Hopefully the companies with reefer containers and trailers can get that freight back on the rails. CR England, Tiger Cool, Marten, Alliance, Clipper, etc . I bet the calls have already been made. and there are ramps not far from Rotterdam NY to handle the business.
I spent the last 21 years of my career in rail logistics with a chemical company. When I first joined them, we had the name of the company stenciled on the sides of all our tank cars and covered hoppers. Following a derailment involving one of our covered hoppers that was prominently shown in television news footage, we were quickly named in several lawsuits despite the fact our car had not caused the accident nor been breached as a result of the accident.
After that experience, when a car was shopped, one of my standing instructions was removal of the company name.
I had always heard billboard cars went away, at least for cars carrying consumer goods like meat or beer, because they were an invitation to theives good stuff was located therein.
Never remember seeing ads on any cars, if they went away in 40's, I would not have been train watching with Dad, that started in 50's. I do remember seeing Herby on cars, but that is about it. Probably would be too much commotion today over competing companies and whose ad was better. And as many mentioned, taggers all over the place, so ads would be a good target for that.
RE: Cold Connect. I read the story and have a suspicion that going from three trains a week to five may have been the problem. As in business enough for three trains, but not enough for five making it a losing proposition. Just a hunch. Reminds me of a bio I once read on Franklin Gowen of the Reading. When the Reading went into anthracite in a big way in the late 1870's he heavily promoted coal dealers' having mega coal yards; there were economies of scale to be achieved with 100,000 tons a year, Gowen said. The problem turned out to be selling 100,000 tons a year--the anthracite market wasn't big enough yet for that volume. The Mega Yards got shut down with heavy losses.
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