp requested that North Dakota State University study the economic impact of the shipment delays. According to initial findings shared prior to the full release of the study, a conservative estimate of how much revenue North Dakota farmers have lost due to agriculture shipment delays over the course of January to April was $66 million.In some instances, agricultural producers lacking access to rail service have been forced to hire trucks to carry products thousands of miles to meet obligations to customers. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |