GCAS - General Distribution Car Order Change

Announcement Number: AG2016-39
Categories: Domestic Corn Feed Grains and Soybeans,Export Corn Feed Grains and Soybeans,Wheat and Food Grains
Posted Date: August 22, 2016

To Our Customers:

Effective today, Union Pacific’s General Distribution car order system (within the Grain Car Allocation System) will change from Open to Matrix until further notice.

The General Distribution car order system is used by Union Pacific to supply whole grain covered hoppers in a systematic manner. Car orders may be placed at MyUPRR.com with a User ID and password. General Distribution car orders are for immediate delivery, no future want dates will be accepted. Union Pacific offers no guarantee of delivery dates. If a customer requires guaranteed delivery dates, Car Supply Vouchers or Guaranteed Freight should be used. General Distribution orders that are placed and later canceled will be subject to a $100.00 per car penalty. Cancellation penalties will be waived if an order is not filled within 30 days. General Distribution car orders cannot be transferred to another location.

Matrix (Currently in Effect)
The General Distribution “Matrix” status is used when supply is tight and Union Pacific is not able to fill all demand. Customers are not free to order General Distribution cars under this status; they will be offered cars, as they are available. General Distribution uses a matrix to offer cars on a rotation or "turn" basis. The matrix is a listing of all shipping locations that are registered in the Grain Car Allocation System. New customers that register will be given the next number on the matrix. The matrix is separated into three geographic regions. All shipping locations were assigned a random sequence number when the regions were created. Union Pacific will evaluate car supply and send an offer of cars to the next shipping location(s) on the matrix. The offer is approximately 7 to 14 day advance notice of car availability. Each location will have two days to order all or a portion of the cars their facility is registered to receive. Customer has no obligation to order cars but will not have another opportunity until the next rotation of the matrix or until General Distribution is in "Open" status.

Open (No Longer in Effect)
The General Distribution “Open” status is used when demand for cars is current or when cars are in storage. Customers can order cars at any time during this status. Each location may have one General Distribution order at a time for up to the number of cars they can accommodate. When cars for the first order are applied or placed, that shipping location may place another General Distribution order.

Please reference UP 4051 or UP 4052 Item 70 for a complete description of the GCAS rules that govern the ordering of covered hoppers for loading of whole grains or visit our GCAS page: http://www.up.com/customers/ag-prod/gcas/index.htm
 

If you have any questions please contact your Union Pacific representative.