In the Highways to the Railways: Intermodal Freight Movement

Posted : 09/11/13 1:24 PM

The means for shipping freight is impacted by expediency and operating expenses and other variables also. One way of freight shipping within the other; train versus truck freight movements, wouldn’t be an acceptable difference when Intermodal solutions, integrating the railway and trucking industries, is the most favorable shipping option to create. Truck Operational Costs: Diesel Fuel Rules Over the road (OTR) transport has been the absolute most expensive transport mode for more than 40 years. Even as trucks continue to go a lot of the state’s freight, the trucking industry has been rocked with steadily rising diesel fuel prices throughout the last five years. Major trucking companies have cut their over-the-road capability significantly, because they are enacting truck-to-train freight shipping choices though some smaller trucking companies, having possibly a fleet of ten trucks on the way, are going from business. For one industrial truck, the price of fuel–39% of the overall operating cost–is the largest operating expense within the trucking company, with driver salaries being the next largest. Trucking companies are slow walking their hauls to conserve fuel. A rig that is certainly sitting idle easily burns of a gallon-per hour of gas. Railroad Infrastructure Steadily Coming Online Rail freight shipping is big business; conducive to heavy equipment hauls, bulky commodities and HAZMAT shipments. The U.S. Department of Transportation has forecasted an 88% freight volume increase of 37.2 billion tons, on more than 52,000 miles of the state’s railroads by 2035. Railway systems capital investment encompasses rail security wants, short-line improvements and rail infrastructure repair, maintenance, and improvements, to stay informed about the growing needs of cargo movement. The investment price estimation during a 20 year period could be around $ 195 billion. The Very best of both as Major Truck Carriers Apply Intermodal Solutions: J.B. Hunt In the late eighties, J.B. Hunt contracted with Burling/Northern/Santa Fe (BNSF) Railroad Company, effectively integrating Intermodal shipping as an asset to its business. The JBI segment operates its gear line hauls from point of origin to destination rail terminals; then moving shipments from the rail terminals and making deliveries to its clients (drayage). Transferring over 50,000 containers in the rails today, JBI is the greatest facet of the organization’s business.