Trains VS. Trucks

[Anonymous]

The interesting part of this debate is that UPS is the largest intermodal customer of the US railroads. UPS is also the largest trucking company in the US in terms of revenue. Also, J B Hunt, Schneider, Swift, Roadway, Yellow, CF, ABF, are all major customers of the railroads for many years. New trucking companies continue to try intermodal each month. Covenant Trucking is a new example. Truckload truckers such as J B Hunt, Schneider offer extra incentives to sales people to find loads that will move over the railroad.
In spite of this debate, the truckers are great customers for every railroad in the US and Canada..

[Anonymous]

Nightcrawler: I hope you don't take those attacks personally as I truly believe this country could not thrive without the use of trucks or trains. I used to drive for PRIME INC. and I now work for,at least until I was furloughed, Union Pacific RR. I'm employed in the engineering dept. (TRACK) as a machine operator or laborer. Both Industries need each other to survive. The trucking companys are always looking for drivers and the railroads have nearly reached capacity in terms of available main lines. Both industries MUST work together for the common good of this great country. I hope I haven't offended anyone as this is just my opinion. GOD BLESS THE U.S.

[Anonymous]

I dont take anything personally. actually, i would much rather be working for a railroad than in the trucking industry :) I know Prime, i work for a company just down the road from them here in Springfield. it would be excellent if the railroads could get their acts together so some of these trucks can be taken off the road. i love seeing a long string of TOFC cars loaded with JB Hunt and Schneider trailers. those are all the slow trucks! hehe. i always get on the CB radio and say "thank god for the railroads, look at all the slow trucks they are keeping off the road" :) that usually makes a few people mad.

i think this is the thread that just wont die

God Bless The USA, Pass The Ammo.

Union Pacific "We Will Devour"

[Anonymous]

Yes. Alex,
good point, most of the slow trucks, LTL, Hunt, Schneider, Swift, are all good railroad customers. That does make driving easier for the other trucks on the road. The trucks and the railroads can be both competitors and good business partners, that is what makes the US a great country.
I had rather drive on a road with 20 trucks than 20 cars, as most truck drivers are professional drivers and do not create the problems that the 4 wheelers do.

[Anonymous]

Jim: I don't know which highways you travel, but I don't see much "professionalism" by truckers. The old "knights of the road" are long gone.
To the contrary, many truckers consistently overspeed, tailgate, cut off smaller vehicles and keep going in conditions that jeopardize everyone on the road except themselves. i.e. every year on I-70 between Denver and Salt Lake, dozens of autoists are killed, injured or disaccommodated by jack-knifing rigs in bad weather. And that's the tip of the casualty iceberg
I suspect the day will come when trucks and cars will have either or both separate highways or lanes - brought about by the above and by the already critical gridlock on many interstates...

[Anonymous]

I travel the interstates in the South frequently, I-40 in particular, and I have far more problems with cars and suv's than I have ever had with 18 wheelers. I guess it is different in some areas.
If I see a bad truck driver, I will report them to the truck company. I am familar with most truckers as I have been in the transportation business for 30 years. I have made only one call
to report a driver in the past 7-8 years.

I am very pleased that trucks are diverting to trains for long hauls. I think this trend will continue to grow rapidly, especially in the west where the BNSF wrote the book on how to run intermodal trains. The UP has also much improved intermodal service in the West. I spent 3 full days in Kansas City in May watching the intermodal trains roll and the show was fantastic.
Thanks rob5ert, I guess we drive on some different roads. Have a Merry Christmas,,

[Anonymous]

let me give you some facts Bob.

Fact: 70% of all auto/truck collisions are caused by the small car

Fact: for every truck wreck there are more than 10 involving cars

Fact: for every truck wreck resulting in a fatality, there are more than 5 automobile wrecks resulting in fatalities

As for the overspeeding, tailgating, and and cutting off smaller vehicles, this does happen, but tell me, have you ever cut off anyone, tailgated, or speeded?

We are supposed to be professionals out there on the road and I admit that there are some truckers that think they own the road and the small cars should get out of their way, but dont lump us all together in the same bunch.

"(truckers) keep going in conditions that jeopardize everyone on the road except themselves"
gimme a break. so you are saying that if a truck wrecks in bad conditions that the driver is not at risk? what about the cars that are driving in those same conditions? are they not also jeopardizing their own lives and the lives of others on the road?

About those truck wrecks on I-70. have you checked the police reports to see who was at fault for causing those wrecks? if not, dont go blaming the truckers if you dont have the facts.

As for eperate highways for cars and trucks. belive me, I am all for that. seems people think "it has 18 wheels, it must be able to stop 18 times faster right?" seems hard to belive, but that seems to be the only explination for some of the bonehead moves I see out there on the road.

And before you think that all the good truckers are gone, look at the next wreck you see out there in the middle of nowhere. who do you see stopping to give assistance? an 18 wheeler. I have been the first one to stop and give help and call for emergency assistance many times. while at the same time, many cars just slow down to gawk, and then keep on going.

I'll get off my soapbox now. it just gets to me when I see/hear people putting down truckers like that. we just need the railroad to get their act together and get some of these trucks off the road, and maybe that will get the trucking rates back up.

If you feel I have made any errors here, feel free to let me know and I will correct them.

[jsanchez]

The truck situation in the Northeast is out of hand. Thanks to Conrail driving and scaring away carload business and running a limited Intermodal operation, we are saturated with trucks and are paying a terrible price. Every other day I-81,I-78 or I-80 are shutdown because of a jack knifed truck or some other semi accident. Look at the costs, 6,000 dead every year from semi-truck, accidents, folks late to work and appointments(lost productivity), a truck does the damage of 20,000+ automobiles to road surfaces at taxpayer expense, excessive pollution, the list goes on and on. I'm really glad that CSX is re-emphazing box car and car-load freight and Norfolk Southern has gotten some customers to switch back. Shortlines have helped out greatly also, but should be helped out to capture more business from trucks. The state of Pennsylvania has an excellent program for helping shortlines finance and build new industrial spurs and lines to reach none rail using businesses.(dozens have been built or re-activated) I think as long as the congestion continues to worsen more, businesses, railroads, and communities(New York City for example) are going to demand freight move entirely by rail as much as possible. Boxcars were a pretty good idea after all!!!It's time to cut the weeds and put some shine back on those sidings....

[Anonymous]

we need trains trucks airplanes barges pipelines and our two feet to get around

[Anonymous]

Great point, we do need them all to have a successful national economy. The railroads cannot deliver to every business establishment. Trucks will always deliver to the final destination for most freight moving in this country, except for bulk freight such as coal, ore, grain, and chemicals.

[Anonymous]

I agree. Truckers supply the rail lines with loads that otherwise wouldn't meet the rails.