Re: Freight traffic numbers (was: Re: Concrete Ties)

Raymond Chuang wrote:
> 
> This is why I'm watching with interest whether Wabash National can 
> eliminate the weight disadvantage of a RoadRailer trailer over a 
> standard truck trailer. If they can do that, there is one company 
> that could be VERY interested in buying these next-generation 
> RoadRailer trailers: United Parcel Service. 

Are you sure about that?  UPS typically handles packages that are fairly
low density, so their trailers tend to cube out before they tare out. 
You can see that by the design of their trailers, which are mostly
drop-bottom to allow more space for packages.  It is more difficult to
design such a trailer for railroad use, since not only are the
supporting points moved out to the ends of the trailers on a RoadRailer,
the longitudinal strength has to be much higher. The structure therefore
becomes more complicated, and has to be more substantial, in comparison
to that used on standard highway trailers, all of which adds to weight.

UPS did experiment with RoadRailer early on, but stopped using the
service after a couple of years.  I think the lack of trailer cubic
capacity hurt the economics, and they didn't particularly like the
swings in work at their sorting centers when trains arrived with 50
trailers all at one time.