End-to-End Solutions for CN’s Forest Products Customers

CN plays a vital role in the supply chains of our forest products customers, whether it is moving logs from remote parts of our network to the sawmills we serve or delivering containers of pulp and paper products throughout North America or for export to Asia.

Forest products customers need robust supply chains that are also flexible enough to meet changes in demand and sourcing. At CN, we pride ourselves on aligning closely with our customers to integrate key processes around car ordering and service at the first mile. By understanding our customers’ business better, we have tailored first mile service and invested in additional rolling stock and transload facilities to enhance their responsiveness to market opportunities.




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Essential Resources
We’ve assembled a toolkit of information you need to know about working with CN. We’re all in this together and we want to equip you with any and all information you need about working safely and efficiently with us.


Efficient Receiver Report
Car Allocation Process - Boxcars
Car Allocation Process – Centerbeams
Car Auction Program 
  HVP Criteria
Forest Products Reports
Equipment & Loading Guidelines
Pricing & Tariffs
Transload Facilities
Events
Everyday Safety
Safety isn’t a buzzword. It is something both CN and our customers work toward daily, communicating and collaborating to ensure our mutual operations are completed safely and efficiently.

We’ve assembled some resources to help you understand how to work safely with CN.
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Proper Handling of Derails


Proper Use of Safety Appliances


Securing Cables


Track Maintenance

Proper Operating of Boxcars Doors*

Spotting Damaged Boxcar Doors*

Boxcar Loading and Unloading Practices*

Loading Boxcars – Full Video*
* Some of our animated videos cover the safe operation of boxcar doors. The loading practices depicted in these animations are an artist’s conception and are not suitable for freight loading and should not be practiced.
Growing With Our Customers
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Growing With Our Customers
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Business Unit Overview: Forest Products 

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ADVANTAGES
  • Strategically located to move forest products across Canada, the US.
  • CN’s direct access to West Coast port capacity give our customers an advantage in shipping to Asia.
  • Matchback opportunities for exporting forest products.
  • We provide customers the flexibility of using our intermodal service and transload facilities to get their products to destination.
KEY FACTS
  • Largest rail carrier of forest products in North America.
  • Over 10% of total CN revenue tied to housing market.
  • Centrebeam fleet consists of over 10,000 premium cars.
COMMODITIES
  • LUMBER & PANELS
    Lumber, oriented strand board planels, plywood and siding.
  • PULP & PAPER
    Wood pulp, newsprint, printing paper, logs, wood chips, wood pellets, clay
Shipping with CN
CN’s sales team works hand-in-hand with customers to help them reach new markets and grow their business. With 24/7 customer service and a suite of digital tools for managing your shipments, we’ve built a toolkit that works for our customers.
Get in touch with us to learn more.