On the magazine’s webcam site at Rochelle IL there are a significant number of TOFC trailers now appearing on the stack trains, both on the UP and BNSF. When did this method of transporting “boxes” come back into favor??? I thought this was deemed too inefficient.
Has never really gone out of favor - if you notice, most of the trailers are from ‘over the road’ carriers, as opposed to railroad owned boxes.
(and the trucking firms are struggling to find qualified replacements willing to be OTR truckers or team drivers these days. The stuff that doesn’t wander far from the terminals/COFC/TOFC piggyback ramps gets put on the train first)…all trucking firms have the help-wanted signs out.
TOFC makes alot more business sense than running trucks down the four lane, especially for hauls of over 500 miles. Anything that saves labor, lowers overall cost, and reduces the impact on the environment has to be a good thing.
There are a LOT of companies looking for qualified drivers, the problem is that there are not that many jobs that are all that appealing. Between what the compaies think are benefits to finding drivers, and what the government is doing, mucking around with the HOS rules, I wouldn’t advise anyone new to get into the business, and am surprised that there are as many new drivers as there are.
With 27 YEARS and 2,500,000+ miles experience, I wouldn’t have any trouble finding a new job, but there just aren’t any out there that I have been tempted by. But then I have been spoiled for almost the last 13 years. I drive for a Manufacturing Co. and work a Mon-Fri, weekends and Holidays OFF schedule, I have an assigned tractor, Great Benefits and an “Old School” type pension plan.
I was Hoping that this was going to be my Retirement job, but in the last couple monthes, business has taken a downturn, unlike anything that I have seen in the 13 years with the company, and the future is a bit uncertain right now.
With what jobs I have seen available, the HOS rules MESS, and the way that people drive these days, if the worst does happen, I have been considering a career change, unless I do happen to find another TRULY GOOD driving job. I have been keeping my eyes and ears open, with an eye to the future, but there just hasn’t been anything that I have an application in hand for, or any potential contacts waiting yet.
There are jobs out there, the bills can/will get paid, there just doesn’t seem to be many that are very DESIREABLE.
Doug
Create your own Doug… buy/lease a truck, get an account with DAT or Internet Truckstop, and away you go.
That is an almost GUARANTEED way to make a Small Fortune, out of a LARGE FORTUNE. After 27 years, I have seen and heard enough to know that I am better off having someone else’s name in BIG letters on the side of the trailer, and MY name in small letters on the driver’s door.
There is no way that I would have the money to run with the BIG outfits, and as an O/O (Owner Operator) that is a life of constant work, little Home/Family time, and more stress than I have now, and from what I have seen and heard, for LESS NET return.
With all of the expenses and headaches of being an O/O, it would be a lowering of lifestyle. I would be better off going back to the food-service deliveries, where I spent the first 14 years off my driving career. I could make a LITTLE more than I do now, but with a schedule that doesn’t allow for many of the things that enjoy. If I were going to do that, and accept that kind of schedule, I would go into the grocery business, there are several grocery chain Distribution centers, in my area. That would give me a bit better pay, than food service, and easier working conditions, but still not likely weekends and Holidays OFF.
I am HOPEFUL, that the Worst wont come to pass, and if it should, I expect that I would get at least 12 weeks severence pay. my former Boss was down-sized and gave me an Idea what to expect, should that happen, and advised me to hang in until the end, no reason to throw away 3 monthes wages, and the possibility of things turning around prematurely.
Besides, I LIKE what I do, the people that I work with, and my customers, until I win the Lottery, I will stick it out where I am, HOPE for the best, but be realistic about what may be in the future.
Doug
Depends on the work Doug… van longhaul yes… Flatbed shorthaul/ regional…$$$$$… especially now.
Ulrich: Since you are actually in “The Business of trucking, today.”
I won’t argue with you on that topic. I would only caution that the One-Truck Owner/Operator is generally at the mercy of their ‘cash flow’. Generally, out on that proverbial ‘limb’, Always.
Doug (Challenger 3980) : My trucking career started after my military career; In 1969 tl I retired in 2002, My first truck was a 5 yr old Freightliner C.O.E. That was suffering from the ‘mile-itis’. The best I could afford at the time; we made a pretty good living for about two years. Then it started a race to the end of my bank account. I sold it to the company I was working for, and started driving a Company truck.
I worked by- the mile for most of my OTR Career. Traded my ‘white -waving gloves’ for a swivel chair, and finished my trucking career in Dispatch, Customer Service, finally, Safety. I made a pretty decent living over all; missed my kids growing up, and a family life while OTR trucking.
Retirement has not been bad. Would I buy another single truck? Probably not, it is the guy who buys several, and builds a small fleet, treats his employees well, while keeping a good protective insurance umbrella; that really stands a chance to make it. Good, loyal employees are the key to successful trucking operation IMHO. Unfortunately, LOYALTY, can be a problematic item, with today’s labor force. [2c]
Thanks for all the comments. Yes I saw that most of the trailers on flats were local shipping companies, not belonging to the major importers. Probably of local origin. Still a single box on a single flat car is a really expensive way to go. The driver shortage in the mid-west must be far worse than is generally being acknowledged
A single trailer on a single car is loading anomily - loading personnel attempt to maximize the loading of individual cars.
IINM, the Class 1 railroads have completely converted their pooled intermodal equipment (i.e enclosed freight units not rail cars) to containers. The large pools such as EMC are now all container. So the remaining TOFC business comes mostly from OTR truckload carriers.
O.C, Norfolk Southern’s Triple Crown roadrailer fleet is the major exception to the rule…
On our little piece of the nation almost all intermodal trains now have TOFC on the rear. That includes most of the BNSF and UP haulage trains but not all. Almost never see a CSX intermodal without TOFC. All three RRs have a large number of 53ft UPS and FED EX trailers with some of the same as containers Other national carriers not so much including a few JB Hunt and USPS trailers.
For some reason I don’t ever see TOFC on CP or CN anymore. I’ve heard that CP has given up on TOFC altogether… any truth to that?
CP in Canada phased out TOFC quite a few years ago (10+?), apart from the service now called ExpressWay. As I understood it, not all trailers had the necessary chassis strength to be lifted onto a flat car. Quite likely there was also a desire to just have one type of equipment at the intermodal yards, namely the toplifters.
The ExpressWay service drives the trailers onto specialized cars and operates in a niche market segment. It can handle any type of trailer.
I believe CN followed suit several years later, although perhaps by active discouragement of TOFC rather than an outright ban.
If a shipment is going to use several modes it just make sense to use the intermodal flexibility and efficiencies that containers provide.
John
Thanks… that what I thought. I didn’t realize it’s been 10 years though…