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News Wire: CSX claims first-quarter operating ratio crown

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Posted by Shadow the Cats owner on Friday, May 11, 2018 4:57 PM

I have a driver that buys a new truck for OTR use every 4 years. He has been with my boss for 20 years.  He was in the office today wanting a year to date gross revenues report for his next truck loan.  So I pulled it up for him not a big deal.  I asked him why he needed a direct copy from us for his loan.  He went so the bank knows exactly what I make.  I went why he goes I have 3 set's of book's I use. The first is what the IRS sees each year were I barely make anything at all.  The second is what my ex wife sees thru my Atty showing about the same.  The last one is what my bank sees so if I need anything I can get it. This is for his 3rd set. I'll give him credit he got out of paying alimony to his ex-wife last year based on his cooked books. That and everything he owns technically is owned by his corporate self.

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Friday, May 11, 2018 2:39 PM

cx500

 

 
charlie hebdo
Again your example is an indication that you do not understand accounting just becuase you worked in dispatching for 50 years.

 

I do not claim to understand accounting, but my father certainly did as proven by his career.  His remark backed up Balt's comment.  Accounting is more than simply bookkeeping, although the two do interact.

 

My father was comptroller with a large corporation long ago and I understand quite well the differences between bookkeeping and accountancy.  However, on this issue I would defer to an actual expert, PJS1, or whatever the current initials are.

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Posted by cx500 on Friday, May 11, 2018 12:30 PM

charlie hebdo
Again your example is an indication that you do not understand accounting just becuase you worked in dispatching for 50 years.

I do not claim to understand accounting, but my father certainly did as proven by his career.  His remark backed up Balt's comment.  Accounting is more than simply bookkeeping, although the two do interact.

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Friday, May 11, 2018 8:12 AM

BaltACD

 

 
charlie hebdo
 
BaltACD

Figures lie, liars figure.

Give an accountant raw data and what you want the finished reports to show - and they will - good, bad or indifferent - your choice. 

I suspect that any accountants on here might take vigorous exception to that snide remark, or laugh at the apparent ignorance.

 

Businesses have many accounting 'buckets' that can be legitmately shown in more than one bigger bucket - how those buckets ultimately get shown in the short run affect the what the short run report will show.  Remember NYC & PRR were paying divedends until the merger - even though both hemmoraging money.

As an aside, by daughter is a licensed CPA in multiple states.  She was doing audits and is now specializing  in taxes.

 

Again your example is an indication that you do not understand accounting just becuase you worked in dispatching for 50 years.  

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Posted by BaltACD on Thursday, May 10, 2018 8:04 PM

charlie hebdo
 
BaltACD

Figures lie, liars figure.

Give an accountant raw data and what you want the finished reports to show - and they will - good, bad or indifferent - your choice. 

I suspect that any accountants on here might take vigorous exception to that snide remark, or laugh at the apparent ignorance.

Businesses have many accounting 'buckets' that can be legitmately shown in more than one bigger bucket - how those buckets ultimately get shown in the short run affect the what the short run report will show.  Remember NYC & PRR were paying divedends until the merger - even though both hemmoraging money.

As an aside, by daughter is a licensed CPA in multiple states.  She was doing audits and is now specializing  in taxes.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by cx500 on Thursday, May 10, 2018 6:17 PM

charlie hebdo
 
BaltACD

Figures lie, liars figure.

Give an accountant raw data and what you want the finished reports to show - and they will - good, bad or indifferent - your choice.

 

 

 

I suspect that any accountants on here might take vigorous exception to that snide remark, or laugh at the apparent ignorance.

 

My dad, who was an accountant and ultimately became a treasurer and vice president of a significant insurance company, used close to the same words as BaltACD wrote.  Obviously there is some exaggeration, and in the long run everything gets completely accounted for.  In the short term, however, there are many completely legitimate ways to defer or advance balance sheet entries by a year or more.  Any accountant will know the possible range available for the finished reports and should keep within them. 

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Posted by Miningman on Thursday, May 10, 2018 5:22 PM

Well my accountant, Swifty, always manages to arrive at exactly what I instructed him to do. You want a good accountant let me tell 'ya you cannot get any better than an old Mining executive accountant. 

Simply amazing,,,at one point, a third sit down meeting with an auditor started off by Swifty seriously dressing down the government fella and wondering why exactly they could waste their resources and his and my time on a single individual that is just trying to get by while there were thousands of larger corporations and other things to investigate. Swifty just would not put up with any government crap for a second and had a way with words and tone...he was British...and a bulldog. 

The fella said "you know what, you are right". I recieved a cheque for $33K, already a year late, shortly after. 

He is gone now but Long Live Swifty. 

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Thursday, May 10, 2018 4:27 PM

BaltACD

Figures lie, liars figure.

Give an accountant raw data and what you want the finished reports to show - and they will - good, bad or indifferent - your choice.

 

I suspect that any accountants on here might take vigorous exception to that snide remark, or laugh at the apparent ignorance.

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Posted by BaltACD on Thursday, May 10, 2018 3:14 PM

Miningman
It is one of the categories of the Predatory Crony Capitalist trophies (PCC), awarded by august and select Wall Street leaders , in a very secret ceremony in a very secret location,  somewhere in the Hamptons a-la Eyes Wide Shut. Not for us mere peons and mortals. 

Isn't it called the 'Liars Breakfast'!

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Miningman on Thursday, May 10, 2018 2:29 PM

It is one of the categories of the Predatory Crony Capitalist trophies (PCC), awarded by august and select Wall Street leaders , in a very secret ceremony in a very secret location,  somewhere in the Hamptons a-la Eyes Wide Shut. Not for us mere peons and mortals. 

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Thursday, May 10, 2018 1:25 PM

     Crown? Is there a traveling trophy or something?

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Wednesday, May 9, 2018 10:37 PM

BaltACD

Figures lie, liars figure.

Give an accountant raw data and what you want the finished reports to show - and they will - good, bad or indifferent - your choice.

 

And right on schedule comes the Cliche Express.  Next stop, Sour Grapes.

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Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, May 9, 2018 7:56 PM

Figures lie, liars figure.

Give an accountant raw data and what you want the finished reports to show - and they will - good, bad or indifferent - your choice.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by kgbw49 on Wednesday, May 9, 2018 7:34 PM

They both had to adopt accounting standards related to pension expense according to their financial report. That accounted for some of the OR increase but not all of it.

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Posted by cx500 on Wednesday, May 9, 2018 3:24 PM

It may be significant that the two railroads with the biggest jump in OR are the ones that are dealing with the aftermath of Mr. Harrison's tenure. Just a thought.....

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Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, May 9, 2018 9:42 AM

Financial ledgerdmain worthy of Harry Houdini - the master of illusions.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, May 9, 2018 9:32 AM

But OR isn't everything.   Lots more business with a slightly higher OR would make investors even happier.

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Posted by Brian Schmidt on Wednesday, May 9, 2018 9:06 AM

CSX Transportation has claimed the industry’s lead in operating ratio by vaulting to first place from its second-to-last position a year ago. The railroad’s closely watched operating ratio was 63.7 percent in the first quarter, down from...

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/05/09-csx-transportation-claims-first-quarter-operating-ratio-crown

Brian Schmidt, Editor, Classic Trains magazine

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