Western Railroad Discussion > UMAX Containters and the Intermodal Business

With all the talk of those empty UMAX containers heading down to LA...I thought I'd show my ignorance.

Once in LA and unloaded from the train...do those get trucked all over the LA area and loaded with domestic goods? Is there any kind of a trans-load facility that re-packs international container contents into domestic containers for shipment around the country?

Were any of these containers delivered to the East coast for loading??

Thanks for your kind and patient response.

Larry,

Check out:

http://www.allbusiness.com/services/engineering-accounting-research-management/4499410-1.html

http://www.lee-associates.com/global/market_reports.php

http://www.lee-associates.com/pdf/1Q10%20IEW%20Ind%20Mkt%20Rprt%20-%20Final.pdf

http://www.lee-associates.com/pdf/1Q2010_Industrial_Market_Report.pdf

http://www.lee-associates.com/pdf/Cntrl&SEReport1Q10.pdf

http://www.portoflosangeles.org/DOC/REPORT_SPBayPortsRailMarketStudy.pdf

The first link gives some input from APL Logistics on cross-docking vs. transload vs. distribution. The Los Angeles area has the largest concentration of such facilities in the nation. This creates a huge opportunity for goods coming in by international containers and leaving in domestic containers and trailers, in addition to the large numbers of containers that come and go straight from the docks to rail.

The next several links give market reports on the amount of industrial land in the Basin. This includes all of it: manufacturing, warehousing, cross-dock, etc. My experience (my division of my firm programs, designs and master plans industrial projects, including trucking terminals) is that probably about 95% (by total square footage) of the larger facilities is non-manufacturing.

The next link is a 2004 report by the ports on trends they were forecasting for distribution. These numbers have proven incorrect, but the overall concept of the activities is the same.

If you Google SCAG or SANBAG they have reports that discuss this.

Finally, one of TO's more informed contributors, Rob Leachman, does transportation (goods) consulting. He has both the knowledge AND the communication skills to be listened to by the railroads/ports/government. One such report is out:

http://www.ieor.berkeley.edu/People/Faculty/leachman-pubs/PortModal.pdf

Hope this helps!

Bruce

Thanks...that should keep me busy for about a year!!

It appears these containers were shipped from the far east into Tacoma/Seattle--others may know for sure

The LA?LGB area is probably the largest area in the country for transloads and the demand for 53ft boxes is extremely high

Dale Smith

Interestingly, this morning I had the ZCIG1 out of City of Industry (Ca.) and under the train symbol on our paperwork was listed the Common Name for the train as UMAX and nothing else. I looked at the ZCIBP trains and they are listed the same way.-BMT

Umax is the UP/CSX joint effort that used to be STAX. CSX and BNSF don't have their own containers just you now see csx on bnsf stack trains. UMAX is just like EMP with UP/NS and conrail which is now csx/ns.

Earlier TO Discussion Re: UMAX

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,2134093

BruceDGillings Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My experience (my division of my
> firm programs, designs and master plans industrial
> projects, including trucking terminals) is that
> probably about 95% (by total square footage) of
> the larger facilities is non-manufacturing.
>

95% is probably a low estimate for the percentage of 53s leaving the LA Basin containing imports vs. less than 5% containing goods that were produced domestically. Of the 53s leaving the Basin containing imports, the amount that were loaded at cross-docks is roughly equal to the amount that were loaded at warehouses (imports held in inventory for some time before re-shipment or re-sale) or at maquiladora factories (final assembly of Asian-manufactured components).

Best regards,

Rob L.

peoriarr1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Umax is the UP/CSX joint effort that used to be
> STAX. CSX and BNSF don't have their own containers
> just you now see csx on bnsf stack trains. UMAX is
> just like EMP with UP/NS and conrail which is now
> csx/ns.


No connection to the old STAX pool, which went away years ago.
UMAX was just formed early this year as a new pool;
Posted earlier this year;
The new pool UMAX containers will be old CSXU and PACU containers that are remarked as UMXU containers. UP will use the old Pacer PACU for this new joint CSX pool. This UMAX pool will be very similar to the UP-NS joint EMP pool that has operated for years.
This would explain the UP purchase of the old Pacer Stacktrain equipment.

Not really new traffic with this new pool, just an easier way of doing business for customers that will not have to use interline UP - CSX service as in the past.

UP is buying and maintaining new business by supplying equipment to customers. BNSF goes in the opposite direction and supplies no equipment to intermodal customers.

gmojim

UPNW2-1083 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Interestingly, this morning I had the ZCIG1 out of
> City of Industry (Ca.) and under the train symbol
> on our paperwork was listed the Common Name for
> the train as UMAX and nothing else. I looked at
> the ZCIBP trains and they are listed the same
> way.-BMT


Yes, the City of Industry ramp always handled the CSXU trains to and from Chicago that CSX Intermodal controlled in the past. After the UMAX deal this traffic changed to the new UMAX pool instead of the old CSX Intermodal controlled service. Same traffic, just new name and joint UP-CSX control instead of just CSX in past.
Note the new UMAX empties train from the Northwest went to the City of Industry ramp where they will be loaded eastbound. The company where I work hopes to get 20-25 of these new empties tomorrow to load at transloaders in LA for a big retailer and a big tire company,

The train for G1 Global 1 is local Chicago traffic and the BP is Bedford Park and that is CSX Chicago ramp for loads moving east on CSX

gmojim