The Importance of Railcar Visibility: How a Major Forest Products Producer Used RailState’s Data to Optimize Their Supply Chain

We recently wrote a case study on the RailState solution for freight customers who ship pulp and paper. Empty boxcar supply is a major issue for these customers. The railway doesn’t supply the capacity of empties shippers need, so often they are forced to ship via truck or intermodal — more costly options. Empty boxcar supply is also inconsistent. Shippers place orders that aren’t met in a timely manner, forcing them to scramble at the last minute.

The boxcar supply issue poses a real opportunity for RailState’s data to shine. Because we track every train and every railcar in Canada, we have visibility to the entire boxcar supply in Canada. We also have data on the transit times from various parts of the system to the forest products loading areas.

We have used this data to help one forest products shipper get visibility into their empty boxcar supply. Our methodology allowed the customer to have more informed discussions with the railway allowing them to save time and money, while increasing customer satisfaction.

To learn more about what RailState does for boxcar shippers, read the full case study.