Understanding how grain elevators work is crucial for anyone growing crops with the hope of selling them at some point. After harvesting their crops, farmers have to load grain onto trucks. These trucks bring the grain to the titular elevator. First, you should know “grain elevator” is a slightly interchangeable term. While the elevator is a physical system inside the facility, “grain elevator” typically describes the facility as a whole. This guide will dive into the basics of how grain elevators operate.
From Truck To Pit
When first arriving at the elevator, the driver pulls the truck transporting grain onto a scale to be swiftly weighed. After weighing the vehicle, the driver moves forward to the work floor, which is essentially a grate that an employee empties the truck’s grain into. Once the materials enter the work floor, they reach an area commonly known as the pit.
Reaching the Silo
In the pit, grain travels along a continuous belt. Specifically, the grain travels within buckets securely attached to the belt. This is where the interchangeability of “grain elevator” comes into play. Although the entire facility is usually called a grain elevator, it’s not rare to hear the continuous belt specifically referred to as the elevator.
Finally, the belt brings the grain to a silo for storage. Grain elevators need to have high-quality, custom silo tanks that best suit the products going inside. Even if the transportation process goes smoothly, improper storage can ruin good grain.
Back To the Scale
At this point, the grain is officially in the proper storage unit. However, this lesson on understanding how grain elevators work doesn’t stop there. After unloading the grain into the pit, the truck driver has to weigh their vehicle again. The purpose of the second weighing is to determine exactly how much grain was just unloaded onto the work floor. After calculating the second weight, the grain elevator employee hands the driver their receipt, after which the latter can determine how they want to sell their grain.