The list of products you can ship by rail is much longer than the list of products you can’t. But some may genuinely surprise you – or even shock you. To find out which unusual products travel by train, take this quiz.
Want to know more about shipping by rail?
Check out these rail FAQs:
- What products can you ship by rail? Freight railroads don’t ship personal property, passengers, pets or other living things. But they can ship just about anything else, from raw materials to component parts to finished goods. You can ship just about anything by rail.
- Where do railroads ship? Railroads can ship pretty much anywhere in North America. Between the major railroads in Canada, the United States and Mexico and smaller railroads in between (called “short lines”), railroad tracks span the continent. Factor in ocean carriers and you can use rail to ship to virtually any destination worldwide. While rail is the most efficient way to ship long distances, it can also accommodate short-haul moves.
- How much can you ship by rail? Rail is perfectly suited for large volumes of freight. That’s because one rail car can carry the same amount of cargo as 3-4 trucks, so there is less to manage. Not shipping that much? Sometimes railroads can handle "less-than-truckload" shipments.
- Is rail an environmentally friendly shipping mode? Rail is actually the greenest way to ship freight over land. On average, U.S freight railroads can move one ton of freight more than 470 miles on a single gallon of diesel fuel, generating a carbon footprint that is 75 percent less than trucks.
- What happens if the origin or destination doesn’t have tracks? Thanks to a process called transloading, companies can ship by rail even if a facility isn’t rail served. When shippers need help connecting to rail, logistics companies like Loup Logistics can help. Loup can also provide logistics visibility for rail shipments.
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Are you interested in shipping by rail? Get in touch and we can help you get started.
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