My UPS Order Was In A Train Derailment... Now What ?

[billt]

This is a first. I ordered 20 P-Mags Monday from Man Venture Outpost. They had them on sale for just $8.87.

http://www.manventureoutpost.com/products/Magpul-Industries-Mag-PMAG-223-Rem-556NATO-30Rd-Black-AR-Rifles-MAG571%252dBLK.html

They shipped them out Tuesday with a tracking number that said delivery would be by the end of the day today 10/30. So this morning when I checked it said "DELAY", due to train derailment. It said they would try to ship as soon as possible. Are my P-Mags all over the right of way? I looked for any train derailments between Mesquite Texas and Phoenix, but there was nothing on the news.

I'm wondering if my train even jumped the tracks, or if it was the one in front of it, and screwed up the tracks in the process. I always have better luck with Fed Ex or USPS Priority Mail. Have any of you guys had this kind of crap happen? 

[MikeBjerum]

In my former job we ran into this a few times per year with both FedEx and UPS.  Most of the time it is a switching yard derailment.  Both companies, and many others, will have their trailers put on rails.  All it takes is a small switching issue, and things are delayed.  It isn't usually a major accident, but a few hour delay requires those cars to find open time slots to get back on track.

[Big Frank]

I've had a lot of packages delivered by UPS over the years and only had one problem. They gave my package to a neighbor I didn't know who left town never to be seen again. UPS paid for it and I reordered from the same place and got my goods with no extra shipping or anything. The last package I got through US mail had a big hole torn in the envelope. Luckily the object inside was slightly larger than the hole and made it to me. I have limited experience with FedEx but like UPS better than them or the mail.

[billt]

I ran the tracking number this morning and it's showing green and "In Transit" again. It arrived in Phoenix at 5:44 AM Eastern Time this morning. So I'm hoping it will go "Out For Delivery" today. We'll see.

[alfsauve]

Interesting they use trains at all.   While great at hauling bulk over distance, trains aren't known for their "rapid" delivery.   All that time, on-loading, in-transit, and off loading would seem to add days for even a regional shipment.

Has the Railroad industry really gotten fast enough, organized enough to do this? 

[Sponsor]

[Pathfinder]

99.99% of train derailments never make the news. They tend to be relatively small and quickly repaired, which is why they don't make the news. The one in Casselton, ND last winter was an exception, mainly because the tank cars got hit by another train and exploded. That, and the fact it was 8 miles due west of my former house!    

Alf, watch any train going by. Other than coal traffic or smaller mixed freights, you will see one progression after another of "pig trains" - flat cars with either truck trailers or well-cars with containers, which are then put on trucks when they arrive at the final yard. UPS makes great use of them, as per mile, they are way cheaper than driving the trailers across the interstates. So, to answer your question, yes, and for some time in fact.

[tombogan03884]

When I lived out in Ca The tracks were right behind where I worked, The trains of containers were ENDLESS.
Of course the company's property line was the Oakland city line, so there was a butt load of all types of shipping in the area.

[alfsauve]

Path, it's not the economy I was questioning, but the end-to-end speed.

My brief sojourn into the shipping world, I never thought of trains as being a speedy way to ship.   It always seemed the time to get the trailer to the yard, get it loaded, then scheduled for a train, switched and finally reverse all that at the destination added several days to the schedule.   If the shipper/buyer can wait then that's okay, but for the bulk of UPS/FedEx stuff I would imagine it might be a tad slow.   

Just FYI, my experience was with Norfolk Southern,  but that was 20  years ago.  I know things have changed.   Are they that organized that it's makes sense with a route as short as TX to AZ?

[MikeBjerum]

When putting a full trailer on a flat car, rather than just putting cargo in a box car, the load and unload time is minimal.  The transit time for a unit train covering distance is equal to or faster than a driver on the roads, and the cost per mile is far less.

When UPS and FedEx are using standard delivery they often use rail.  One, two and three day delivery utilize a combination of air and trucks that jump from hub to hub non-stop.  We often saw packages going coast to coast with a three day guarantee go rail.

[MikeBjerum]

Alf,

Many of us view rail by passenger experience where trains stop often.  However, cargo trains often roll for eight hours without stopping.  They then have a brief stop to change crews and roll another eight.

Our local elevator ships half its grain by rail.  The soybean processor 50 miles away gets everything by truck, but, when possible, they will use rail to go 150 miles to the corn market.  According to their delivery reports, from the beginning of loading the first car to the end of off load of the last load the time for delivery of over 300k bushels of corn is equal at this distance.  As they go farther from home trucks can not compete in terms of either time or cost.

Compare loading and unloading grain, an easy commodity to transfer, to the simple setting a trailer on a flatcar and locking it down.