Freight Trains Key Terms

Link up with the right vocabulary for understanding freight trains

In a world where technology surges ahead at the speed of sound, reliable freight trains remain the most economical means of overland transport for everything from agricultural supplies and equipment to industrial materials and finished products. This list of basic key terms will help you get up to speed with the railway systems in North America. Please note that several of the main United States rail lines run into Canadian territory, and vice versa.

 

Class I

Class I railroads are defined as having in excess of 319.3 million dollar annual operating budgets. You may also see references to Class II and III railroads, which are designations for smaller, regional lines.
Try: American-Rails.com defines Class I, II and III railroads and explains the criteria for being a Class I railroad.

Hub

A rail or railway hub is like a transit center through which more than one rail line connects. Freight can be transferred from train to train at a railway hub to help it reach its appropriate destination.
Try: Track Twenty-Nine examines the history and context of the Atlanta rail hub.

Transload

Transloading refers to the process of shifting material from one mode of conveyance to another. In this context, transloading is what is done as your merchandise is moved from the truck that took it to the rail depot onto the freight train. The merchandise, or industrial material, will then be transloaded from the railcar back to a truck from the destination depot, and transported to its final destination.
Try: The BNSF Railway Company explains the transloading process, complete with illustrations.

Regional rails

Much like regional airlines, regional rails or regional freight services consist of smaller, shorter rail lines that operate inside specific regions of the country. Sometimes regional rail lines may be referred to as commuter rails as well.
Try: The North Carolina Railroad Company defines the terms regional rail and commuter rail.

Tier standards

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has five tiers of emissions standards for locomotives, designated as tiers 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4.
Try: DieselNet explains the differences between each of the EPA's different tiered standards and gives specifics about each standard.

Train broker

A train broker or freight broker is an agent or company of agents with the expertise to handle all your logistics for you. They organize and expedite the planning and loading of your shipments onto freight trains, leaving you free to allocate your company resources to other duties.
Try: Distribution Services of America (DSA) gives an in-depth explanation of why a train broker or freight broker may be useful to your company.

Copyright © 2011 Business.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

---