Client: Mid-Atlantic Ro-Ro Terminal
Introduction
Our rail and logistics experts developed and implemented a marketing strategy to shift export agricultural and construction machinery from truck to rail at a major Mid-Atlantic roll-on/roll-off terminal, converting Midwest equipment manufacturers to a more cost-effective and reliable routing.
The Challenge
Midwest equipment manufacturers — including combine and harvester producers — were shipping predominantly by truck to the terminal, foregoing the cost and service advantages of rail. The specialized size and handling requirements of agricultural machinery had historically made rail impractical, with no dedicated operating plan in place to accommodate the traffic.
What We Did
- Identified Midwest equipment manufacturers shipping predominantly by truck as the primary conversion target, building a business case for rail based on service reliability and cost economics.
- Developed a dedicated weekly train operating plan purpose-built to handle combines and harvesters.
- Executed shipper outreach and commercial development to convert volume to rail, establishing a repeatable model for capturing equipment manufacturer traffic at ro-ro terminals.
