Clip,
Hate to disagree but...
On the railroad side it is more of a logistics problem. Most of the ramps are at capacity. Several times a week, I have to hunt for a place to park a trailer or container. I have had loads come into Portland and sit on the train for 2 days because there was no room to unload. The UP has had to open two additional drop yards for the overflow. You can run trains all day long, but it don't mean a hill of beans if you can't unload the train.
On the trucker's side....It's a mixed bag. Pay has gone up for most truckers. Hell, I'm making more money now than I have in 15 years. Fuel has gone way down compared to a year ago. In some places, diesel is cheaper than gas. Plus most companies have gone regional so that drivers have more home time. But it is a hard life. I takes alot of blood, sweat and tears to run your own rig. There are fewer and fewer independents out there now and most will be gone in the next few years. The govt. has just about forced everyone to go under. There are so many regs now, its hard to keep up. I hate to say this, but it is still way cheaper to ship by rail.
You also have to think about where you are sitting. A great many of the trucks you see in Redding are short haul going to and from the Rogue Valley. No direct rail connection there until Weed is back open.
JS