How to Ship by Rail for Beginners

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

Rail Shipping Service and the Presidential Emergency Board

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

Celebrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Rail Industry

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

Intermodal vs Transloading and When to Use Each

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

Benefits of Right Sizing Your Fleet

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

When to Identify Alternative Rail Routes

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

The Advantages of Rail vs Truck Shipping

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

How to Speed Up Your Supply Chain In 2022

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