In today’s global marketplace, efficient and reliable logistics solutions are vital for you to succeed. When it comes to shipping goods over long distances, rail is a method of transportation that offers you several advantages. In this blog, we’ll explore the benefits of rail shipping and why it remains a top choice for businesses throughout …
In this blog post, we’ll be answering six common questions that shippers and logistics professionals often ask us about rail transportation. We understand that rail logistics can be a complex and confusing process, which is why we’ve enlisted the help of our experts in the industry to provide you with the most accurate and up-to-date …
Rail waybills are an important aspect of rail shipping and are typically issued on collection or receipt of the cargo by the rail carrier. This waybill outlines instructions and details related to the shipment, such as the consignor names, destination, route, and more. Each year, the railroads supply a sample of their waybill information to …
The recent merger between Canadian Pacific Railway (CPRS) and the Kansas City Southern (KCS) has been making headlines, marking a transformative moment in the North American rail industry. This union promises to enhance efficiency, expand service offerings, and generate significant benefits for rail shippers. In this blog post, we will delve into the details of …
Rail logistics is a critical part of the global transportation industry, connecting people and goods across vast distances efficiently and cost-effectively. Despite its importance, there are several clichés about rail logistics that persist in popular conversation. These clichés often have misconceptions about the industry, hindering its progress and potential as well as impacting rail shippers …
Whether you own or lease railcars, eventually your railcars will need to be sent to a shop for cleaning, repairs, or qualification. Taking one railcar out of service can be painful, especially if the railcar is unusable for months at a time. Unfortunately, most shippers do not have a fleet large enough to fill the …
The Surface and Transportation Board (STB) has scheduled a meeting for December 13th and 14th, 2022, to review the Union Pacific’s (UP) “substantial” use of embargoes to reduce rail congestion. At the hearing, Union Pacific will be represented by key management including their CEO, Lance Fritz. Recent Updates on the STB Embargo Meeting As a …
As with any industry, data and the knowledge that comes from data is important. Whether the insights you can find are helpful to you directly, as someone involved in rail shipping, or indirectly, as someone looking for information on the transportation industry, that knowledge can come in handy. But with so much information out there, …
Inclement weather will challenge all rail freight customers at some point. Hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, and other natural dangers all pose possible hurdles throughout the year; however, one natural challenge that you can count on almost every year is winter storms, snow, and freezing temperatures. If your organization has a facility that ships and receives railcars, …
Good data helps you make informed decisions, measure your goals, find solutions to problems, and be strategic in your methods. Without data you’re relying on “gut feelings”, which can be affected by different experiences, assumptions, and abstract observations. Whether you’re planning out your rail supply chain and organization, working on a consultation project for a …
Railroad demurrage is a charge that compensates the rail carriers when railcars are held in the carriers serving yard waiting to be ordered in for placement. This a charge that rail shippers try to avoid, as it’s a fee that compounds on top of the loss of revenue by a railcar just sitting and not …
This year we have seen an increase in businesses interested in exploring the potential of becoming a rail shipper. As the trucking industry continues to deal with driver shortages and high costs, many companies are starting to consider rail as an alternative to trucking. Rail is an excellent mode of transportation due to its advantages …
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 …