A flexible container includes a container body and a flexible cover. The container body defines an interior volume and includes a side wall that defines an opening. The opening is configured to receive a bulk material therethrough such that the bulk material can be disposed within an interior volume of the container body. The flexible cover can be coupled to the side wall about the opening. The cover is configured to fluidically isolate the interior volume from a volume substantially outside of the flexible container.

A bag configured to contain and transport bulk material includes at least one through-hole positioned at an upper portion of the bag to facilitate ingress/egress of a hoist-member of a hoisting machine. Other embodiments include a spout located at a bottom-side portion of the bag or at a base of the bag, and inserts placed at a base of the bag to form a desired contour to generate a gradient by which the material may flow. The inserts may be temporarily placed at the base or permanently affixed thereto. Further embodiments may include a contoured base without the use of inserts to generate the gradient. Methods of use include stacking and handling the bags without requiring an operator in addition to the one operating the hoisting machine or requiring the hoist machine operator to interrupt operation of the hoist machine to rig the bag to the hoist machine.

According to one aspect of the disclosure, a bulk material handling method includes receiving bulk material on a first level of a system at receiving stations equipped with dust control filtration equipment, pneumatically conveying the bulk material up to a third level into bulk material storage hoppers, storing the bulk material, dispensing the stored bulk material to a bulk material transporter on the first level, including dosing the stored bulk material to an interior of a bulk material dosing hopper to create a bulk material dose, docking the dosing hopper with the transporter via a docking apparatus, and releasing the dose into the interior of the transporter, through a reduced pressure region in an internal volume of the docking apparatus. Other disclosed aspects include a related system, subsystems, and apparatuses.