 |
Re: Many intermodal runs 250 to 350 miles? Really? You haven't actually identified one that you can verify?
Author: FUD
Date: 12-28-2021 - 09:27
That slab train may or may not be dead. But it's not what we're talking about. It's a dedicated bulk run that's not truck-competitive. If a railroad wasn't there to haul it, the move wouldn't happen. There are other dedicated bulk runs, too, and practically none are truck-competitive.
Containers, however, are 100% truck-competitive, and that's what we're talking about for things like big warehouses. Railroads in general (FEC being a conspicuous exception, at least in part because they're a short line - compared to the major Class 1's - but long enough to be able to compete with trucks in a local market without involving another railroad in the move (that's very important in the modern PSR world)) don't and usually can't compete with trucks when moving intermodal boxes at short distances (<500-1000 miles) because of the time it takes to shift the boxes on and off of the trains, since they come and go on road chassis, and the low speed of the trains.
'Twas amusing, many years ago, being peripherally involved with a project that never went anywhere, for a move between Oakland and an "inland port" in the southern San Joaquin Valley (~300 miles). From an energy and emissions standpoint, it was a no-questions, hands-down winner even comparing Tier-2 or -3 trains to Tier-4 trucks. From a commercial standpoint, it was DOA because at best the boxes would take an extra day to move between the dock and the potential South Valley customers (who were all truck-only warehouses). The "switching" time for moving the boxes between the train and local trucks was just too much compared to a direct run on I-5.
Containers, however, are 100% truck-competitive, and that's what we're talking about for things like big warehouses. Railroads in general (FEC being a conspicuous exception, at least in part because they're a short line - compared to the major Class 1's - but long enough to be able to compete with trucks in a local market without involving another railroad in the move (that's very important in the modern PSR world)) don't and usually can't compete with trucks when moving intermodal boxes at short distances (<500-1000 miles) because of the time it takes to shift the boxes on and off of the trains, since they come and go on road chassis, and the low speed of the trains.
'Twas amusing, many years ago, being peripherally involved with a project that never went anywhere, for a move between Oakland and an "inland port" in the southern San Joaquin Valley (~300 miles). From an energy and emissions standpoint, it was a no-questions, hands-down winner even comparing Tier-2 or -3 trains to Tier-4 trucks. From a commercial standpoint, it was DOA because at best the boxes would take an extra day to move between the dock and the potential South Valley customers (who were all truck-only warehouses). The "switching" time for moving the boxes between the train and local trucks was just too much compared to a direct run on I-5.
