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RCC Blog: Impact of Consolidation on Rail Freight Rates

Impact of Consolidation on Freight Rail Rates

An analysis of railroad pricing practices shows that over the last fifteen years there has been a fundamental change in how railroads establish rates for movements. The analysis shows that rail movements with pricing considered potentially non-competitive by the Surface Transportation Board (STB) have become the norm and not the exception.

The analysis, performed by Escalation Consultants, for the Rail Customer Coalition, covers the change in railroad pricing for eight major commodity groups between 2004 and 2019. Table 1 shows these eight commodity groups. In the analysis, non-competitive pricing consists of revenue from rail moves with Revenue to Variable Cost Ratios (RVC’s) greater than the 180% RVC Regulatory Jurisdictional Threshold. Revenue from moves with RVC’s below 180% is considered competitive revenue.

(Table 1)

8 Commodity Groups Included in RCC Analysis

The analysis shows the following changes in railroad pricing practices between 2004 and 2019.

Revenue from rail moves with non-competitive pricing increased by an average of 230% over the last 15 years.
  • Half the commodities had non-competitive pricing revenue increase by more than 300%.
  • Commodity revenue from rail moves without non-competitive pricing either decreased, or had small increases over the last 15 years.
Moves with non-competitive pricing generated 50% of all 2019 railroad revenue (see Table 2).
  • Chemical movements are most significantly impacted, as 68% of all Chemical revenue is generated from rail moves with non-competitive pricing.
    • 64% of Stone and Cement revenue comes from non-competitive pricing
    • 56% of Farm Products revenue comes from non-competitive pricing
  • The percentage of total revenue from moves with non-competitive pricing increased by 23% over the last 15 years. While revenue from moves with competitive pricing decreased by 23%.

The large increase in non-competitive revenue caused the average RVC to increase from 134% to 165% between 2004 and 2019 for shipments of the eight commodities in the analysis.

 

Conclusions from Analysis

Illustration 1 shows the cumulative percent change in total non-competitive revenue and competitive revenue by year for these eight commodities. This shows that non-competitive revenue has consistently increased over time while competitive revenue has had little change. These historical changes indicate that the STB is regulating a very different rail industry today, than it regulated in 2004.

(Illustration 1)

Percent Change in Non-Competitive vs Competitive Rail Revenue

Based upon the large increase in non-competitive revenue, it would be logical to expect a large number of rate cases before the STB. This has not happened!

Many shippers believe that the existing regulatory process is weighted too much in favor of railroads. The large increase in non-competitive revenue, shown in Illustration 1, supports this contention. Non-competitive revenue has increased 230% over the past 15 years. This indicates that railroads are not worried about regulatory pushback from generating non-competitive revenue from a large portion of their rail traffic.

The analysis shows that commodities are not impacted by a railroad’s non-competitive pricing practices to the same degree. Table 2 shows that 3 commodity groups had non-competitive revenue representing more than 50% of all rail revenue:

          • Chemicals – 68% of all revenue

          • Stone & Glass Products – 64% of all revenue

          • Farm Products – 56% of all revenue

These are very large commodity groups, and they have a significant impact on the total non-competitive revenue railroads make from their pricing practices. These commodity groups benefit the most from an improvement in regulations that impact rates.

(Table 2)

Non-Competitive Revenue as a Percent of Total Revenue

Table 3 shows the largest increase in non-competitive revenue occurred in commodities with the smallest percent of non-competitive revenue in 2004. Paper, Wood, Food, and Transportation Equipment commodities make up a relatively small percentage of total rail revenue under non-competitive pricing in 2004. These commodities now have around a third of all revenue subject to railroad non-competitive pricing. The analysis demonstrates that railroad’s non-competitive pricing practices are widespread and affect more movements now, than they did in 2004.

(Table 3)

Impact of Railroad Non-Competitive Pricing Practices on Commodities

Summary 

The Rail Pricing Analysis indicates that railroad pricing practices have changed dramatically over the last 15 years. It also indicates that rail rate regulations have not kept pace with these changes. The 230% average increase in non-competitive revenue indicates that railroads do not appear to be particularly worried about existing rate regulations. 

If the pattern of change over the last 15 years continues, the majority of rail traffic will move under rates that generate non-competitive revenue for railroads. To change this, the potential for winning a rate case before the STB will need to be more favorable to shippers than it has been over the last 15 years. This will likely require a more effective and less expensive method to challenge non-competitive rail rates. 

Consolidation within the Transportation Industry is facing additional scrutiny as regulators contemplate additional rail mergers. Mergers that could have further negative impact on the competitive landscape and the affordability of shipping US goods by rail. This analysis indicates that regulators need to carefully consider the changes needed to the regulatory system to protect shippers from the impact of a smaller number of railroads competing for their business. 

Note – The STB Commodity Revenue Stratification Reports are the source for all data used in the Analysis of Railroad Pricing Practices. 

 

Escalation Consultants, Inc. developed the Rail Cost Control (“RCC”) program to help shippers reduce rail expenses by managing costs and empowering negotiations. For more information about RCC and other related articles, visit the RCC Blog.

Rail Carloads Rebound from Covid-19

Rail Carloads Rebound from COVID-19

COVID-19 has had a big impact on everything including rail traffic. The good news is that: 
  • Intermodal traffic has rebounded far above pre-COVID-19 levels; and, 
  • Bulk rail traffic has finally risen to pre-COVID levels.  

The graph below shows that weekly Intermodal traffic is up 11% from January 2020. It also shows that Bulk rail traffic has finally risen 1% above pre-COVID-19 levels. 

RCC Blog: Percent Change in Weekly Rail Carloads for Intermodal vs Bulk Traffic

The graph below shows that, except for Coal and Petroleum, Bulk rail traffic has increased for major commodities. Both Coal and Petroleum have factors other than the economy influencing their decrease in carloads. The largest increase in Bulk carloads has been in Lumber & Wood Product 31.4%, Grain 30.3%, and Metal Products 20.3%. Chemicals and Sand & Gravel have only rebounded slightly from pre-COVID levels. 

The increase in rail carloads paints a positive picture of the US economy. The rise in carloads for both Bulk and Intermodal Traffic indicate that the economy has largely recovered from the negative impact of COVID-19. 

RCC Blog: Comparison of Weekly Rail Carloads for Major Bulk Commodities

Weekly Rail Carloads comes from the Rail Rate Checker section of the Rail Cost Control program’s extensive database of rail cost, rates, volumes, and rail profit which is used by many shippers to determine reasonable rates for their movements. For more information go to RailCostControl.com. 

 

Escalation Consultants, Inc. developed the Rail Cost Control (“RCC”) program to help shippers reduce rail expenses by managing costs and empowering negotiations. For more information about RCC and other related articles, visit the RCC Blog.

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Rail Cost Control Blog - Rail Rates

Rail Rates – When is Enough, Enough?

Carriers and shippers agree: railroads need to be profitable to have a healthy and vibrant railroad system. To provide the best service possible, railroads need to be able to make the capital investment needed to move traffic efficiently and that requires a good return on their investment in track, equipment, and facilities. Carriers and shippers, therefore, agree that railroads need to have a rate structure for their traffic that allows them to operate profitably and efficiently. 

The disagreement between carriers and shippers regarding soaring rates comes down to when is enough, enough? 

In other words, when are the rates and rate increases imposed on rail traffic excessive? This is an important issue as excessive rates can have many negative consequences. Excessive rail rates can be damaging to the U.S. economy, the economy of individual states as well as the financial strength of individual companies. The negative impact occurs because excessive rail rates can: 

  • Cause companies to move production off-shore; 
  • Result in an increase in imports into the U.S.; 
  • Cause bulk traffic to move from rail to already congested highways; 
  • Limit capital investment at operations subject to ever increasing high rail rates; and, 
  • Put companies at a competitive disadvantage in domestic and export markets. 

Shippers understand that rail rates which are too low can be damaging to railroads. Railroads do not, however, seem to fully recognize that excessively high rail rates are damaging to both rail shippers, AND the economy. The question that needs to be answered, is: 

What are “reasonable” rates for railroads to charge for moving their traffic? 

The level of rate increase for rail freight, compared to other benchmarks, is a good indicator of railroad’s concern about the impact of their rates on companies. The illustration below tracks the historical percent change in rail rates against rates for long-distance trucking and inflation. Rail rates are determined using Association of American Railroads (AAR) average revenue per car data.

Rail Rates Increased More than Inflation

The illustration shows that rail rates increased by 94.2 % over the fifteen years between 2004 and 2019 (2019 is the last year reported).

During this same time frame, Long Distance Trucking freight rates increased 31.7%. Rail rates, therefore, increased three times more than the rates for trucking which is the railroad’s primary competitor. Inflation, as measured by the CPI, increased 35.4%. Rail rates, therefore, increased 2.7 times more than overall inflation.

As a result of the change in economics between truck and rail, trucks are now competing against railroads for longer distance movements. The big increase in the cost of rail freight has made trucking less expense than rail for many movements. This has resulted in traffic being taken off rail which contributes to greater congestion on highways. The cost of moving traffic by truck no longer appears to be effective competition as railroads have increased their rates 63% more than truck rates over the last fifteen years.

The remarks in this article should be qualified by saying that we have the highest admiration for the management of railroads. They have been a huge success for their investors as shown by the increase in the value of their stock. Rail management has taken the advantages and disadvantages of the current regulatory system and used it very effectively to create value for its stockholders. That is what effective management of any company should do and the railroads have done it better than most. On the other hand, shippers are concerned that railroads have become too adept at using the existing regulatory environment to their advantage.

Shippers are concerned about the power of railroads to keep churning out rate increases even as shippers fight for survival during these troubled times.

In looking at the current railroad industry I am reminded of a negotiation I was involved in many years ago. In this negotiation I asked the question, “When is enough, enough?” The response was very honest, “It is never enough!” The troubling fact is that this appears to be the mantra when it comes to rail rates today.

 

Escalation Consultants, Inc. developed the Rail Cost Control (“RCC”) program to help shippers reduce rail expenses by managing costs and empowering negotiations. For more information about RCC and other related articles, visit the RCC Blog.

 

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RCC Blog - Why Some Rail Shippers Get Lower Rates

Why Some Rail Shippers Get Lower Rates

Rail shippers that are smarter about their movements get better rates for their traffic.  

Escalation Consultants, Inc. is in a unique position to see this, as many shippers use our databases to get better rates for their rail movements. The fact is: shippers who know more about their traffic do better in negotiating rates with their railroads.  

Shippers least cost leverage for obtaining better rates from railroads starts with benchmarking and costing rates for their movements.  

The following are examples of how rail shippers have used Escalation Consultants’ market intelligence database to their advantage:      

 1. A Captive shipper showed the railroad the impact its current rate structure has on reduced volumes into major markets. Market intelligence showed the rates needed to protect this business.  

Result – Shipper’s rates were reduced more than 10% to pertinent markets.  

2. A railroad proposed a large rate increase on captive movements. The railroad was shown that its rates were already in the upper profitability quartile for moves in certain markets. Additionally, the railroad was shown that its proposed rate increases are higher than the average increase they are receiving from all movements of this commodity.

Result –  Railroad pulled back its rate increases, reduced rates on priority movements and signed a multi-year contract. 

3. A shipper performed an analysis of the profit structure for a company’s movements on its primary railroad. The analysis showed that the railroad was pricing its movements above competitors on both captive and competitive traffic. A Rate Benchmark Analysis showed the rate structure needed to maintain and increase volumes in problem markets. 

Result – Rates were reduced in significant problem markets and the railroad increased the strike price for fuel surcharges without increasing the rates for movements.

4. The rates and the rail carriers’ profits on all movements from an important market area were analyzed. This determined the market price for the commodity and the impact of increased volumes and lower rates on railroads profit.

Result – Win/win opportunities associated with lower rates were put in place to the benefit of both the shipper and rail carrier. 

5. Rail rates for all coal movements originating in the PRB and terminating in a specific state were determined.  The range of rates being obtained by plants with and without competitive options was used to support the rates that were and were not reasonable for plants.

Result – Shipper obtained rates in line with its competitor’s plants.

6.The shipper determined competitors’ rates into markets to find out where its rail rates were putting it at a competitive disadvantage in markets.  

Result – Rates were reduced in primary markets to keep the shipper competitive.

7. Shipper determined the railroad’s cost and profit for movements and how its rates stacked up to others in major markets.   

Result – Rates in several primary markets were reduced to minimize the shipper’s competitive disadvantage in these markets. 

The common theme in these examples, is that the shipper was able to gather information on its markets.

This data allows shippers to clearly demonstrate a problem to the railroad and quantify the rate that provided an equitable solution. The point to be taken is that shippers who are well prepared for negotiations have better negotiations. They also get better rates than shippers that do not completely understand their markets. Rate benchmarking and the costing of rail movements provides ammunition that helps protect rail shippers from excessive rates charged by railroads. These resources are important to help counteract the monopoly or duopoly power railroads have over their customer’s traffic.

When railroads have monopoly power over movements it is up to the shipper to determine if the railroad is abusing this power. Thus, putting the shipper’s business at a competitive disadvantage.

Railroads are sensitive to hurting a companies’ ability to compete in markets. Therefore, benchmarking your rates against competitors is a productive exercise in preparing for rate negotiations. This can be the most productive and least costly option shippers have for obtaining competitive rates for their traffic. 

Uncovering, and quantifying rate problems is a major function of effective transportation departments! Many transportation professionals have found that determining reasonable rates for traffic is the first step in obtaining better rates.

Escalation Consultants, Inc. developed the Rail Cost Control (“RCC”) program to help shippers reduce rail expenses by managing costs and empowering negotiations. For more information about RCC and other related articles, visit the RCC Blog.

 

Rail Cost Control

 

RCC Blog - Uploads to STB's Carload Waybill Sample

Updates to STB’s Carload Waybill Sample

Big improvements Coming to the STB’s Carload Waybill Sample

The best source for understanding railroad rates and volumes for commodities into specific markets is the STB’s Public Use Waybill Sample (Waybill). The Waybill contains information that can significantly impact a shipper’s rail negotiations. It can also positively impact decisions made in shipper’s marketing and sales departments. Improvements made to Waybill data are, therefore, important for shippers to understand.

There are two big improvements in the Waybill data for merchandise traffic that shippers must be aware of. The first improvement will go into effect later in 2021 or early 2022. The second improvement is still being studied by the STB.

Waybill Improvement 1

The upcoming 2020 Waybill will contain more rates, volumes, origins, and destinations for merchandise traffic rail movements. This means merchandise traffic will contain:

  • Increased number of origin and destination market areas.
  • More accurate estimates of specific commodity volumes going into markets.
  • More accurate estimates of where volumes into markets originate.
  • Improved information on rates shippers compete against in markets.

This increase in merchandise traffic data will be offset by decreasing the number of intermodal movements the Waybill contains. This change is being implemented because the Waybill is primarily used by merchandise traffic shippers. These improvements will go into effect with the release of 2020 Waybill data. The 2020 Waybill data is expected to be released in late 2021, or early 2022.

Waybill Improvement 2

If this improvement is implemented, the Waybill will be released Quarterly, not Annually. This improvement is still being studied by the STB. However, if this change is enacted, Waybill data will become much more current.

In the existing system, Waybill data is at least one year old. Much of the data is closer to two years old before the STB releases an updated Waybill. For example, if the Waybill data for year 2020 is released in December 2021, there will be a one-year lag in data for the fourth quarter of 2020. However, there will be close to a two-year lag for data from the first quarter of 2020.  The new quarterly Waybill system would only have a two-to-four-month delay in rate and volume information for all Waybill data.

Waybill Improvement 2 is important because the more current Waybill data is, the more useful Waybill data becomes!

Importance of Waybill Data

The importance of the Waybill data in determining reasonable rates for rail movements is shown in the following scatter graph:

Updates to STB’s Carload Waybill Statistics

The scatter graph is automatically generated through the Rail Rate Checker Section of the Rail Cost Control Program

The graph shows the following data:

  • Shipper’s rate of $4,000 for a 450-mile Plastic (STCC 28211) movements from Houston, TX to Jackson, MS (yellow diamond)
  • Waybill rates for Plastic moves to Jackson, MS from both Houston, TX (red circles) and Beaumont, TX (green triangle)
  • A $2,430 Average Waybill rate into Jackson, MS (refer to the red line)
  • $3,462 is the rate that is One Standard Deviation above the average Waybill rate (refer to the top blue line)

The graph shows the value shippers get from access to Waybill data. The illustration provides a clear picture of the problems with the $4,000 rate for the shipper’s Plastic movements. The graph shows:

  • The $4,000 rate is more than One Standard Deviation above the Average rate into Jackson, MS
  • Houston rates are $1,000 to $2,5000 higher than rates out of Beaumont, TX
  • The $4,000 rate puts the shipper at a competitive disadvantage in the Jackson, MS market
  • It is difficult for the shipper to compete in this market with a $4,000 rail rate

The Waybill is already a very valuable tool for rail shippers. The STB’s proposed improvements to timeliness and number of moves, will increase the value of the Waybill for rail shippers.

 

Escalation Consultants, Inc. developed Rail Cost Control (“RCC”)  to help shippers reduce rail expenses by managing costs and empowering negotiations. Furthermore, for more information about RCC and other related articles, visit the RCC Blog.

Rail Cost Control

Rail Cost Control - Educate Railroads

Reduce Captive Rates by Educating Railroads

The March 17th blog titled “6 Ways to Make Railroads Compete for Your Captive Movements” stated that it is important to educate railroads. This is an important way to demonstrate why high captive rates are bad for both you and your railroads. Through this process, you educate railroads on the overall impact of high rates on your business. In addition, this process also shows how you can help improve the railroads business model for your commodities.  

The following are five examples of how educating railroads helps reduce rail expenses on captive movements.  

1. Capital Investment Plans to Increase or Maintain Production

Your railroad needs to be shown that investment will not be made at locations where you have high costs. The impact of how high captive rail rates impact your capital investment and production volumes is important for railroads to understand. Railroads have lost substantial business in the past by not listening to their customers. Educating railroads on the downside of high captive rates is a beneficial exercise for both you and your railroads.  

2. Your Competitors Can Be a Big Source of Leverage in Reducing Captive Rates 

There are several reasons for this. One important reason is the location of competitors to your existing and potential customers. When a competitor is close to a customer, this provides a reason for a railroad to provide you with lower rates for movements to that customer. Your competitor will have lower logistics cost, either from a short distance rail move, or by serving the customer by truck.  Either way, if you lose this customer, the railroad also loses all or a major part of the revenue it would get from you. It makes economic sense for both the shipper and the railroad to work together to maintain this business. 

3. Are You Competing Against Imports? 

If the answer is yes, then you and the railroad have the same objective – STOP THE BLEEDING. You both lose out when competing against imports and you will accomplish more by working together than against each other. High captive rates make little economic sense when the objective is to compete more effectively against imports. Reference Blog article “Creating Effective Alliances with Railroads.”

4. Are You a Short Distance from a Port Where Your Product can be Exported? 

If yes, then you have additional negotiation leverage. High captive rates can make it more economical to export than ship domestically. When a shipper makes the switch from primarily serving the domestic market to primarily serving the export market, this can have a large impact on a railroad’s revenue and volumes. This can provide effective leverage in captive rate negotiations.  

5. Understand Problems with Your Railroad’s Business Model for Your Commodities

Many shippers do not take advantage of information that railroads must provide to the STB. This information is provided due to the monopoly power railroad’s hold over a large amount of their traffic. This information can be valuable to shipper’s rail negotiations. One example is the railroad’s Quarterly Fright Commodity Statistics Reports (QCS). Railroad’s QCS reports show what is good and bad about a railroad’s business model for your commodities. This data provides direction for how you can help improve weaknesses in the railroad’s results for your commodities.  

The illustration below provides an example using results for Commodity Code 29114-Petroleum Lubricants on CSXT.

Rail Cost Control - Educate Railroads - Reduce Captive Rates

This illustration shows that CSXT receives more cars from connecting carriers than it originates on its lines. This means that there is not enough production capacity on the CSXT system to satisfy the demand for this commodity from customers on the CSXT system. As a result, few cars are delivered by CSXT to connecting carriers.  

To grow revenue CSXT needs to provide rates that encourage you to increase production. To incentivize this investment,  CSXT needs to, at a minimum, provide lower rates to gateways with other railroads. This would be good for both CSXT and the shipper. CSXT growth is limited without further investment from shippers on its system. High captive rates that stifle growth appear to limit CSXT and its customers revenue for this commodity. This is fertile ground for negotiations focused on reasonable rates for captive movements. 

Railroads current and historical QCS results are included in the Rail Rate Checker section of the Rail Cost Control Program. In addition to carloads, the QCS data in Rail Rate Checker includes the following information for each Class 1 Railroad: 

          • Average rate for moving the commodity 

          • Historical change in average rates  

          • Total revenue from movements of the commodity 

          • How railroads total commodity revenue has changed over time 

This data is available down to the five-digit commodity code level in the Commodities by Railroad section of Rail Rate Checker.  

 

Rail Cost Control (“RCC”) is a program developed by Escalation Consultants, Inc. to help shippers reduce rail expenses by managing costs and empowering negotiations. Furthermore, for more information about RCC and other related articles, visit the RCC Blog.

Database Management System

Rail Negotiation Wheel

Obtaining the Rail Cost Reductions that Shippers’ Management Needs

“If YOU don’t change what YOU do, it will be difficult to get railroads to change what THEY do.”

Escalation Consultants, Inc. is regularly involved in assisting shippers in reducing their cost of rail freight. Furthermore, we frequently receive inquiries from companies asking how they can best achieve the cost reductions that management is demanding. This article provides some direction for transportation and logistics departments looking to reduce rail costs for their rail movements.

To start out the process of reducing rail expenses, there are two basic issues to keep in mind in getting a better rate structure from railroads:

  • You must do something different than what you are currently doing with … you guessed it… railroads! This is a pretty logical rule that people frequently try to ignore because of a resistance to change. To change your rate structure, you must change how you negotiate with railroads. If you don’t change what YOU do, it will be difficult to get railroads to change what THEY do.
  • Every company has a unique situation. Therefore, the specific process for reducing rail expenses for one company, will be different from what is most effective at another. However, the analysis of fundamental issues to determine the best path to reducing and better controlling rail expenses, are similar.

A number of the fundament issues that need to be analyzed and incorporated as part of a negotiation strategy that will create different dynamics in a rail negotiation are included in the illustration below.

Rail Negotiation Wheel

**Please note that many of the action items on the outside of the Rail Negotiation Wheel have been left blank. A review of ALL actions would be too large a topic for one article.**

These issues in the Rail Negotiation Wheel form the building blocks for strategic planning, designed to obtain better rates for rail movements.

Many things need to be considered in an effective rail negotiation. Not all of the issues that are analyzed, have the same objective. The Rail Negotiating Wheel demonstrates this. The outside of the Rail Negotiation Wheel has analysis that can be performed and actions that can be taken, and the results achieved are on the inside. 

For example, when you benchmark your rates (Position 2 “P2” on the wheel), you determine reasonable rates for your movements. If this analysis shows that your rates are higher than competitors’ rates in a market (P3), then these rates must be reduced as they are putting you at a competitive disadvantage in the marketplace. The results in the middle of the wheel demonstrate why rates must be reduced.

When multiple issues on the outside of the wheel support the same result, this increases your leverage for obtaining better rates for your traffic.

For example, if your rates are higher than your competitors’ (P3), your negotiation position gets even stronger if your rates impact your business in the following ways:

  • Loss of business to competitors’ (P5)
  • Loss of business to imports (P6)
  • Where you invest capital to maintain and increase capacity, and where you don’t invest capital (P7)

All of these types of issues demonstrate why rates must be reduced and increase a shippers’ leverage in negotiations with railroads. The more action items you can use to support your negotiation, the greater your chance of success in obtaining the rates you need for your traffic.

As a shipper, you have the strongest position when you can bring all of the items on the inside of the Rail Negotiation Wheel into your negotiation position with railroads. Those who have attended Escalation Consultants’: Rail Negotiation Seminar know that we are big on shippers developing their rail negotiation “Story.” The story contains a shippers’ position for why it needs rates at a specific level. It also needs to provide the reasons why a railroad should agree to those rates. The Rail Negotiation Wheel provides the roadmap for developing that story.

Effective negotiation positions address issues that support each of the results on the inside of the Rail Negotiation Wheel.

When shippers can demonstrate some or all of the following issues, they will have more effective negotiations with railroads.

  • The rates you need
  • Why you need these rates
  • Why the railroads should give these rates to you

Make your moves more important to railroads.

When your moves become more important to railroads your chances of success increase dramatically (P15 & P16) . If you have the ear of people that are important to railroads, you become more important to railroads. This makes it imperative for a railroad to act promptly on your problems.

These are the types of issues that are analyzed and acted upon in strategic planning. When the Rail Negotiation Wheel is used effectively, a shipper has more productive negotiations with railroads. As a result, a shipper increases its potential for obtaining a rate structure that will keep it competitive in its markets.

Addressing the actions and results included in the Rail Negotiating Wheel is an important concept for every shipper to understand.

The success of a rail negotiation hinges on shippers obtaining the results on the inside of the Rail Negotiation Wheel. Using the leverage you obtain from the Rail Negotiation Wheel is especially important, due to the drop in bulk rail volumes and employment. These changes are providing shippers with significant leverage. Moreover, the Rail Negotiation Wheel helps shippers utilize this leverage in a proactive process for establishing reasonable rates for their movements.

 

Rail Cost Control (“RCC”) is a program developed by Escalation Consultants, Inc. to help shippers reduce rail expenses by managing costs and empowering negotiations. For more information about RCC and other related articles, visit the RCC Blog.”

Database Management System