Why Rail is the Most Efficient Shipping Method
When you’re looking into the logistics of shipping speeds, it's a back and forth of what shipping method is best for you. Your land shipping options are set with road transportation and rail shipping for any serious freight. Rail is often overlooked despite having advantages over using roads. When you’re looking into the logistics of all of this, it can be a complex system to look through and get confusing. Luckily, there are companies that specialize in the systems rail shipping utilizes.
All methods have their advantages and disadvantages and it is up to you to see what works best for you. Rail shipping does have bigger advantages like speed and time for shipments going long distances, especially depending on your cargo. Trains will almost always be the best option for large or diverse shipments, but that is to be determined by the shipper. The disadvantage is that it’s not necessarily a straight shot, and rail shipping may not be as cost-effective for smaller shipments. That is, however, offset by the lack of traffic, construction, and accident delays, which can make up for those indirect routes. Trains are also the more eco-friendly option, which can account for time as well as cost savings. Trains consume less fuel than trucks, and some trains even use electricity.
The freight itself can also account for one of the differences when it comes to rail shipping. While trucks can pull one or two large trailers which might be larger than an individual rail carriage, a train can pull many smaller cars simultaneously. Multiple cars can account for much more freight moved per shipment versus fewer larger truck trailers.
Rail shipping, along with barge shipping, is the ideal way to move raw materials such as metal. These are also some of the best ways to move recyclable materials, like scrap metals, that truck shipping can’t always handle. Trains also have the advantages of being able to carry multiple types of cargo simultaneously with different carriage and car types, from temperature-controlled (livestock or temperature-sensitive materials) to flat trailers (vehicles and oversized equipment), you can utilize rails to move more at the same time.
In addition to the diversity of shipping allowance, it is also considered safer, as there are fewer accidents on rails each year versus on the road. This means your precious cargo is less likely to be involved in an accident if shipped by rail. Those points, along with the speed of a train's ability to get from point A to B, make shipping by rail a strong contender that is often overlooked.
