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Why The Alameda Corridor Is Underutilized and Can We Fix It?

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Posted by BaltACD on Saturday, June 5, 2021 6:13 PM

SD60MAC9500
Chassis pool's are having a hard time getting the empties needed to move loads out of the ports. The main factor is the human element. Shortage of Draymen and low staff at the ports due to COVID.

Sounds like a Alameda problem - not a Corridor problem.

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Posted by tree68 on Saturday, June 5, 2021 6:24 PM

BaltACD
Sounds like a Alameda problem - not a Corridor problem.

I would opine that several folks have hit the nail on the head.

The Alameda Corridor is just a set of tracks - how many trains/cars/cans go through there is of no consequence to the rails themselves (aside from wear and tear).

If one were to assume that trains have doubled in size, then the traffic hasn't changed much.  Other indications do say that volume is down, of course.  It's just a question of how much.

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Tuesday, June 8, 2021 1:01 AM

Maybe  a  lot of this due to ocean containers.  there have been various links stating world wide shortage of ocean containers.  Also many of those those containers go to inland warehouses to be broken down and loaded onto domestic containers.  Hauling ocean container seems to not be financially beneficial to RRs ? 

Is the corridor just carrying ocean containers that mostly have single   receiver destinations outside of California ?  

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Tuesday, June 8, 2021 10:05 AM

I'm not well versed in rates but I doubt that there's a difference in the rate chargee to move a container of a given size, be it domestic or international.

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Posted by Backshop on Tuesday, June 8, 2021 10:56 AM

I think the rates are determined by the capacity of the car and not the size of the container, but I could be wrong.  If so, a 48 or 53ft container would use the same car as a 40ft international container but carry much more product.

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Posted by BaltACD on Tuesday, June 8, 2021 11:17 AM

Backshop
I think the rates are determined by the capacity of the car and not the size of the container, but I could be wrong.  If so, a 48 or 53ft container would use the same car as a 40ft international container but carry much more product.

Containers - 20 ft, 40 ft, 48 ft and 53 ft - ALL have nearly the same load capacity weight.  It depends on when the comodity cubes out or weighs out.

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Posted by greyhounds on Tuesday, June 8, 2021 1:13 PM

Backshop
I think the rates are determined by the capacity of the car and not the size of the container, but I could be wrong.  If so, a 48 or 53ft container would use the same car as a 40ft international container but carry much more product.

Rates are determined by negotiations.
 
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Posted by Backshop on Tuesday, June 8, 2021 2:07 PM

BaltACD

 

 
Backshop
I think the rates are determined by the capacity of the car and not the size of the container, but I could be wrong.  If so, a 48 or 53ft container would use the same car as a 40ft international container but carry much more product.

 

Containers - 20 ft, 40 ft, 48 ft and 53 ft - ALL have nearly the same load capacity weight.  It depends on when the comodity cubes out or weighs out.

 

Correct.  But most cube out before they gross out.  That's why the trucking industry has been able to from 40 to 53ft trailers over the last 40 years while the national GVW has remained at 80K.  Yes, I know some states had 73K but they were few in number.

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Posted by SD60MAC9500 on Tuesday, June 8, 2021 2:41 PM
 

Backshop

 

 
BaltACD

 

 
Backshop
I think the rates are determined by the capacity of the car and not the size of the container, but I could be wrong.  If so, a 48 or 53ft container would use the same car as a 40ft international container but carry much more product.

 

Containers - 20 ft, 40 ft, 48 ft and 53 ft - ALL have nearly the same load capacity weight.  It depends on when the comodity cubes out or weighs out.

 

 

 

Correct.  But most cube out before they gross out.  That's why the trucking industry has been able to from 40 to 53ft trailers over the last 40 years while the national GVW has remained at 80K.  Yes, I know some states had 73K but they were few in number.

 

 

Trailer length has went from; 40', 45', 48', to 53' due to laxation of Federal Limits on Tractor Trailer combination lengths. Hence why most truckers ditched cab overs for conventionals.

 
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Posted by Backshop on Tuesday, June 8, 2021 3:14 PM

That too, but in my 20 years of shipping/receiving, I never saw a half empty trailer come in because it weighed too much.  Pallets may not have been double stacked, but they filled the floor space.

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