Carloadings are just that loadings. Handled, is loads received in interchange, plus loaded on line.
For a loading to count, the carrier has to receive a bill of lading, that is info telling the carrier what is in the car, who will pay the freight and where it wants to go. In the aggregate this all evens out over a few days and over the entire customer base, but individual customers can vary day to day for reasons not obvious to the carrier.
Balt brings up a key point, the ability of the customer to unload. If the customer can not unload what the shippers can load and the carriers can haul, the lack of empties will show up at the dreaded "car shortage" at origin.
This often becomes an issue in the grain business at peak times as well.
The inability of consignees to unload cars at east coast ports during World War I was a major factor in the Govt taking over the railroads during that war.
Mac
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