How Do Truckers In General Feel About The Railroad Industry?

Railroad is a business, Yes the Mega roads cut way back on the local and small volume branch lines because so much stuff went 'off shore' that the traffic dried up. The remaining customers depend on the smaller railroads +/or Conrail where the business had sufficient traffic to keep their branch line open, somehow...

I oversaw a rail to truck facility that grew by adding liquids to the dry bulk business. Later the carrier that took over after Matlack added even more track and variety.

The property was leased form Conrail and we received a rebate on the rent depending on the count of cars in and out each month.

Business, simply business the motor carrier needed a place to intermodal rail to truck for their customers and the railroad as glad to offer one.

 

Complimentary.
I take it from the farmers fields to the elevators.
The railway takes it from the elevator to the ships.
On the prairies there use to be an old wooden elevator every ten miles. Now there's a concrete elevator every thirty miles.

 

One of my semi regular moves up to auburn mass goes to an indoor rail siding. Those guys are quick too. In N out 30-45min tops

 

Only time I thought of trains:
1. Omfg....pulling hazmat load across Florida train tracks....1069595840720720620720 times having to stop.
2. Ah hell naw this is bullcrap. (Taking loads from Cicero to the bnsf yard at 8am for a mere $25 cartage fee)

I actually lived by train tracks my entire life and actually used to run in the woods where the 1st train robbery recorded happened when I was a kid. Used to try and race them....never won but I could of hopped on if ai wanted to.

Albeit the conductor got a kick out of some ####### kid trying to outrun him.

Took one from Cincy to DC one time. Got a roomette. Was actually a pretty nice way to travel.

 

Currently UP and BNSF are charging a $1500 per container surcharge.

I LOVE the RR industry.