I buy them, a ton at a time, 50 x 40lb bags. The stove feed is automatic just as long as I remember to fill the hopper (holds 2.5 bags.).
The pellets are extremely dry and compacted so fuel value based on weight is the significant measure.
Depending on ash content, I shut the stove down to cool and clean about every 500-700lbs. Of course the pale brown ash is light, fluffy
and incombustible, the volum might be that of a good sized loaf of bread.
Not long ago, I did learn that a home owner can buy small scale machinery for DIY. I live in the village with no source of supply but the
debris piles from logging and normally, there's too much dirt/sand/stones in the pile. With maybe 36" snow on the ground, I can't
get there from here!
In Britsh Columbia, the industrial feedstock is spruce/pine/fir/Doug-fir. Much is shipped by rail across Canada
and to Scandanavia from east coast ports. Boat-loads of the stuff.