Back to the Future - Shipping by Carload Rail

With concerns about rising fuel costs and environmental impacts, more and more companies are going "back to the future" and looking at railcar shipping as an option. Now, we’re not talking about intermodal but back to basics with rail carload service – old-fashioned boxcars.

Over the last few decades, for a variety of reasons, many companies stopped using rail carload service altogether. In the process these companies lost whatever in-house rail shipping competency and experience they once had. Even if a company wants to know more about using rail carload service today where do they go for answers and information? Subject matter experts at TranSystems have been able to help. They understand the sophisticated world of supply chain management – and also the complex and sometimes arcane world of freight railroading. As consultants with no hidden agendas or built-in biases, our analytical teams function as honest brokers.

Rail carload freight service is clearly a niche business and it’s definitely not for everyone. But TranSystems has been working with clients to identify those specific markets and lanes where it seems to work and in some cases works very well. About two years ago TranSystems’ rail experts began an engagement with one Fortune 500 company where rail carload service turned out to be one of the best supply chain solutions the client ever tried.

Three years ago, Whirlpool used thousands of trucks along with some intermodal and ocean shipping. In 2009, over 2000 railcars were part of their supply chain mix. For a link to a PowerPoint presentation that tells a short version of the story, click here.

Contact TranSystems today for more information on how rail carload service might benefit your supply chain:
419.469.2279
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