Intermodal
We work with many of the leading railroad-owned intermodal divisions, IMCs, drayage companies, steamship lines, and equipment providers to reduce operating expenses, improve asset utilization, improve service quality and increase staff efficiency.
Featured Solutions
Operations Improvement
We help clients transform their core operations for the greatest gain, improving the speed and quality of decisions during order acceptance and load planning, and during facility, dray and equipment execution.
Successes
- Creation of best-practice operational processes and systems for a Class I railroad’s intermodal division.
- Custom software simulation of intermodal terminal yard operations to explore tactical and strategic questions about policy changes and operational what-if scenarios.
- Capacity assessment and recommendations for improved throughput at a regional railroad.
- Custom optimization model that minimizes empty miles and meets supply/demand constraints for the North American Automotive railcar fleet.
- Detailed analysis of existing and potential terminal operating systems and corresponding business processes for a Class I railroad.
Asset Management
We help executives drive performance gains that impact the bottom line. We see many areas of opportunity for asset utilization gains of 1% – 5%, and even more in certain business environments.
Successes
- A landmark fleet distribution system that tracks and manages more than 200,000 rail cars in real time across 32 fleets, multiple railroads and 140,000 miles of track—and yields the equivalent of annual savings in excess of $35 million.
- Design and deployment of train load planning optimization software and parking optimization algorithms for containers arriving at facilities by truck or rail.
- A real-time tracking tool for all domestic chassis utilized by the Class I railroads to increase asset utilization and predict equipment shortages.
- Review of the management of high-value/re-conditionable rail car components, which entailed identifying gaps and reengineered processes, saving the company millions of dollars in lost inventory annually.
Pegasus Intermodal Transportation Management System
Princeton Consultants developed Pegasus™, the dominant TMS used by all Class I railroads offering door-to-door intermodal service.
Successes
- “CSX Intermodal’s trucking group utilizes Pegasus™. It is a single, comprehensive solution… Efficient communications [using Pegasus™] enable CSX Intermodal to make informed decisions quickly, resulting in faster shipments, reduced costs and positive customer experience.”
- Bill Clement, VP-Intermodal, CSX