Safety and Clearance

We are proud to have an exceptional safety record in what is already the safest industry for ground freight transportation. Union Pacific has more than 7,000 wayside detection devices monitoring the condition of freight cars and locomotives in real time, with more than 16 million data points sent every day. These devices can identify any potential failures in rail equipment components, allowing us to remain proactive and consistently find safe solutions. In 2022, we improved 18% on personal injury safety metrics and led the industry in employee safety.

 Due to the high, wide, and dimensional nature of wind components, Union Pacific is committed to delivering clearance solutions for our customers. As components become larger, we remain focused on helping clear and transport them safely and damage free. For the last five years, 99.8% of Union Pacific wind component shipments have moved damage-free on our tracks. 

Dimensional Clearance

Union Pacific is dedicated to ensuring all products move safely across the entire rail network. Our Shipment Quality, Clearance, and Engineering teams leverage industry-leading clearance technology, including iClear, which allows for the most reliable and efficient route for all components.

Our three most important concerns for high-wide shipments are:

  • Safety: iClear brings unparalleled safety to railroad employees, customers' products, and the communities that these dimensional shipments travel through. This state-of-the-art technology provides peace of mind to our customers, with precision measurements up to one hundredth of an inch. Precision solutions significantly reduce component damage and collision risk.
  • Fast solutions: Automated route calculations draw from Union Pacific’s latest route information, which allows us to create trip plans in hours, not weeks and provides you with solutions faster.
  • Clearance Practices: Union Pacific works with multiple teams, both internal and external, to facilitate clearance and route-planning feedback, component by component. Dedicated clearance engineers communicate in advance with our operating teams, providing the specifications necessary for the secure shipment of high-wide equipment.

This means damage-free shipping with minimal risk — every time.

Ready to Get Started?

To get started on a shipping solution for your wind components, answer a few questions and we'll connect you with an expert on our Wind Team.