Eastern Railroad Discussion > UPS Ground = Rail?

Hi all

I've got a 7-lb package enroute from CO to MA via UPS ground. Anyone know if my little box, or the UPS vehicle in which it resides, is currently riding the rails?

Thanks,

* JB *

Here's the most recent trace:

HODGKINS, IL, US 04/19/2008 4:46 A.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
HODGKINS, IL, US 04/18/2008 12:52 P.M. ARRIVAL SCAN

COMMERCE CITY, CO, US 04/17/2008 2:45 A.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
COMMERCE CITY, CO, US 04/16/2008 10:26 P.M. ORIGIN SCAN

04/16/2008 5:49 P.M. PICKUP SCAN
US 04/16/2008 10:43 A.M. BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED

It could very well be, BNSF's ZDENCHI runs From Denver, CO to Willow Springs, IL or Hodgkins, IL for unloading.

As has already been said, it could very well be. I once had a status on the UPS site that said something to the effect of "Delayed by Railroad". I'm sure there are a number of things that could cause this, but I've only seen it once.

I've always been curious. How are ZDENCHI and other such train identifiers spoken on the radio?

Thanks,
Danny Harmon
CSX territory in Tampa

GlKirby Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It could very well be, BNSF's ZDENCHI runs From
> Denver, CO to Willow Springs, IL or Hodgkins, IL
> for unloading.

Good question. If on its way to MA, it could be pronounced L-117 or Q-116 :-)

-Tom

BNSF/UP (and other mid-west to west RR's tend to use the lead engine number and direction... such as UP5432 West. East coast rr's tend to use train symbols such as Q113, 34A, etc.

At least that's my observation. Once in awhile you will hear someone call a train by its symbol for whatever purpose.

Narr8rdanny Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've always been curious. How are ZDENCHI and
> other such train identifiers spoken on the radio?
>
> Thanks,
> Danny Harmon
> CSX territory in Tampa

I have been toying with purchasing one of those gps tracking units where the device keeps track of everywhere it has been. I figured I could ship the unit to different places and track the route it took. Anyone have any idea if the GPS signal would resonate through the trailer van?

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

Sounds Italian. LOL/


Narr8rdanny Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've always been curious. How are ZDENCHI and
> other such train identifiers spoken on the radio?
>
> Thanks,
> Danny Harmon
> CSX territory in Tampa
>
> GlKirby Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It could very well be, BNSF's ZDENCHI runs
> From
> > Denver, CO to Willow Springs, IL or Hodgkins,
> IL
> > for unloading.

Hodgkins, IL is a major UPS sort facility. So your package will be re-sorted and reloaded back into the trailer for the next train. It could be very well go to UPS Worcester, MA major New England sort facility for local delivery. It can either go on 2 places.. Off from BNSF it will be on NS/Guilford(PAR) all the way to Ayer on EMP/NACS trailers then truck it to Worcester. ..


If its off from UP, it will be on CSXT via Q114, Q140 or Q116 then straight on to Worcester.

I have dealt with UPS tracing and shipping/recieving from my major employer for years..so thats how the process really works.

TOMT7X


prr4828 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi all
>
> I've got a 7-lb package enroute from CO to MA via
> UPS ground. Anyone know if my little box, or the
> UPS vehicle in which it resides, is currently
> riding the rails?
>
> Thanks,
>
> * JB *
>
> Here's the most recent trace:
>
> HODGKINS, IL, US 04/19/2008 4:46 A.M.
> DEPARTURE SCAN
> HODGKINS, IL, US 04/18/2008 12:52 P.M. ARRIVAL
> SCAN
>
> COMMERCE CITY, CO, US 04/17/2008 2:45 A.M.
> DEPARTURE SCAN
> COMMERCE CITY, CO, US 04/16/2008 10:26 P.M.
> ORIGIN SCAN
>
> 04/16/2008 5:49 P.M. PICKUP SCAN
> US 04/16/2008 10:43 A.M. BILLING INFORMATION
> RECEIVED

Pj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BNSF/UP (and other mid-west to west RR's tend to
> use the lead engine number and direction... such
> as UP5432 West. East coast rr's tend to use train
> symbols such as Q113, 34A, etc.
>
> At least that's my observation. Once in awhile you
> will hear someone call a train by its symbol for
> whatever purpose.

I was told that, on the UP at least, dispatchers use lead unit and direction until they enter a major city like LA, Kansas City or Chicago. Once there, they'll use the symbol to avoid confusion. I've heard dispatchers on the UP use the symbol, but it's almost always after the crew failed to respond to a call using the lead unit and direction. It doesn't happen a lot, but I can remember at least a few times where the dispatcher had the wrong lead unit in his paperwork.

Kevin Kuehl
kevinkuehl@yahoo.com
http://rail.ktlx.net

webmaster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have been toying with purchasing one of those
> gps tracking units where the device keeps track of
> everywhere it has been. I figured I could ship the
> unit to different places and track the route it
> took. Anyone have any idea if the GPS signal would
> resonate through the trailer van?

Doesn't the GPS need line of sight to three satellites to get its bearings? Many Amtrak passengers have to get to a window to use their GPS units.

The Port Authority of NY and NJ sent a truckload of used EZ-Pass transponders to be recycled someplace in GA. On a truck.

Each of the 20,000 transponders triggered at the Jersey Turnpike, Delaware bridge, Del Turnpike, etc all the way down the coast. Even inside a trailer they still worked. I think a lead lining would have been sufficient to stop them, though.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Port Authority of NY and NJ sent a truckload
> of used EZ-Pass transponders to be recycled
> someplace in GA. On a truck.
>
> Each of the 20,000 transponders triggered at the
> Jersey Turnpike, Delaware bridge, Del Turnpike,
> etc all the way down the coast. Even inside a
> trailer they still worked. I think a lead lining
> would have been sufficient to stop them, though.

The E-ZPass transponder I recently obtained was mailed to me from Illinois wrapped in aluminum foil.

They're shipped that way so that they don't screw with the RFID readers used to sort parcel shipments.

Todd...

The signal would be blocked by the package and everything else.

It is true that the GPS signal is a radio signal, but it is a line of sight/needs to be in the open kinda thing for it to work.

IIRC, the effective GPS signal power by the time it hits the ground is well under .5 watts, if that.

toledopatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> The E-ZPass transponder I recently obtained was
> mailed to me from Illinois wrapped in aluminum
> foil.
>
> They're shipped that way so that they don't screw
> with the RFID readers used to sort parcel
> shipments.


The E-Z Pass transponder I recently received was mailed from Staten Island, NY (Port Authority of NY & NJ) unwrapped in a white paper envelope. An electrically conductive bag was enclosed with a note stating to place the transponder inside and in the glove box if the driver doesn't wish the transponder to be read.

Daniel

Agreed, no way a GPS receiver would work unless it was next to a window or had an external (to the vehicle) antenna. The signal is at ~1.2GHz and ~1.6GHz and has a typical power of something like 1 x 10^-16 watts by the time it hits the ground. Basically even the slightest amount of sheet metal will stop it, as will somewhat larger thicknesses of most other substances.

That said, yes, UPS does a lot of long haul shipping by rail, so most likely out of Commerce City your package took the ZDENCHI.

Perhaps even just sending an active GPS would cause concern for USPS and UPS etc. A long time ago I sent a pager back for my grandpop and forgot to take the batteries out. This was before the 9-11 event and even then the postal service was not happy. Aaron 20

RRmemories Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Perhaps even just sending an active GPS would
> cause concern for USPS and UPS etc. A long time
> ago I sent a pager back for my grandpop and forgot
> to take the batteries out. This was before the
> 9-11 event and even then the postal service was
> not happy. Aaron 20


UPS does, indeed, discourage shipping devices with batteries installed. The problem is that the device might activate or short and generate dangerous heat. Batteries can also leak. The UPS policy can be found at: http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/prepare/guidelines/batteries.html

Yes,the Postal service a dim view of things with batteries in them.I had a woman on my route mail a clock & she left the batteries in it. The alarm went off in my truck about 4 hours after picking it up,needless to say it scared the crap out of me. I took it back to the woman who was mailing it & demanded to know what was inside.She thought it was funny,I explained that Postal Inspectors have no sense of humor.

tmurray Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good question. If on its way to MA, it could be
> pronounced L-117 or Q-116 :-)
>
> -Tom

The Q116 runs out of Roselake ( East St. Louis ), Il.. It should be on the Q114 or Q140 to MA.

Here's the final trace:

NORWOOD, MA, US
04/23/2008 4:34 P.M. DELIVERY
04/23/2008 6:56 A.M. OUT FOR DELIVERY
04/23/2008 12:56 A.M. ARRIVAL SCAN

SHREWSBURY, MA, US
04/22/2008 11:51 P.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
04/22/2008 10:47 A.M. ARRIVAL SCAN

HODGKINS, IL, US
04/19/2008 4:46 A.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
04/18/2008 12:52 P.M. ARRIVAL SCAN

COMMERCE CITY, CO, US
04/17/2008 2:45 A.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
04/16/2008 10:26 P.M. ORIGIN SCAN
04/16/2008 5:49 P.M. PICKUP SCAN

US 04/16/2008 10:43 A.M. BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED