Selecting a reload I is more than location

Factors ln Flcklng a Relod

IIJHAT should you look for in Y Y choosins the best reload to work with?

Certainly, where is vital. "Location is the number one thing Ishippers] look at." confirms Chris Salek, Reload Inc., Holmen, Wi. "If they decide to be in a market, that is a corporate and sales decision. Then they look for reloaders in that market."

Salek says, "The selection process is simple since the reload industry has matured over the last several years. What rail line are you on and are you open to reciprocal switch? What is the basic service? What is the cost, and do you have trucks available? Of course, some customers have more needs than that, but this is about all anyone will look at for their initial market research."

Yet it's much more than location, location, location. "The reasons people choose the transloader they do have several factors built in." savs front Patty Schlaeger, Transload Distibutors AsspEi€/[im

At confluen@ of conUers wi0tin orcrniglrt readt of qHomers. Expedenced, wiilr good rcflrhtbn, integfi, best hr$nm padioes.

. Billing, inventory conbol, oommunicalirls and conpnHized sy$tts.

Loss, damage and daim experienoe, good secudty.

Ability to bad, unload, store and strip in time.

Adequacy of insurance, bondlng, financial sfrengtt attd good ctqfit Fleible cus'lomer odentalirn, bar+odilq, quality standa6.

Expansion and growdr potenlial, o$edives, standatds 0SO rdhgs). Good references, qualityof oslomers serued.

Carole Wink, Ancon Transportation, consideration."

For this reason, Carson, Ca. "First, which railroad Ancon opeates six transloads in the serves your facility and do they have greater L.A. area. everyday service? Then, can you get "Location is always a concern due railcars to serve that transloader? to truck cost. but the knowledge and Next would be the logistics of the understanding of the customer's prodfacility, especially in areas like Los uct and horv his company markets Angeles where traffic is a definite their product is far more important to him rvhen choosing a reload," says Dennis Parker, Railway Express, Mira Loma. Ca.

He considers the next most important criteria to be "surge" availability. Parker explains. "A company that produces product understands [that] the market at times buys less than production. When this happens. is the reload facility able to continue to provide service?"

Other considerations he cites are capabilities and services, such as unloading, inventory control, insurance, trucking. hours of operation, and flexibility. To improve service. Railway Express, for example. is expanding its hours from 6 a.m. to l0 p.m. and rveekends by request.

Modesto & Empire Traction Co., Modesto. Ca.. views its greatest advantage as having access to both BNSF and Union Pacific. This allows distributors and manufacturers to buy and sell freely and then be able to all to thc salllc l)lacc.

"Wc arc a nrairtlirtc sctor.rt fron'r both roacls. rvhich savcs clavs ancl thus dollars ovcr any local or crossto\\'n raiIroacl slvitching situation that might occur at othcl locations." says Moclcsto's Jim Ross. "This is clearly truc lirr thc builcling matcrial industry. I)crhaps .just as irnportant is our ability' to tunr rail equipment quickly. Also sitting irr thc l.reart of a building boonr of honrcs. apartmcnts and comrrcrcial plopcrties in Central Califolnia and be1'ond doesn't hurt either'."

All reloaders agreecl that knolvl eclgeable. reliable servicc should bc a cleal-breaker. "The people you havc handling the custorttcr"s accoLlnt suys it all." sals Ancon's Wink. "Wc carc about our cLlstonrcrs. anrl ri'ill do cverything to takc carc ol'cxisting accounts. linclLrcling I bcinr carcful not to takc too rnnch brrsincss nhcrc no one gcts thc scrvicc thcl crpcct ancl dcscrvc. Anything l'ar an ar or problcrlratic rvith unkracling. nc have to tunr thc rvork clorvn."

.lclry Butlcr. Miclu'cst Rcload. ('oldivatcr. C)h.. agrees that it comes rlorvn tu scrvicc, service, service: "We havc ovcr 50 ycars experience in lurnbcryalcls. construction. developmcnt ancl lcasing. All of our rvorkers arc traincd on cstablishing an atmosphclc of knori ing n,hat the customef wants ancl prclvidin-s it in a cost-effcclivc and timclt manner. We go out ol'our \\'av to do a gleat job."

"lt's the sarre principlc as rvith choosin-r anvtl'tins clsc in busincss." sums up Walt Schnciclcr. Shasta Cascade Folest Inclustrics. Rcclclins. Ca.. "being ablc to proviclc last. cl'l'ccient. eff'ectir"c sclvicc ut thc lrlrr'cst price."