UP: What Is a Centerbeam Rail Car?

What Is a Centerbeam Rail Car?

Take an in-depth look at the rail equipment that transports lumber and other building supplies

Here's everything you need to know about centerbeams and how they safely transport lumber, plywood, wallboard, fence posts and other building supplies.

We all know lumber is used to build our homes, the furniture inside them and the fences around our yard. But, did you know railroads play a major role in moving essential construction materials, like lumber and wallboard, from origin to destination? In fact, U.S. railroads shipped more than 416,000 carloads of lumber and wood products in 2019, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

So, what type of rail car helps transport lumber and other wood products used to build our walls, doors, roofs and floors? The answer is: a centerbeam.

Take an in-depth look at everything you need to know about centerbeams and how they safely transport lumber and other building materials here (and don't miss the "What Is a Centerbeam?" video at the end).

What Is a Centerbeam Rail Car Used For?

A centerbeam is designed to ship bundled goods like lumber, plywood, wallboard, fence posts and other building supplies.

What Does a Centerbeam Rail Car Look Like?

Not surprisingly, a centerbeam is a flatcar that has a “center beam,” or longitudinal I-beam, that reinforces the center of gravity and allows products to be secured in place on either side. Typically 73 feet long, a centerbeam flatcar can carry about 200,000 pounds of freight, making it a great option for shipping large quantities at one time across long distances.

How Is a Centerbeam Loaded and Unloaded?

A centerbeam rail car must be loaded and unloaded evenly to distribute the weight of the shipment across the car. To prevent the car from leaning or tipping over, it is important to load and unload from both sides simultaneously (usually with the help of forklifts). An added bonus: loading and unloading from both sides allows for quicker turnaround, allowing the product to get to the end user faster – and gets the rail car back in service faster, too.

Why do Shippers Use Centerbeam Rail Cars?

Centerbeams allow shippers to move a large amount of freight at one time. With the ability to carry up to 200,000 pounds per car, they provide a more efficient and cost-effective shipping option compared to truck. In fact, a single train can carry as much freight as 300 trucks. Additionally, on average, railroads are three to four times more fuel efficient than trucks, with a single train removing several hundred trucks from the nation’s congested highways.

Centerbeam Fun Facts

One centerbeam rail car can carry enough framing lumber to build about six homes.
The standard centerbeam rail car is 73 feet long and can carry about 200,000 pounds.

Learn More

To learn more about centerbeams or shipping lumber and other building materials by rail, get in touch.

Want to learn more about other types of rail car equipment, including boxcars, flatcars, gondolas and covered hoppers? Check out our rail car type guide.

Related Articles

"What Is a Centerbeam?" Video

Upcoming Webinar - Nearshoring: Best Practices for Shipping to and from Mexico

On Thursday, May 16 at 1:00 p.m. CT, Union Pacific is hosting a 1-hour webinar on nearshoring, a business strategy that involves companies shifting manufacturing and production operations to Mexico, closer to main markets in the U.S. If this is something you’re interested in, you can use this link to register.

How to Ship Sustainable Aviation Fuel

In the next three decades, more than 35 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will be produced in the United States. It’s part of a government program, called the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge, that is designed to help airlines decarbonize. The rise of renewable fuels, including SAF, makes it critical for producers and receivers to have a supply chain in place to meet upcoming fuel demand.

The Rise of Sustainable Aviation Fuel

In 2022, the U.S. government shared the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge. This government-wide approach works within the industry to reduce costs, enhance sustainability, and expand production to 3 billion gallons per year of domestic SAF. By 2030, the U.S. must achieve a minimum of a 50% reduction in life cycle greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) compared to conventional fuel. By 2050, 35 billion gallons of annual SAF production must be reached.

What Is Nearshoring and How Does Transportation Support It?

In the 1990s, offshoring became a trend among U.S. companies. With more affordable labor available abroad (primarily in China), some entities relocated factories to lower production costs and increase profits. Offshoring relies on shipping those products back overseas for sale in the United States.

For decades, this model was working. Then came the pandemic, and the resulting supply chain disruptions (especially for overseas shipments) began to poke holes in offshoring strategies. With products stuck overseas sometimes for months on end, the drawbacks of offshoring started to outweigh the benefits.

Lessons learned from the last few years have prompted some companies to bring operations back to North America, specifically to Mexico. Establishing production facilities closer to end markets minimizes the impacts of potential supply chain disruptions while keeping costs in check. This is the genesis of the nearshoring trend.