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Re: Many intermodal runs 250 to 350 miles? Really? You haven't actually identified one that you can verify?
Author: SP5103
Date: 12-28-2021 - 09:39
??? Wrote:
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> Are you saying that the BNSF "slab" train from the
> boat to the rolling mill (LB-Kaiser) is dead!?
You're talking apples and oranges here with a grapefruit thrown in for good measure.
The original discussion was about intermodal TOFC/COFC. If you bother to do an internet search (rather than just sitting there foaming), you will find that there is in fact a 500+ "rule of thumb" where shorter TOFC/COFC moves are generally considered uneconomical due to the added drayage costs on each end and often the slower transit times. To every "rule" there are exceptions, but I did note that the short haul examples shown are eastern US while the west is a totally different market and railroads. The only western short runs that come to mind are maybe LA to Salt Lake; I believe Sparks still has a ramp but I don't know where the traffic comes from and I don't think it has a dedicated train; and whatever might be on the I-5 corridor.
The slab train is just that. An entire TRAIN of heavy low value product operating on a regular basis under contract. Yes, it could be moved by truck assuming you could find enough trucks and drivers to do it. In this instance, the multiple advantages rail has over truck makes rail competitive. No carrier is going to move this at a loss.
BTW - WalMart has a distribution center in Hermiston, Oregon almost within sight of UP's Hinkle yard, but to my knowledge has no rail service and the nearest ramp is Portland. Tiger Cool Express is negotiating to buy the former UP Cold Connect/Railex site in Wallula. They plan to offer warehouse and container transfers to Sea-Tac ports and reestablish the reefer load consolidation model Railex started. They intend to revive UP's aborted intermodal project for the site. Who knows? Maybe they'll get inbound intermodal loads for Amazon and WalMart, but I don't see any short hauls from Sea-Tac ports. UP is supposed to offer regular service, but apparently not a dedicated train so presumably any perishables or intermodal will just be added to other priority trains out of Hinkle.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Are you saying that the BNSF "slab" train from the
> boat to the rolling mill (LB-Kaiser) is dead!?
You're talking apples and oranges here with a grapefruit thrown in for good measure.
The original discussion was about intermodal TOFC/COFC. If you bother to do an internet search (rather than just sitting there foaming), you will find that there is in fact a 500+ "rule of thumb" where shorter TOFC/COFC moves are generally considered uneconomical due to the added drayage costs on each end and often the slower transit times. To every "rule" there are exceptions, but I did note that the short haul examples shown are eastern US while the west is a totally different market and railroads. The only western short runs that come to mind are maybe LA to Salt Lake; I believe Sparks still has a ramp but I don't know where the traffic comes from and I don't think it has a dedicated train; and whatever might be on the I-5 corridor.
The slab train is just that. An entire TRAIN of heavy low value product operating on a regular basis under contract. Yes, it could be moved by truck assuming you could find enough trucks and drivers to do it. In this instance, the multiple advantages rail has over truck makes rail competitive. No carrier is going to move this at a loss.
BTW - WalMart has a distribution center in Hermiston, Oregon almost within sight of UP's Hinkle yard, but to my knowledge has no rail service and the nearest ramp is Portland. Tiger Cool Express is negotiating to buy the former UP Cold Connect/Railex site in Wallula. They plan to offer warehouse and container transfers to Sea-Tac ports and reestablish the reefer load consolidation model Railex started. They intend to revive UP's aborted intermodal project for the site. Who knows? Maybe they'll get inbound intermodal loads for Amazon and WalMart, but I don't see any short hauls from Sea-Tac ports. UP is supposed to offer regular service, but apparently not a dedicated train so presumably any perishables or intermodal will just be added to other priority trains out of Hinkle.
