Railroads continue to play a significant role in North America’s economic infrastructure. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration, the U.S. rail freight network covers almost 140,000 route miles and is generally considered the largest, safest, and most cost-efficient freight system in the world. In addition, says the FRA, the almost $80 billion rail freight industry creates more than 167,000 jobs across the country.
In essence, rail freight companies charge businesses to carry cargo across their network of rails. Their rates are overseen by the Surface Transportation Board, a federal agency that regulates financial aspects of surface transportation. Major railroads in North America include Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Canadian National Railway.
Keep up with the latest news, trends and reports concerning rail freight transport here!
Arkansas-based motor carrier sees driver wages up 18%, but it aims to recoup those costs through new shipper contracts.
The city hopes to use its role as a landlord to help move truck traffic on to barges and to trains.
In his preview of the railroads’ Q3 earnings reports, Susquehanna’s Bascome Majors set optimistic price targets but warned that P/E valuations are at historically high levels.
Michigan-based asset-light logistics provider aims to boost western U.S. presence with latest acquisition.
Four new inbound truck lanes recently opened at Virginia International Gateway, increasing the capacity at the terminal’s gate complex by 30 percent.
Most of the hit is coming from an arbitration award with BNSF. Its conference call with investors is a change in its normal practice.
Norfolk Southern has control over a small connector railroad in the Hampton Roads port area, and CSX says it is using that control to block CSX from launching significant intermodal service there.
In Today’s Pickup: Michael is headed toward the Gulf, a quote by Hunter Harrison and a not-complimentary look at the job of a truck driver.
Howard Green is best on fights between the serial CEO and his boards, activist investors, and proxy wars, but there’s a lot in the book for railroad buffs who want to know more about Harrison’s signature philosophy, precision scheduled railroading.
Intermodal has attracted more freight thanks to tight truck markets, but growth rates will moderate.
It’s been quite a few weeks in the discussions regarding precision railroading vs. not-precision, for lack of a better term. Also: OPEC pumping strong, Bangkok a growing intermodal hub
Mike Lacey sees some improvement in his relationship with railroads, but it’s coming from a very low point.
Long-serving railroad man led BNSF through acquisition by Berkshire Hathaway.
The debt rating agency sees some drawbacks to the process, but is otherwise strongly in support of the growing trend.
BNSF will use the CSX system to haul intermodal freight from the LA/Long Beach port, and service on the CSX system will be added from the New York/New Jersey port.
Tired truck drivers? That’s a big concern based on a new survey by the National Safety Council that found 97% of transportation employers are worried about employee fatigue.
The depreciating Indian rupee coupled with rising fuel prices have hit the Indian transportation corridor quite hard. The Indian government is now coming up with new regulations and innovative transportation practices to ease pressure.
An annual review of the logistics business gets published; dueling intermodal views; and a startup gets a big chunk of funding.
A response to an earlier piece discussing railroad attendance at IANA’s recent expo and the benefits of precision railroading.
Largest U.S. intermodal rail carrier sees uptick in domestic containers and trailers as trucking capacity remains tight.
The lawsuit asserts that water “poured in through a gap in city levees,” and it says the gap was created by a railway underpass owned by CSX.
The numbers look good but deteriorating service is tarnishing the traditional role of intermodal.
Port aims for new on-dock rail facility to handle increased container throughput and meet clean-air goals.
We see falling demand for oil, lumber, and wheat out of Canada in the future due to a combination of market forces. Canadian Pacific Railroad appears to be especially exposed to this freight recession.
The smartest minds on Wall Street use charting analytics to quickly identify and then track trends in multiple data sets. Why? Because it works. And now freight professionals are learning how to do the same.
Customers in some cases can move back and forth between the rails and the roads, and how brokers deal with that was the subject of an IANA panel discussion.
Jim Filter of Schneider says he’s seeing benefits from CSX paring back its footprint and focusing on a smaller range of lanes.
The Georgia Ports Authority approved a measure that will double its intermodal rail capacity as the port continues to see strong growth in container volumes. The GPA approved $92 million […]
The advantage of a broader talent pool and air service to almost anywhere in the country and the world gives Atlanta a huge advantage over a place like Norfolk.
U.S. coal shippers face hiccups as one of the largest export facilities offline during Florence.
A lack of crews and a slowdown in system operations is squeezing intermodal capacity and shutting off an alternative for those looking to move away from trucks.
Most of the gains that helped customers came in the first 25 years after the Staggers Act that deregulated the system. Since then, the gains have not been in service.
With all the talk of the impact from Hurricane Florence as she comes ashore, likely in the Wilmington, NC, area on Thursday, much of the impact will take place for days and even weeks after the storm is long gone.
The Southern California International Gateway is no nearer completion 13 years after it was first proposed.
In an attempt to ease Permian bottlenecks, Vista Proppants has partnered with JupiterMLP to transload crude oil from truck to rail at Vista’s Pecos, Texas facility to launch a new crude-by-rail facility.
Coverage of three companies were launched with a “buy” rating, while three of them got “hold” ratings.
Marketing executive says reforms to trade deal take uncertainty from local customers.
Peak shipping season is just starting and experts see no let up in freight demand.
The Cass indexes are showing no signs of a freight slowdown, despite some concern that a peak may have been reached.
Intermodal tightness has pumped the hub of hubs, the Chicago freight market especially on lanes paralleling major railroads; meanwhile a minor heatwave in St. Louis may have been behind a massive surge in reefer turndowns.
Universal is bullish on its intermodal division, and the Southern Counties acquisition will allow it to expand its footprint in that area.
Never the trains shall meet as CSX’s intermodal changes rile UP service.
The class 1 railroad owned by Berkshire Hathaway had the worst OR of any of the class 1 railroads for the second quarter.
The U.S. truckload operations of TFI are mostly at CFI and Truckload America, and both had stronger quarters.
The improved Operating Ratio posted by Norfolk Southern wasn’t enough to stop analysts from asking about its comparison to that of CSX.
CN had a strong quarter as it comes out of system problems that stretch back into 2017.
