Western Railroad Discussion > "Amazon Train" (SoCal)

UP dispatchers have been calling their Z trains, "UPS trains" for a while now. While on a quick visit to SoCal in February, I caught up to this eastbound intermodal train at Centennial Memorial Bridge near Beaumont. This Z-ish train didn't have any UPS trailers, but instead had a good number of Amazon trailers near the rear of the train.

The train is led by a GE Tier 4, with another GE Tier 4 as the rear DPU, working hard, and its "quiet" sound not drowned out by another locomotive. Entire train is shown.

FYI, UPS plans to do regular Saturday deliveries (instead of just for priority shipments) to compete with FedEx and USPS, which was announced at the end of February. I had some inside tips on how the organization will go about doing it, and if there are TO members working for UPS, they should know already.

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cchan006 Wrote:
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> UP dispatchers have been calling their Z trains,
> "UPS trains" for a while now. While on a quick
> visit to SoCal in February, I caught up to this
> eastbound intermodal train at Centennial Memorial
> Bridge near Beaumont. This Z-ish train didn't have
> any UPS trailers, but instead had a good number of
> Amazon trailers near the rear of the train.
>
> The train is led by a GE Tier 4, with another GE
> Tier 4 as the rear DPU, working hard, and its
> "quiet" sound not drowned out by another
> locomotive. Entire train is shown.
>
> FYI, UPS plans to do regular Saturday deliveries
> (instead of just for priority shipments) to
> compete with FedEx and USPS, which was announced
> at the end of February. I had some inside tips on
> how the organization will go about doing it, and
> if there are TO members working for UPS, they
> should know already.

​Thanks for posting this video. My wife and I order products through Amazon all the time and their contractors drop off our orders at our house 7 days a week using both vans and passenger vehicles. Also in the Puget Sound Business Journal last week there was a photo of a Boeing 767 painted in Amazon Prime Colors; Amazon is going to have a number of those in operation this year flying from a hub in Ohio.

Excellent......like the T4s
 

Thanks for covering the entire train. Can you identify what Z train that was?

Didn't see a single amazon trailer in Tehachapi. I'm guess these trains go straight into LB and then hit trucks?

Most employees at UPS know nothing.  We get our intel from the van drivers and hotel maids.  Managers spread rumors.

 Those look like they were all domestic can so they would just go to city of industry or Vernon. 

Interesting, thanks for posting.  It appears Amazon is taking its delivery into its own hands, with 
trucks and planes.  This gives them another layer of infrastructure to manage.  It will be interesting
to see how the do that.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

I worked at a huge Amazon fulfillment center near Indianapolis for more than 2 years, leaving there last November. We were told that Amazon was moving toward its own shipping system because USPS, UPS, and FedEx could not handle the loads, especially during the holiday peak and didn't want to put on the extra workers needed to do it. These methods are still heavily used, but developing its own shipping channels gives Amazon more control over its deliveries.

Kim Heusel

There were some threads on TO about this before Christmas and someone mentioned non-revenue moves of new trailers.  The Amazons are mainly seen moving eastbound.

UPS leases other trailers such as -"UMAX, "CSX", and "EMP"- to just name a few. The UPS loads do not have to be in a UPS container or trailer.

These are new trailers going east. Trailers are manfactured in Mexico just south of San Diego. They are just one way to the point where Amazon bought them.  They could be hauling some other companies freight as new trailers are shipped piggyback to their selling point. Rates are very good using these new trailers as one way deals. Have used them in the past out of Memphis when Fruehauf had a plant. Also had new Fred's trailers shipped piggyback to Memphis to save me all the transportation cost, as Carrier air conditioner used them loaded to Memphis.
​BNSF Z trains from LA to Memphis and Atlanta have Hyundai trailers regularly.  BNSF police in Memphis were worried about the Amazon trailers as they knew people would be more interested in trying to see what was inside. Several BNSF trains had a large number of Amazon trailers to Atlanta.
-----------------
Hyundai Translead is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company Korea and is headquartered in San Diego, CA
with three state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities located in Tijuana, Mexico.
-----------------------

gmojim
 

ntharalson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Interesting, thanks for posting.  It appears
> Amazon is taking its delivery into its own hands,
> with 
> trucks and planes.  This gives them another layer
> of infrastructure to manage.  It will be
> interesting
> to see how the do that.
>
> Nick Tharalson,
> Marion, IA

Amazon has added many distribution centers around the country.  The have their own fleet of vans doing the deliveries.  This is business that was being delivered by both UPS and FedEx.

Very nice Charles, always enjoy your videos!

gmojim Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> These are new trailers going east. Trailers are
> manfactured in Mexico just south of San Diego.
> They are just one way to the point where Amazon
> bought them.  They could be hauling some other
> companies freight as new trailers are shipped
> piggyback to their selling point. Rates are very
> good using these new trailers as one way deals.
> Have used them in the past out of Memphis when
> Fruehauf had a plant. Also had new Fred's trailers
> shipped piggyback to Memphis to save me all the
> transportation cost, as Carrier air conditioner
> used them loaded to Memphis.
> ​BNSF Z trains from LA to Memphis and Atlanta
> have Hyundai trailers regularly.  BNSF police in
> Memphis were worried about the Amazon trailers as
> they knew people would be more interested in
> trying to see what was inside. Several BNSF trains
> had a large number of Amazon trailers to Atlanta.
> -----------------
> Hyundai Translead is a wholly owned subsidiary of
> Hyundai Motor Company Korea and is headquartered
> in San Diego, CA
> with three state-of-the-art manufacturing
> facilities located in Tijuana, Mexico.
> -----------------------
>
> gmojim
>  

Good info Jim.    I've seen the Amazons eastbound on Tower 55 cam several times, probably on the ZLCAI. 
 

Good show.   Thanks for showing the whole train.   The SAIA trailer was a real surprise.

Sorry, Charles, that train is in full dynamics or I'm a monkeys Uncle.

DL

DaveL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sorry, Charles, that train is in full dynamics or
> I'm a monkeys Uncle.
>
> DL

Hehe. You're monkey's uncle because eastbounds climb at the Centennial Memorial Bridge. GE Tier 4s don't rumble like other GEs.

Fizzboy7 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good show.   Thanks for showing the whole train.
>   The SAIA trailer was a real surprise.

SAIA is an occasional guest on the Memphis Z trains.  Here's a grab shot from a ZMNLA from last summer..

 

---

SPMemphisFreight Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Fizzboy7 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Good show.   Thanks for showing the whole
> train.
> >   The SAIA trailer was a real surprise.
>
> SAIA is an occasional guest on the Memphis Z
> trains.  Here's a grab shot from a ZMNLA from
> last summer..
>
>  

That is a great pic!   Exactly why I subscribe here.   Thanks for sharing.   Really gives big modeling ideas.

Jason Eminian
Smith Brothers Hobby Center