Please click on one of the links below for answers to frequently asked questions about the LAL. "When should I consider using rail?" In recent years, trucking
economics have been hammered by steeply rising insurance costs, higher fuel prices, regulations mandating expensive changes in truck diesel engine design and maintenance practices, and regulations governing the hours of service that truck drivers may legally work. While railroads are also paying higher insurance, fuel, and regulatory costs, they have not been affected as severely. Because railroads are three times more fuel-efficient than truck, for example, higher fuel prices have
less of an impact. This increase in rail's economic advantage has been coupled with steady improvements in the reliability and speed of rail service. Accordingly, many shippers are finding that rail can cut their supply chain costs significantly. The advantages are greatest for: - Long hauls -- 500 miles and over (but many shorter hauls work!)
- Dense freight -- would weigh out a truck before it cubes out
- "Balloon" freight -- would cube out a truck before it weighs out
- Movements which would stress the available supply of truck trailers and/or drivers
As motor carriers become more aggressive about penalizing shippers and receivers who delay their drivers and equipment, many customers value the convenience of loading or unloading freight cars on their own schedule, instead of the truck driver's. Also, when truck dock space and parking are limited, rail allows them to handle more business. Rail is less advantageous when
the transit time must be equivalent to truck, when the service must be just-in-time (i.e., no buffer stock), or when the routing includes competing railroads. "When should I consider using multimodal services?" "Multimodal" refers to combined rail/highway transportation. Many bulk commodities can be
unloaded from a rail car to truck for final delivery. Bulk commodities handled this way include sugar, grain, liquid and dry bulk fertilizer, chemicals, cement, and plastic pellets among others. Multimodal also includes various warehousing options where the product arrives by rail and is delivered to the end-user by truck. Commodities include steel, lumber, and paper. Because the rail car typically holds 100-110 tons
of payload vs. truck capacity of 20-25 tons, using rail for the long haul offers substantial savings in transportation cost. Vendors of some commodities also offer a lower unit price for purchases in larger quantities. Multimodal may be attractive if your facility is not located on our railroad or you need offsite inventory storage. Some commodities can be held in rail cars and drawn down as you need them. LAL and its
subsidiary railroads offer multimodal services ranging from simple team tracks (public-use sidetracks) to product quantity and temperature reporting, heating, and other enhancements. Customer-operated facilities on our rail lines offer additional commodity-specific multimodal capabilities. LAL can recommend a motor carrier to make final delivery, or you are free to utilize any qualified motor carrier. "Why locate on LAL?"
LAL and its subsidiary railroads offer our customers a choice of competitive rail routings unbeaten anywhere in the Northeast, including CSX, Norfolk Southern, Canadian Pacific, and other railroads. Also, LAL is the place to be if you require on-demand switching and enhanced multimodal services, which larger railroads typically do not perform. From
its beginnings as a 13-mile short line railroad in 1964, LAL has grown to become a 282-mile regional railroad operating in western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. Its revenue base is diversified, stable, and growing, and the company reinvests in improvements to its property and equipment for the future. When you locate on LAL, you receive a level of service that has earned national recognition—1997 Railway Age Short Line of the Year, for example. Also, LAL and its
affiliates have won many safety awards. "Doesn't a short line just add another layer of cost?" Actually, most transportation rates to and from stations served by LAL and its subsidiaries are quoted on a "through"
basis by one of the connecting Class I railroads (NS or CSX, for example), with LAL's portion of the revenue included. Most of the time, rates to/from LAL stations are the same as rates to and from nearby stations on the connecting railroad itself. Why is this? - When we pick up and deliver freight cars to your sidetrack and perform customer service, we do things the Class I railroad would
otherwise have to do.
- Because we manage these functions locally, we tend to operate more efficiently and take costs out of the system.
- Because we nurture our customers' business, it tends to grow, reducing unit costs for everyone.
Competition among our Class I
railroad connections ensures that these cost advantages flow through to you. Then, we offer additional services that further reduce your supply chain costs. "How do I obtain a freight rate and service proposal?" LAL policy is to develop all rates on a "through" basis covering the entire route from origin to
destination. Usually this entails a brief process of consultation among the railroads in the route, with many movements covered by pre-existing agreements. You can ask any one of the railroads involved to develop a through rate, although the railroad that will originate the movement is usually a good place to start. If you prefer, LAL will take the initiative for you. On many of the rail lines operated by LAL and its
subsidiaries, we participate in the "interline settlement" system, meaning that we know the overall pricing and how it is allocated among the railroads in the route. We also stay up to date on connecting railroads' service--what routes are fastest and most reliable. Rates for one-time movements can be quoted on a "spot" basis with concurrence of connecting carriers. Repetitive smaller volume
movements are usually covered by a public price list or "tariff." Increasingly, our Class I connections are publishing their public tariffs on their web sites. Higher volume movements are usually covered by confidential contracts. For more information, contact LAL local customer service offices listed on the Rail Service page. "How do I order empty cars for loading? Order an empty car to be placed for loading on my sidetrack? Transmit a bill of lading? Release empty freight cars?" Please contact local customer service offices. Please note that we require customer instructions to be
transmitted in writing via fax. "How do I trace my cars enroute?" While tracing software packages are available from CSX, Norfolk Southern, and other connecting carriers, we can often help you interpret the available data, because we are doing it all day long. Call us! Does the LAL offer passenger service? The LAL does not operate passenger excursion service. The Rochester Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society sponsors passenger excursions operating from Sodus, New York. Their web site is www.rochnrhs.org. The Arcade and Attica Railroad offers passenger excursions operating from Arcade, New York. Their web site is www.anarr.com. Intercity passenger train service is operated by Amtrak. Their web site is www.amtrak.com. Your travel agent can also assist you. |
