Looming Rail Labor Strike To Further Stress America’s Reeling Supply Chain
Railroad union members vote 99.5% to authorize a July 18 nationwide strike.
legalinsurrection.com
legalinsurrection.com
Capacity & What We Haul
- Around 1/3 of U.S. exports move by rail.
- The interconnected freight rail network includes seven Class I railroads (railroads with 2021 revenue of at least $900 million) and approximately 630 short line railroads (Class II and III). Short lines and Class I railroads operate in 49 states and the District of Columbia, with short lines running over about 45,000 route miles and Class I railroads running over about 92,000 route miles. Class I railroads account for around 68% of freight rail mileage, 88% of employees and 94% of revenue.
- Approximately 70% of the miles traveled by Amtrak trains are on tracks owned by freight railroads.
- Freight rail is part of an integrated network of trains, trucks and barges that ships around 61 tons of goods per American every year.
- Freight rail accounts for around 40% of long-distance ton-miles — more than any other mode of transportation.
- The Federal Highway Administration forecasts that total U.S. freight movements will rise from around 19.3 billion tons in 2020 to 25.1 billion tons in 2040 — a 30% increase.
- Since the Staggers Act was passed in 1980, average rail rates adjusted for inflation have fallen 44%. This means the average rail shipper can move much more freight for about the same price it paid more than 40 years ago.
- In a typical year, freight railroads haul around 1.7 billion tons of raw materials and finished goods. Redesigned railcars have helped increase average tonnage. In 2021, the average freight train carried 4,082 tons, up from 2,923 tons in 2000.
- Agricultural & Food Products: Freight railroads move some 1.6 million carloads of food products and around 1.6 million carloads of grain and other farm products in a typical year. Agricultural and food products include wheat, corn, soybeans, animal feed, beer, birdseed, canned produce, corn syrup, flour, frozen chickens, sugar, wine and countless other food products. Railroads typically originate more than 60,000 carloads of food and agricultural products per week.
- Chemicals: Freight railroads moved 2.2 million carloads of plastics, fertilizers and other chemicals in 2021. Chemicals help clean our water, fertilize our farms, package our food, build our cars and homes, protect our health, and enhance our well-being in thousands of other ways.
- Coal: Freight railroads moved 3.3 million carloads of coal in 2021. While rail coal volumes have declined in recent years, railroads account for around 70% of U.S. coal deliveries to power plants.
- Construction: Freight railroads move around three million carloads of construction-related materials in a typical year. One rail car to carry as much crushed stone, sand and gravel as five trucks.
- Crude Oil: In 2021, U.S. Class I railroads terminated 236,069 carloads of crude oil.
- Intermodal: In 2021, U.S. rail intermodal volume was 14.1 million units and intermodal accounted for approximately 27% of revenue for major U.S. railroads, more than any other single rail traffic segment. It’s been the fastest growing major rail traffic segment over the past 25 years and set new volume records in the first half of 2021. Around half of rail intermodal volume consists of imports or exports, reflecting the vital role intermodal plays in international trade.
- Motor Vehicles & Parts: Freight railroads carry 1.8 million carloads in a typical year. With a single train capable of carrying hundreds of cars, freight rail transports around 75% of the new cars and light trucks purchased in the U.S.
- Paper & Lumber: Freight railroads moved 1.1 million carloads of lumber and paper products in 2021. Paper and lumber include wood to build homes, newsprint and magazine paper and cardboard for packaging. Railroads also haul tens of thousands of carloads of recycled paper and cardboard each year.
Freight Rail Facts & Figures - Association of American Railroads
Find quick facts about the freight rail network, from what we haul to our environmental and economic impact.
www.aar.org
Pretty much everybody involved in keeping the trains physically moving is in the union. The white collar staff may not be, but the guys driving the trains and keeping the rails and equipment in working order are. That’s a lot of people to replace with no time to train them.
61 tons per American per year. Though that figure also includes trucks, barges, etc.
Its going to be shut down anyway right? Good time to start replacing them.
Or wait until they start crossing the picket line…
The ones who drive the trains can get paid pretty well. I was looking at a career change back in '97 or '98, and my uncle (who is now retired from the railroad) told me some of them were making upwards of $60K per year driving trains across the western US. I didn't end up changing careers, so I never did find out for sure what they're making, but I'm guessing that their salaries haven't been static for the last 25 years...
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