Are US railroads ready for post-coronavirus volume spikes?

Union Pacific CEO Lance Fritz said shippers need to take some responsibility for the flow of freight if they want speedy service after effects of the COVID-19 outbreak fade and China imports regain full strength. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Feb. 21, 2020

Coronavirus: A lesson in supply chain risk management

Companies are finding workarounds as COVID-19 cases and heightened e-commerce demand continue to disrupt supply chains.

By Matt Leonard • Updated June 21, 2022

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from Supply Chain Dive

Here’s how companies are navigating rising costs, network changes and logistics disruptions across global supply chain networks.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

Canadian National shuts down eastern network as pipeline protests persist

The railroad told customers Thursday it had begun to shut down its eastern network, threatening freight movement in Canada and the U.S. Midwest. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Updated Feb. 14, 2020

Hyundai, Airbus stop production as coronavirus leaves manufacturers scrambling

Two Hyundai suppliers, Kyungshin and Yura Corporation, have announced plans to increase production outside of China to make up for supply shortages and plan to resume production Sunday at their Chinese locations.

By Matt Leonard • Feb. 5, 2020

Union Pacific releases new APIs to increase visibility for shippers

The railroad says the connections can also be used for intermodal planning, shipping actions, managing a rail network, validating pre-gate reservations and other functions.

By Matt Leonard • Jan. 30, 2020

Norfolk Southern: PSR made our service better

CMO Alan Shaw said he expects growth in intermodal revenue and volume this year while forecasting flat total revenue for 2020.

By Emma Cosgrove • Jan. 30, 2020

Union Pacific to reopen almost 60 lanes, reversing course of last year

The railroad's move to reopen closed lanes indicates it sees a possible benefit in offering more service options.

By Emma Cosgrove • Jan. 29, 2020

AI is reshaping transportation. Railroads can get on board or miss out

Can freight rail deploy technologies that boost safety performance and productivity while growing market share? Ian Jefferies, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads, grapples with the question.

By Ian Jefferies • Jan. 28, 2020

Union Pacific predicts more headcount cuts and yard consolidation in 2020

Hump yards, train lengths and personnel are still in the crosshairs as the railroad chases its long-term goal of a 55% operating ratio, executives said.

By Emma Cosgrove • Jan. 24, 2020

Railroad M&A less likely in age of PSR: Canadian National CEO

Operational improvements have changed the motivations for mergers in the industry and diminished the immediate benefits, the CEO said. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Jan. 21, 2020

CSX delivers record service, but taking traffic from trucks is a long game

Railroads see efficient, reliable intermodal service as the key to converting freight from highway to rail.

By Emma Cosgrove • Jan. 17, 2020

Union Pacific CEO: PSR is dead. Long live PSR.

After difficult conversations during the PSR transition, 2020 should bring smoother sailing for shippers, CEO Lance Fritz told the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Jan. 16, 2020

Class I railroads embrace PSR to mixed results

For the first six months of 2019, railroads celebrated dramatic results and profitable progress implementing precision-scheduled railroading. But as the year stretched on, PSR was put to the test.

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 29, 2019

Is railroad profitability bad for shippers?

The Surface Transportation Board considers the question as it examines changing the standards by which shippers can seek recourse against railroad rates.

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 19, 2019

Rail volume down for 9th straight month in November

A weak manufacturing sector has affected volume on the rails and overcapacity in the trucking market has made it hard to complete for intermodal.

By Matt Leonard • Dec. 16, 2019

Transportation sector lagging in carbon reduction efforts

The Science-Based Targets Initiative calls out Toyota, A.P. Moller-Maersk, Daimler and Nippon Yusen Kaisha Line as high-impact companies in the transportation sector committed to the emissions reduction efforts.  

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 4, 2019

Canadian National reaches deal with Teamsters Canada to end strike

Details of the agreement will be publicly released after the members have had a chance to read it, the Teamsters said in a release.

By Emma Cosgrove • Updated Nov. 26, 2019

CSX becomes first railroad to join Maersk blockchain platform TradeLens

The platform now consists of more than 100 organizations, 55 ports and terminals and a dozen customs authorities, according to Maersk.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 8, 2019

Roadrunner, hit by GM strike and malware attack, sells intermodal business for $51M

Roadrunner Intermodal Services uses a network of 23 terminals across the country to move freight between ports, rail ramps and shipping docks. 

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 6, 2019

Canadian National returns to PSR basics ahead of 'challenging economic environment'

The railroad reported flat volume in the third quarter and expects overall North American rail volume to undeperform due to cautious corporate investment and trade uncertainty. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 24, 2019

Norfolk Southern struggles to prove PSR progress amid low volumes

"The volume picture has changed rather dramatically since we issued the three-year plan in February," said CEO Jim Squires.

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 24, 2019

Kansas City Southern bucks downward volume trend with cross-border freight boost

Cross-border freight volume grew 12% year-over-year in the third quarter, but the railroad still expects overall volume to end the year flat or slightly down.

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 21, 2019

Union Pacific struggles to boost intermodal despite PSR progress

Service has improved, said Jim Vena, the railroad's COO and PSR czar, but it will take time for customers to realize it. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 17, 2019

CSX breaks records for operating ratio, trip compliance

The Class I railroad is sharing real-time trip compliance data with shippers as part of a continued effort to boost customer service. 

By Shefali Kapadia • Oct. 17, 2019

BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific face lawsuits from dozens of shippers. Here's why.

After shippers' attempt to form a class were denied many of them filed their own suits, resulting in a flurry of legal action hitting carriers last week.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 8, 2019