Lumber Everywhere but not in the Store...

[Anthony Spotorno]

Yesterday, I went fishing on my boat out of Pt Canaveral. The channel is pretty long, and on the way out of the port, I could smell Pine and thought that was very strange. Then as we traveled past the shipping docks, you could see pallet upon pallet on every square inch of available space stacked with lumber. So much lumber that the pine smell was overwhelming... I took a few picts and noticed that when we returned later that afternoon truck after truck was picking up / leaving with the wood.

These were only 2 picts, however, I'm not exaggerating that every available spot was filled with lumber waiting to be transported...

Hopefully that is good news for the lumber prices

[Brian Elfert]

Every Home Depot and Menards store seems to be well stocked with lumber right now. Stacks and stacks of lumber waiting to be sold. I was at a Menards store in April and they had pressure treated lumber stacked everywhere outside in the yard. Way more inventory than they previously stocked prior to COVID.

[Rich Engelhardt]

@ close to $10 for a 2x4x8 - that's more $$ than is in Ft.Knox :O

[Jim Becker]

Hopefully, ships actually getting unloaded combined with material backlogs getting shipped out will help to start mitigating the elevated costs for materials.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Hopefully, ships actually getting unloaded combined with material backlogs getting shipped out will help to start mitigating the elevated costs for materials.

Too few companies control forest products now, plain and simple. Look at how many Canadian companies own mills in the southeast US now, as compared to ten years ago. Plus so many mills either slowed production, or stopped because of Covid, thinking there wouldn't be such a huge demand for product. If it doesn't reach the end user within six months, then it's excess inventory. Future lumber needs are best stored on the stump. not stacked in yards.

[Bill Dufour]

Was the lumber coming from the USA or maybe Europe? Seems odd to be breakbulk cargo not container.
Bill D

[Alex Zeller]

The problem now is that places like Home Depot have bought a lot of lumber at higher prices (some of which they haven't even got yet) that has to be sold at a profit. As lumber yards start to get backed up with unsold lumber prices will drop. But it'll take months before it'll reach the consumer.

[Brian Elfert]

The problem now is that places like Home Depot have bought a lot of lumber at higher prices (some of which they haven't even got yet) that has to be sold at a profit. As lumber yards start to get backed up with unsold lumber prices will drop. But it'll take months before it'll reach the consumer.

I doubt they waited to raise prices until the more expensive product actually hit store shelves. It is kinda like gas stations. Gas stations raise the price while they still have less expensive gas in the tank, and don't lower prices until all of the more expensive gas is sold. I would have no issues with gas stations making extra profits when prices are going up if they also took losses when prices are going down. They say they raise the prices because the next tanker load will cost more, but they rarely lower prices in anticipation of the next tanker load costing less.

[Brian Elfert]

It is a little hard to tell, but that appears to be a barge, not a ship. If it is barge it probably didn't cross the ocean to get there. Products going from North America to North America sometimes use a barge because it costs less than other transport options.