Today I saw a string of new flat cars roll past my favorite train watching spot. They were labeled BNSF logistic. What is that about?
You have to go pretty deep into the website before you see the first train.
The is the idea of the ‘logistics’ nomenclature.
Hopefully there’s no issue posting their key services for rail here:
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Rail Car Management
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Fleet Optimization
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Truck/Rail Multi-Mode Moves
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Over-Dimension / Over-Weight
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Route Studies
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Rail Transloading
I see. You’d think that would be included in basic rail operations, but anyway.
That’s one of the neat ideas for Modern era model railroading - with a model of a warehouse or transfer yard, add signage like “All Global Logistics” or “J & H Logistics” or “MMC Integrated Logistics, Inc.”, What’s handled there? Any feasible lading you can come up with…
That is included in basic rail operations–for the railroad. This is for customers with their own car fleet, etc. It’s just like Schneider National has their own Logistics division that runs the operations for their clients. They determine what’s the best approach for their client, even if it doesn’t involve pumpkin trucks.
Only part of it is. But the point is correct. The idea of “logistics” is to provide overall service to a given shipper, including of course any actual railroad participation but not stopping short with that, or maximizing that ‘just because they work for a railroad’. As Backshop noted, this would be for private-car or fleet owners, or leasers working with shippers, too.
I think we discussed a UP counterpart, the ‘organization’ that cancelled the service to Rotterdam a couple of months ago. I think the BNSF guys get the picture a little better.