We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • CSCMP EDGE 2023
    • Upload Your Video
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • CSCMP EDGE 2023
    • Upload Your Video
Home » a delicate balance
across the dock

a delicate balance

November 1, 2006
No Comments

"Track to the future" (June 2006, page 31) is a great follow-up to the long trail of "The Future of Railroading" articles that go back some 50 years. In all the learned discussions of the railroads' future, however, there's one major subject—a subject every bit as important as track weight, locomotive horsepower and railroad economics—that is generally overlooked: sales and marketing.

The Staggers Act caught the railroads by surprise. Decades of regulation, rate bureaus and tariffs had left the rails unprepared for the rigors of competition and short on sales and marketing expertise. True, a few attempts were made on that front, but they were often overshadowed by the immense power of the operating departments. Steel and horsepower dominated.

Railroads are not like refineries or manufacturing plants, where raw materials are dumped into a hopper, valves are turned and products emerge. Railroads are really job shops. Except for unit trains, freight trains are a number of small jobs moving along, each with a job ticket (the waybill).The ticket calls for the final product to be the delivery of that particular car. Trucks deliver by appointment within a few specified hours. Whole trains are usually "promised" with a 24-hour window, at best.

Can railroads of the future match the magnificent forecasts made over the last 50 years? They might. But only if their management can find a balance between the vital operating know-how and the equally vital need for marketing skill and talent.

Al Michaud, former VP of sales for Conrail and VP of marketing for Amtrak

Transportation Rail
    • Related Articles

      Harvey moves on, leaving a transport network with formidable challenges

      Train kept a rollin’

      Mongeau to step down as head of CN, leaving a powerful legacy to uphold

    You must login or register in order to post a comment.

    Report Abusive Comment

    Most Popular Articles

    • Warehouse renters could see “significant” rate increases in 2024, Prologis says

    • MercuryGate acquires cross-border customs clearance specialist ITS

    • DHL Supply Chain to add five more AS/RS installations from AutoStore

    • A new outlook that’s a lot like the old outlook

    • Yes, your SMB can afford AMRs

    Now Playing on DCV-TV

    A2dc9fd0 dba7 497d 8bf9 ea8d18ec63fa

    Getting Gamers and Geeks Their Ecom Even Faster: Newegg and Geekplus

    DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    Geekplus has partnered with electronics giant Newegg to get consumers their PC accessories, gaming gear and lifestyle technology orders faster than ever before. In Newegg's newly automated 245,000 sqft warehouse in Ontario, California, Geekplus robots manage more than 20,000 SKUs. The warehouse ships thousands of...

    FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

    • Exploring Forklift Energy Solutions for Maximum ROI

    • Identifying How Sortation Automation Can Address Challenges for Parcel Processors

    • Unlocking efficiency and growth

    • Quarterly Freight Data Report: Q3 2023

    View More

    Subscribe to DC Velocity Magazine

    GET YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • NEWSLETTERS
    • ADVERTISING
    • CUSTOMER CARE
    • CONTACT
    • ABOUT
    • STAFF
    • PRIVACY POLICY

    Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing