In August of 2021, Hurricane Ida hit New Orleans, a major rail shipping hub. The destructive weather and resulting flood waters forced a Class I railroad, the Kansas City Southern, to close a main line. This triggered a cascade of additional railroads seeing service disruptions as well, even if they were not near the hurricane. …
Have you ever been to the grocery store and noticed the check-out lines just keep growing longer and longer? Sometimes the cause is a customer ahead of you with a lot of items, sometimes there are only a few employees staffing check out stations, and sometimes it is just because there are so many people …
A topic on everyone’s mind recently is fuel. Fuel impacts all of us, whether in our daily commute or in the supply chains that deliver us our products. Thus, rising and falling fuel prices play an important role in our supply chains. Rail carriers utilize a rail fuel surcharge to help balance the fluctuations in …
Ongoing Updates September 12th, 2022 More of the labor unions have agreed to tentative agreements with the railroads. However, the last two union holdouts also represent the most members. The deadline for the cooling off period, which restricts striking, is Friday, September 16th. If an agreement cannot be reached by Friday, the remaining unions without …
At RSI Logistics, our experienced staff keep informed of industry news that can affect your rail shipping. Our Fleet Maintenance services team works hand-in-hand with railcar lessors and repair shops to get the most accurate and up-to-date industry news related to supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and shop performance. They ensure they are knowledgeable on …
A common phrase that is growing in importance amongst organizations is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. But what does that mean? Diversity is the presence of differences that may include race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, (dis)ability, age, religious commitment, or political perspective. Equity is promoting justice, impartiality and fairness within the …
Whether you are shipping over long or short distances, getting your products from one place to another often involves multiple modes of transportation. Using different modes of transportation allows you to traverse land and water, as well as lower transit costs. Intermodal shipping and transloading are two methods of shipping that may lower costs. Intermodal …
If you own or lease your railcars, it is important to understand how many railcars you need. Having a grasp of your necessary fleet size helps to ensure that your product is delivered to your customers on time. Although many rail shippers may consider increasing the number of railcars in their fleet(s) to ensure that …
Every time we get an opportunity, we assert that rail transportation can often help you reduce shipping costs substantially without disrupting your overall supply chain. However, it is not as easy as just transitioning to rail and picking the first rail lane that presents itself. There are situations when captive lanes create a lack of …
As a third-party logistics provider that specializes in bulk rail transportation in North America, we manage rail shipments across all industries in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Amongst our customers, one current common difficulty is that the railroads are struggling to deliver railcars. Across the networks of all railroads, railroad service issues continue to …
Finding the optimal shipping modes and routes can help you reduce shipping costs substantially and improve the efficiency of your supply chain. Rail and truck are the most common shipping modes across land. However, finding which shipping type is right for your materials and your business can be a challenge. Let’s take a look at …
Multiple supply chain disruptions across the last two years have created challenges for logistics professionals. The ongoing pandemic, military conflicts, material shortages, driver shortages, trade wars, and numerous other issues mean the globalized supply chain is unlikely to stabilize anytime soon. As a result, many businesses are using new strategies to get ahead of these …
Supply chain slowdowns continue to present challenges for logistics experts around the world. Truck driver shortages are a component of this growing problem, and experts predict this challenge will continue through 2022. American Truck Associations estimate a shortage of about 80,000 drivers this year, with a total shortage of 160,000 by 2030. So how can …
No one likes to pay demurrage and storage charges. For some shippers, demurrage charges are merely a nuisance. For others, demurrage is a seven-figure annual expense. Many of our clients have found it to be a cost that can be reduced or eliminated with the proper focus and attention. This article offers a number of …
RSI Logistics, Inc. continues to celebrate Black History Month by honoring the rail industry Pullman Porters. Despite many hardships, the porters made their mark on history in shaping a new Black middle class and were part of the catalyst in launching the civil rights movement in America. One of the most significant achievements in the …
Black History Month is a time to commemorate and reflect on the remarkable achievements of African American inventors, pioneers and community leaders who played an integral part in the rail industry. As follows is Part One of a two blog series in which RSI Logistics focuses on those individuals who were instrumental in the advancement …