The company struggled with visibility gaps while managing its growing private rail fleet of 1,600 covered hopper and boxcars used to ship grain products such as rice and barley, as well as perlite and bentonite across North America. Private railcars handled about 90 percent of shipments, with the remainder relying on railway‑owned equipment, making optimal fleet utilization critical. Demand and production variability required the logistics team to closely track each railcar’s location to enable timely reuse for subsequent shipments. Limited visibility made it difficult to maintain accountability, measure savings from efficient equipment use, and ensure assets were positioned where needed, highlighting the need for better tracking and utilization insight across the rail network.

Join for free to read