Railroad Train Carrying Only Truck Trailers?

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by daviddincau, Sep 13, 2009.

  1. Con-Waywardly

    Con-Waywardly Bobtail Member

    2
    0
    Sep 14, 2009
    Florence, KY
    0
    Oops, guess it wasn't the last post! Just the last one i read before i started getting tickled. This is the one that made me laugh. Sorry for being a forum newb.
    Hope and change. Change and hope. Yes we can't.
    Slow economy? What are you talking about Brickman? According to 'Bam... we are pulling out of the "recession" as the unemployment drops... and hundreds of thousands of jobs have been "saved" and/or "created" by the federal gov't bailout/stimulus and wonderful new "green" jobs! I heard you truckers really dig that new government subsidized bio-diesel. Keeps those trucks runnin' great when those temps dip below zero I understand. :biggrin_25523: I know. You just been spending too much time in your truck and haven't heard the good news yet.
    Yessah...soon we bees in high cotton!![/quote]
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. striker

    striker Road Train Member

    5,906
    6,186
    Aug 8, 2009
    Denver, Co
    0
    at present, as of 9/12/09, from the UPRR or BNSF intermodal yards in Denver these are the etas: Denver to Long Beach 3.5 days (UPRR), Denver to Tacoma, 3 days (BNSF/UPRR), Denver to Houston via Kansas City 3 days (UPRR), Denver to New Jersey 5 days (BNSF/CSX or UPRR/CSX), Denver to Savannah 5 to 6 days.

    piggyback trains, and we get some coming into Denver all the time that are mixed with SWIFT, PAM, and others

    The Z train from Denver to Chicago used to do it in 18 hrs, but now that it's slow, they can take up to 30 hrs. There are two Z trains per day via Denver (used to be 3) BNSF, one in the AM and one in the PM. The best one was in '98 when the BNSF had to shutdown the mainline out of Denver because of a derailment. They contracted all the intermodal companies in Denver to haul UPS trailers to Omaha fro the EB train. My company put up 4 trucks, and our competitors all put up 4 trucks as well. It looked like a #### UPS convoy rolling up I-76 and across I-80, at one point there were 25 of us running together. The BNSF was so hot for those trailers to be delivered, we all left Denver at 2 pm with orders to be in Omaha before midnite, they paid whatever rates the trucking companies quoted them.

    Actually, the base rate is low, but the fuel surcharge is the kicker. Typically, the rate from Long Beach to Denver for a 40' ocean can is $750.00 with a 45% FSC. In '08 when diesel was hitting $5.00 per gallon, most trucking companies were topping out at 45% FSC and the UPRR and BNSF both were getting 60% FSC at times.

    We haul intermodal reefers for CR England several times per week. Usually it's frozen candy for a DQ vendor, or other food stuffs going to either McLane or other grocery distributors. There is a special UPRR produce train that runs from Wallula, Wa. to Schnectady, NY in 5 days. I have a friend who runs produce on the same general route, he and his wife do it team in 4 days.

    Essentially, the railroads are an arm of the Gov't. If you want to see how badly they strong arm municipalities about taxes, look at the towns where they have massive yards: N. Platte, NE for the UPRR and Alliance, NE for the BNSF. We used to haul trailer loads of brake shoes tot he BNSF repair shop in Alliance, NE. A few years back, they threatened to scale back operations, lay off or fire people, and move the operation someplace else if the town didn't give them some more tax breaks. The BNSF is Alliance's largest employer, but get's the largest tax break. Also, here in the West, brush and forest fires caused by trains are very common. But, if a train starts a brush fire that burns up your land, kills your lifestock and burns down your house, well, that's just too #### bad because the odds of getting a dime out of them are slim to non.
     
    Big Duker Thanks this.
  4. ironpony

    ironpony Road Train Member

    17,502
    12,015
    Sep 23, 2007
    Ask my GPS...
    0
    Yup... I pull loads out of Railex in Schenectady (actually Rotterdam) NY - usually going down to Jersey or Washington. Had a grape load earier this week that got changed to a 3-stop onion load. Pays relativelly well.

    Won't say too much about CRE except they really aren't much competition for us. If you want on-time service, you choose us. If you want cheap, iffy service, you choose CRE.
     
  5. Pete_379X

    Pete_379X Super Chrome

    1,006
    123
    Jul 4, 2007
    Arkansas
    0
    Hooked up with a "family oriented" fly by night shortline down south. Working like hell to get on KCS out of Wylie TX or Shreveport...


    Don't need reefers on flats when you have reefer boxcars... But I don't see many reefer boxes anymore.

    [​IMG]
     
  6. ironpony

    ironpony Road Train Member

    17,502
    12,015
    Sep 23, 2007
    Ask my GPS...
    0
    The only place I see them is at Railex in Schenectady...

    Most places want JIT service, and refridgerated foods don't do well in cars sitting in RR yards for a couple of days in 100-degree heat.
     
  7. Big Duker

    Big Duker "Don Cheto"

    2,921
    2,862
    Sep 18, 2007
    Weatherford, TX
    0
    I see these weekly on UP line going through TX. Normally about 8-14 at a time. Most are Tropicana just like in pic.
     
  8. truckerdave1970

    truckerdave1970 On Probation

    2,988
    3,289
    Dec 15, 2008
    Rochester, NY
    0
    I guess I was correct about the railroads getting subsidized by our tax dollars? I wonder where my federal dollars are?
     
  9. ironpony

    ironpony Road Train Member

    17,502
    12,015
    Sep 23, 2007
    Ask my GPS...
    0
    AMTRAK and the deal that took over some of the freight RRs in the northeast - forget what they call that one.
     
  10. Big Duker

    Big Duker "Don Cheto"

    2,921
    2,862
    Sep 18, 2007
    Weatherford, TX
    0
    Conrail was one deal. I think CSX & Norfolk Southern took over most of that. We have AMTRAK going through TX. But they have stupid times schedule. Was going to send girlfriend and daughter to San Anton for a little vacation a few years back Left FTW about 7 at night and got there about 2 am. No shuttle or taxi service. Screw that. And return train left out at about 8am. So you lose one to two days for a 4-5 hour car drive. Can get on SW Airlines cheaper and about 12 different times to choose from. Dumb RR.
     
  11. Pete_379X

    Pete_379X Super Chrome

    1,006
    123
    Jul 4, 2007
    Arkansas
    0
    Yeah it was conrail. NS took it over. The problem with passenger rail these days is they get held up by slow freight traffic. Trains that are restricted to 45-50mph. Last I read CSX won't give Amtrak any kind of priority on their lines and it makes for delays in the hours range. Anymore I see rail travel as more of just an experience than a convenient way to travel. However I would like to ride Amtrak across the country one day. Too bad it can't be done full circle... I can't remember at what point, but they eventually stick you on a bus to complete the route. If I remember right last time I checked it was around $1,000 for the trip with a roomette. Would like to do it with a private room but it was about $1600.
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.