As the procession of truck drivers made its way across Canada this week, it added to a growing list of supply-chain disruptions, from the flooding in British Columbia to the backlog of ships waiting to dock at the Port of Vancouver.
“Organizations have looked to internationalize, which means they are extending their supply chains globally in search of suppliers with lower costs. We have seen the long, thin supply chain come under stress, whereby public health units had suppliers shut down for months on end,” Gradek said. While trucks and ships have been in the limelight, trains have quietly chugged along, with companies such as CN Rail reporting growth. In a news release Tuesday, CN Rail released its fiscal 2021 results, with revenues increasing to $14.5 billion from $13.8 billion the prior year. Overall net income for the year was $4.9 billion, up from $3.6 billion in fiscal 2020, driven by an $886-million merger termination fee paid by Kansas City Southern to CN.
CSX was founded in 1978 and is domiciled in Jacksonville, Fla. Its operations span across more than 20 states as well as Ontario and Quebec. In its fiscal 2021 results, released Jan. 20, the company reported revenues of $12.5 billion, up from $10.6 billion the prior year. Overall net profit increased to $3.8 billion from $2.8 billion, driven by a $419-million increase in gains on property dispositions.