Congested Railways May Still Be An Option For Your Shipments

The Congested U.S. Railways May Still Be An Option

 

The ongoing global supply chain issues have severely impacted the U.S. rail freight system. Read on to get a better understanding of continuing issues.

Railway congestion worsened as the pandemic generated strong demand for imported goods. Reduced ocean freight capacity and an ongoing shortage of truck drivers and equipment threw a wrench into the well-oiled domestic transportation system, and rail was not immune.

The Number of Departure Delays is Skyrocketing In Port Cities, as Railway Congestion Continues

Delays in major ports and hub cities like Los Angeles, Charleston, and Detroit are more frequent than ever. From Vancouver to Southern California ports, 10-15 days rail delays are becoming common up and down the West Coast.

Railroads play a vital role in keeping the supply chain moving. US Rail carriers have had to take new measures to alleviate the congestion, including:

• Enhanced coordination across railroads in busy hubs
• Rerouting traffic
• Increasing storage capacity to offload containers
• Working with trucking partners to move shipments from terminals to warehouses
• Facilitating on-property chassis pools
• Offering incentives to customers who can receive shipments on weekends
• Extending the operating hours to include nights and weekends

While the measures have improved the situation, the backups and rail delays persist.

A Large Midwestern Choke Point

Chicago is a central hub for cargo moving coast to coast via rail. The city’s position within the supply chain makes it a chokepoint even during the good years, say experts.

Chicago has emerged as a new bottleneck in the supply chain, as rail yards have backed up in this, the Midwest’s most significant freight hub. The containers arrive at the railroads faster than local transport can handle, and the stacks of shipping containers continue to grow higher.

We Can Help You Move Cargo When Rail is Your Best –or Only –Option

In our 45 years of moving freight, Dedola Global Logistics has built a network of rail carriers and key contacts to call on for help during challenging times like these. We’ve helped customers big and small optimize the domestic leg of their supply chain, coast to coast, for decades. We can do the same for you!

Contact us today to schedule a consultation with one of our friendly staff members!

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