Why is rail transport shipping beneficial? Trucking is a $700 billion industry, accounting for almost three-quarters of product shipments in the U.S.
With that in mind, it’s easy to forget about a form of shipping that existed long before the first tractor trailer rolled off the assembly line: rail transport.
In this blog post, we’ll look at a few of the benefits of shipping your goods by train.
1 – Rail transport shipping is a green shipping method
Trucks use more fuel per ton mile than trains. A train can move a ton of freight 479 miles on a single gallon of fuel, according to the Association of American Railroads. Opting for rail transport instead of truck transport can help lower greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent. And according to the Federal Railroad Administration, trains are four times as fuel efficient as trucks.
2 – You’ll have more capacity
Capacity is limited with over-the-road trucking. Market demands, service restrictions and a dearth of drivers can make it difficult for companies to find the trucks they need at a price they can afford.
Rail freight offers more efficiency without the limitations we mentioned above, giving shippers a great way to find more capacity.
3 – It’s organized
Each day, railroads move millions of tons of goods across a 140,000 mile network, an effort which requires substantial organization.
Thanks to rails fixed routes and set schedules, you can monitor where your cargo is headed around the clock. And with none of the unusual traffic patterns associated with truck travel, you’ll know when your cargo left and when it’s expected to arrive.
4 – It’s reliable
A crippling snowstorm outside of Kansas City. Monday morning commuter traffic on the D.C. Beltway. Pennsylvania’s endless construction season.
Weather and traffic delays can be a truck driver’s worst enemy. But railways don’t share their tracks with the public the way truckers do with the highway and typically aren’t held back by inclement weather, making them a more reliable form of transit.
5 – You can carry larger loads
When you ship by rail transport, you can ship larger volumes of freight. One double-stacked train has the capacity to move as much as nearly 300 trucks, which is good news for shippers with larger loads.
6 – Rail transport shipping saves you money
Perhaps most importantly, choosing rail transport over truck transport will save your company money. Companies that make the switch from truck to rail freight can realize savings of anywhere from 10 to 40 percent.
Fuel costs are lower, particularly when you need to move a high volume of goods. You’ll also spend less on many of the costs associated with drivers.
Rail Transport Shipping with Move Freight
Would you like to learn more about the benefits of rail freight? Move Freight can help.
With our rail shipping service you’ll get:
- Seamless door-to-door transportation using over-the-road and rail services
- Drop and load/unload services available
- Service within the continental United States, Mexico and Canada
- 20-foot and 53-foot rail containers available
Customers choose us for our rail freight expertise and our reliability. Contact us today to get a quote for your next shipment and we’ll get to work on getting your cargo where it needs to go.
