Just observed a CSX car of brick being unloaded in Fall River,Ma.
At least half the load had to be restacked on pallets before unloading, and a portion of every cube were thrown out because of breakage.
Where are the cost savings?
I haul bricks on a flatbed trailer as part of my trucking job. Damage like I saw would be unacceptable to my company.
Who pays for the damages?
Right now my employer is hauling bricks 800 miles because of poor quality control. Lost freight for Norfolk Southern.
I enjoy train watching and chasing, but I sure don’t like the mess I saw.
Under the law of bailment, which goes back to English common law prior to the revolution, carriers are liable for all damages except for those due to an “act of God”, act of the public enemy, inherent vice in the product, and similar circumstances. That said, the shipper is responsible for preparing the load for movement in a rail car, which is totally different from the preparation for truck shipment. Highway shipments principally receive vertical shocks (hitting a pothole, for example), while the principal shocks in rail transportation are horizontal (slack action or overspeed coupling for example).