Rail to Truck Transloading 101

Once thought to be a thing of the past, our nation’s trusty old form of transportation – rail – is now an ever-growing part of its future.  This is great from a logistics, infrastructure, and business standpoint since rail is now more efficient and economical than ever.

And, a big part of this efficiency and economy is due to the capabilities of rail to truck transloading – a form of transport that allows your business to enjoy the cost-effectiveness of rail and the speed of OTR in tandem.

Kanban: Rail to Truck Transloading in Action

Let’s say that you are shipping a large quantity of big items, crane mats, over a great distance.  Based on the size of the mats, the quantity of the mats being shipped, as well as the transport distance, you decide to ship via rail.  And, while you are happy with the cost-effectiveness of this method, you are still concerned with getting these mats to their destination quickly.

How do you ensure both economy and efficiency in this process?

You can partner with a third-party logistics (3PL) company like Kanban that has transload capabilities.  With their rail to truck transloading operation, Kanban will receive your shipment – whether on boxcar or center beam cars - into their transload yard, and unload it directly onto a flatbed trailer for immediate transport to the destination.

If you prefer, Kanban can receive your shipment and warehouse the product.  Or, in the case of the crane mats and similar outdoor-friendly items, Kanban can perform a combination of the two by temporarily storing the product in the yard until final transport.

Kanban’s Rocky Mount, NC Transload Facility

Located in Rocky Mount, NC – the site of CSX’s Carolina Connector Intermodal Rail Terminal – Kanban’s transloading operation allows you to:

• Reduce freight costs through use of more cost-effective transport modes
• Increase the efficiency and flexibility of your supply chain by supporting intermodal shipments
• Speed cycle time for intermodal distribution
• Consolidate and position product near their source, destination, or import/export port

As one of the only companies in Eastern North Carolina with a full transload operation, Kanban gives you options.  Learn more about these options by contacting Kanban today.