O’Reilly, Joseph. (2002, October). Rail Intermodal: Where Rail Meets Road. – Inbound
Logistics. Retrieved April 26, 2014, from http://www.inboundlogistics.com/cms/article/rail-
intermodal-where-rail-meets-road/
I have chosen this article because I find the issues that face intermodal transportation
affects us all as a whole especially those of the rail industry; lately trains carry more tonnage than
ever before, particularly intermodal containers which we have discussed in class many times. It
is more important than ever to understand exactly how the movement of intermodal containers
by rail affects the industry, the economy, and the supply chain as a whole, this article does
exactly that.
Currently, the United States railroad is by far the best rail system in the world. It is a
swift, efficient, and extremely timely industry. Freight rail now plays a very significant part in
the United States economy, mostly in the intermodal movements of freight, as well as
commodities such as coal and oil. Although extremely important to the transportation of freight
today, either intermodal or otherwise, there was a time when this was not the case.
Back when the rail tracks were first laid, trains for transportation of goods and passengers
became the most important way to transport. But as time went on and more options to transport
goods came on the scene, the rail road industry dwindled to a depressing stop around the mid-
1970s. After the passing of the Staggers Act in 1980, the rail road industry started to pick up
steam once again totally re=inventing itself and what it was used for.
In the article, the wine industry is analyzed; particularly the Washington state established
Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. It is explained how it was once impossible and extremely costly to
ship wine. The article talks about how rail was evaluated before, but the circumstances and
terms never seemed to be right. However, with the emergence of intermodalism, this now
changed. Pairing with Railex, Ste. Michelle is now able to transport their wine both safely and
efficiently.