Managing Cars to Serve the Customers
Within the Guilford Rail organization is a small group of people who interact with just about everybody who makes this company a railroad. There aren’t usually any breaks in their “routine”, there seldom is a moment when their job is completed, and there are few days when they can rest on their accomplishments for, just like the medical doctor, their job is never finished. This sub-department of the Marketing and Sales Department is known as the Car Management and Customer Service Group, and it handles some of the most fundamental parts of the railroad operation. And since the people of this group are probably just telephone voices to most, we thought it is time to introduce their work to the readers of the “Guilford XPRESS”.
The basic principle of railroading can, arguably, be boiled down to three elements, the shipment, the carrying vehicle (the railcar in the train) and the movement of the vehicle from origin to destination. The customer provides the shipment, and the railroad provides both the vehicle and its movement. The Car Management and Customer Service Group provides the interface between customer and railroad, acting as the advocate for the customer. Once the Marketing and Sales Department has secured the shipment, the Car Management person must see to it that a car is available for loading. At this point, the railroad’s operating system takes over: the car is switched to the loading point, where it is loaded and billed out, and then it is moved toward its destination. Any questions or concerns on the part of the shipper must be handled by the Customer Service person, who provides information as to car location to the shipper and frequently intercedes with the transportation people and even the repair shop management to expedite the movement of the car as is needed. Industry today places considerable emphasis on “just in time” delivery of its raw materials, to minimize inventory expense. The Customer Service representative can play a major role in assuring that a needed car is delivered in time.
The car management function is more complicated than is suggested by the above. The ongoing demand must be assessed by car type as well as quantity, and the available supply must be kept at an acceptable level since per diem (rent) payments are made on most cars owned by another railroad, and these costs can mount up quickly. There are industry rules governing empty car movements, and these must be instituted and monitored. Company material requirements involve the car supply and these must be protected as well, both by making cars available and by expediting the release of these cars .
There are tools which assist in these functions. The STARR computer system of Guilford Rail is the primary tool used in controlling car movement. This is the basic transportation system matched to the AS400 computer which is used for car billing and movement functions. The AEI readers out along the lines supplement the billing information and are useful in confirming car location. There are computerized car location sources at other railroads and the Association of American Railroads provides some basic information as well. Finally, the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) affords a portrait of the business which is en route to Springfield Terminal lines. All of these are used to some extent, but the telephone is the primary and most used tool. Just ask Ron Jolin, Dan Oudens, June Claffey or Rick Moran. They are the folks of the Car Management and Customer Service Group, who provide this vital service for the benefit of customer and railroad alike.
|