Client: East Coast Container Ports
Introduction
Our rail and supply chain experts identified and executed a rail-based supply chain strategy routing export resin shipments from Gulf Coast and Midwest manufacturers through leading East Coast container ports — converting predominantly truck-dependent freight to long-haul rail.
The Challenge
Export resin shipments from Gulf Coast and Midwest manufacturers were moving primarily by truck and short-haul rail from Dallas, leaving significant cost and efficiency gains on the table. No rail-based corridor existed to connect these manufacturers to East Coast container terminals at competitive economics.
What We Did
- Converted shipments predominantly moving by truck and short-haul rail from Dallas to a long-haul rail model, capturing rail rate economics and empty container repositioning flows.
- Coordinated directly with East Coast port authorities to align terminal infrastructure and container availability with the new supply chain design.
- Established a repeatable export corridor model applicable to other bulk chemical and resin producers, expanding the addressable market beyond the initial shipper base.
Results
Capital investment and operational improvements attracted direct capital investment from warehousing and distribution companies that followed the rail conversion, creating durable new market volume for eastern rail carriers and establishing the corridor as a competitive long-term alternative.
