Trains.com

Amazon Intermodal

10508 views
36 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: Atlanta
  • 11,971 posts
Amazon Intermodal
Posted by oltmannd on Monday, February 19, 2018 2:16 PM

Was watching the Horseshoe Curve Virtual Railfan site https://youtu.be/PmCkBPm7ICk

Saw EB train with about 10 "smiling" blue Amazon trailers.  Have hardly ever seen an Amazon trailer before, much less on an intermodal train.

Things happen fast, these days!

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: South Central,Ks
  • 7,170 posts
Posted by samfp1943 on Monday, February 19, 2018 2:44 PM

DON: They are seen through this area in BNSF's stacks,mixed in with TOFC. Have been for some months, their logo is hard to miss. I'd bet their are more, but, of course, without their logo? Blindfold Most I have seen in a group, were about 2 or 3 trailers.

Amazon seems to operate two kinds of warehouse centers; (?) Fulfilment and Sort. This linked site is sort of overkill,

@ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Amazon_locations

But it seems to show that several centers(?) are located along BNSF's Sou T-con in Kansas ( KC area), and in Arizona, and California. As well as some in the upper midwest.

 

 


 

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Valparaiso, In
  • 5,921 posts
Posted by MP173 on Monday, February 19, 2018 2:48 PM

Don:
Do you have scanner chatter on the web cam?  If so did you catch the symbol?  Last night's 22W had 12 Amazon trailers. 22W is due into Rutherford at 1800, so that might be the train I saw last night at 8pm on Chesterton web cam.  Fortunately we have a scanner feature allowing ID'ing the train.

Did the train have UPS trailers? If so, it might have been the 22W.

BTW I first noticed Amazon trailers last week on 22W.  So far none on other trains.

Ed

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 25,292 posts
Posted by BaltACD on Monday, February 19, 2018 3:45 PM

oltmannd
Was watching the Horseshoe Curve Virtual Railfan site https://youtu.be/PmCkBPm7ICk

Saw EB train with about 10 "smiling" blue Amazon trailers.  Have hardly ever seen an Amazon trailer before, much less on an intermodal train.

Things happen fast, these days!

What is East & West?

Left = East

Right = West?

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

  • Member since
    April 2016
  • 1,447 posts
Posted by Shadow the Cats owner on Monday, February 19, 2018 4:24 PM

The war between Amazon and Walmart is going to be fun in the next couple years for the OTR industry.  Walmart is cancelling all contracts with carriers that haul for Amazon in anyway shape or form.  So those carriers have a choice to make lose Walmart which can be a huge chunk of revenue for them for Amazon which is trying to start up their own logistics company to haul their own freight.  What would you do.  Amazon is also thinking about starting their own air freight division to get away from Fed Ex and UPS.  That will go over like a box of rocks in that industry.  

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,919 posts
Posted by blue streak 1 on Monday, February 19, 2018 5:25 PM

Shadow the Cats owner
  Walmart is cancelling all contracts with carriers that haul for Amazon in anyway shape or form.  

That sounds like causing anti-trust action ?

  • Member since
    January 2002
  • From: Canterlot
  • 9,575 posts
Posted by zugmann on Monday, February 19, 2018 5:29 PM

BaltACD
What is East & West? Left = East Right = West?

Left = west.

 

Right = east. 

 

up = sky?

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Iowa
  • 3,293 posts
Posted by Semper Vaporo on Monday, February 19, 2018 5:37 PM

Down = wrong

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Antioch, IL
  • 4,371 posts
Posted by greyhounds on Monday, February 19, 2018 5:37 PM

blue streak 1
That sounds like causing anti-trust action ?

Yeah, that's what I was thinking.  

"By many measures, the U.S. freight rail system is the safest, most efficient and cost effective in the world." - Federal Railroad Administration, October, 2009. I'm just your average, everyday, uncivilized howling "anti-government" critic of mass government expenditures for "High Speed Rail" in the US. And I'm gosh darn proud of that.
  • Member since
    January 2002
  • From: Canterlot
  • 9,575 posts
Posted by zugmann on Monday, February 19, 2018 5:39 PM

walmart sounds desperate.  Maybe they should have focused more attention to their web sales?  I mean, who the hell wants to actually go into a walmart? 

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,021 posts
Posted by tree68 on Monday, February 19, 2018 5:49 PM

zugmann
I mean, who the hell wants to actually go into a walmart? 

If they didn't, how would we be able to enjoy the "People of Walmart?"

I make every effort to avoid it, although some are better than others.

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date
Come ride the rails with me!
There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 25,292 posts
Posted by BaltACD on Monday, February 19, 2018 6:03 PM

zugmann
 
BaltACD
What is East & West? Left = East Right = West? 

Left = west. 

Right = east.  

up = sky?

Blind with fog?

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,021 posts
Posted by tree68 on Monday, February 19, 2018 6:15 PM

BaltACD
What is East & West? Left = East Right = West

Just the opposite, I believe.  A train travelling from left to right on the camera is railroad eastbound.  Compass north, though, in the part of the curve you can see.

The park: 40.49800 -78.48493

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date
Come ride the rails with me!
There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

  • Member since
    April 2016
  • 1,447 posts
Posted by Shadow the Cats owner on Monday, February 19, 2018 7:07 PM

The way their contract is worded it states they can cancel it for anything they deem a threat to Wal-Mart's branding or business. The one's their really going after are the dedicated account haulers that deliver to the stores. Their forcing them to decide keep your very profitable and long term contracts hauling goods exclusive for Walmart or throw it all away for Amazon .Carriers like Prime England U.S. Express Scheinder are the ones they are targeting. 

  • Member since
    August 2006
  • From: South Dakota
  • 1,592 posts
Posted by Dakguy201 on Monday, February 19, 2018 7:41 PM

Shadow the Cats owner

<snip> forcing them to decide keep your very profitable and long term contracts hauling goods exclusive for Walmart or throw it all away for Amazon .Carriers like Prime England U.S. Express Scheinder are the ones they are targeting. 

 

 
I realize you are in the industry, but "very profitable contracts" seems like un-Wal-Mart behavior.  In general they have a reputation of attempting to drive costs down in the supplier's operations, and I would think that includes profit margins.
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Valparaiso, In
  • 5,921 posts
Posted by MP173 on Monday, February 19, 2018 8:23 PM

One other thought...these Amazon trailers might be new and be intermodaled for placement into service.  

Tonight's 22W just cleared Chesterton with 3 x 128 containers/trailers but no Amazon trailers in consist.  

Lots of new trailers built at Hyundai are being railed to service points.

 

Ed

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: Atlanta
  • 11,971 posts
Posted by oltmannd on Monday, February 19, 2018 9:47 PM

MP173

Don:
Do you have scanner chatter on the web cam?  If so did you catch the symbol?  Last night's 22W had 12 Amazon trailers. 22W is due into Rutherford at 1800, so that might be the train I saw last night at 8pm on Chesterton web cam.  Fortunately we have a scanner feature allowing ID'ing the train.

Did the train have UPS trailers? If so, it might have been the 22W.

BTW I first noticed Amazon trailers last week on 22W.  So far none on other trains.

Ed

 

Had to be 22W.  I checked another way. Smile  A bunch of UPS behind the "smiles"

Saw a Walmart trailer on the UP - Atlanta train a couple weeks ago.  

https://photos.app.goo.gl/GfUp1dO1S5eb76eC2

 

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: Atlanta
  • 11,971 posts
Posted by oltmannd on Monday, February 19, 2018 10:01 PM

tree68

 

 
BaltACD
What is East & West? Left = East Right = West

 

Just the opposite, I believe.  A train travelling from left to right on the camera is railroad eastbound.  Compass north, though, in the part of the curve you can see.

The park: 40.49800 -78.48493

 

+1

Left to right is downhill, eastbound.  

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Central Iowa
  • 6,901 posts
Posted by jeffhergert on Monday, February 19, 2018 11:15 PM

zugmann

walmart sounds desperate.  Maybe they should have focused more attention to their web sales?  I mean, who the hell wants to actually go into a walmart? 

 

I'd rather go to their stores than shop on line.  For this dinosaur, shopping on the internet is the absolute last resort.

Jeff

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Monday, February 19, 2018 11:45 PM

MP173
One other thought...these Amazon trailers might be new and be intermodaled for placement into service.

Even with the loads likely cubing out long before weighing out ... can we not deduce if the trailers are loaded or empty by the truck-spring deflection or the ride-motion characteristics of the railroad cars?  Or, if visible, the tire sidewall distortion?

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Valparaiso, In
  • 5,921 posts
Posted by MP173 on Tuesday, February 20, 2018 6:37 AM

At 50-60mph it is difficult to make those determinations, but I will try next time.

 

Ed

  • Member since
    April 2016
  • 1,447 posts
Posted by Shadow the Cats owner on Tuesday, February 20, 2018 7:00 AM

Walmart offered my boss a 30 truck contract running dedicated trailers to other DC's in the area.  Walmart pays for your fuel IFTA and maintance of the truck during the contract.  Your paid 2 bucks a mile for all miles the truck runs for Walmart.  Fuel is close to 50 cents a mile of our operating costs.  We break even at 1.80 a mile right now even with brokered loads.  So if your a Walmart dedicated carrier your making 70 cents a mile after costs at least that was our breakdown.  Our normal RO is in the 90 percent range.  This puts us in the 55% range if not better.  You see why the carriers that are pulling it are having to choose long and hard.  Why we did not take the contract was simple our drivers come home every weekend plain and simple over 95% get 2 days off every weekend.  This contract would have required 2-3 weeks out at a time for our drivers and we do not run them like that.  

  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: Pittsburgh, PA
  • 1,155 posts
Posted by tcwright973 on Tuesday, February 20, 2018 2:26 PM

Last Saturday morning we spotted 5 or 6 Amazon Prime truck trailers on a Norfolk Southern intermodal headed East out of Conway Yard on the Fort Wayne Line. That was the 1st time I have seen those trailers. By the way, they were in 2 different paint schemes. Hope to get some photos this coming weekend.

Tom

Pittsburgh, PA

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Valparaiso, In
  • 5,921 posts
Posted by MP173 on Wednesday, February 21, 2018 8:33 PM

Feb 21 - 22W OS Chesterton, In.  2 x 130 with 25 UPS and 12 Amazon trailers.  Big blue is making a run at Brown.

 

Ed

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 25,292 posts
Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, February 21, 2018 9:14 PM

Can someone find and post pictures of the Amazon trailers or containers?

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Wednesday, February 21, 2018 10:15 PM

  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: Pittsburgh, PA
  • 1,155 posts
Posted by tcwright973 on Thursday, February 22, 2018 2:43 PM

Yep... The above photo is one of the paint schemes I saw. The other was blue.

Tom

Pittsburgh, PA

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Valparaiso, In
  • 5,921 posts
Posted by MP173 on Thursday, February 22, 2018 4:49 PM

What they are running for the most part on the 22W are complete blue trailers.

 

Ed

  • Member since
    May 2007
  • 201 posts
Posted by EMD#1 on Monday, February 26, 2018 6:37 PM

They are running north out of Atlanta on 204 or 212 now as well.

Tim G.

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Under The Streets of Los Angeles
  • 1,150 posts
Posted by Metro Red Line on Thursday, March 15, 2018 2:50 AM

tcwright973

Yep... The above photo is one of the paint schemes I saw. The other was blue.

 

 

Here's one of them:

 

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy