Trans-loading
The term trans-loading is a simple one. This is when a product is transferred from one mode of transportation to another so it can arrive at its destination. This is usually done with bulk products like oil, natural gas, sand, and coal.
For domestic products, the most common form of transloading is from rail car to truck. For foreign products, the most common is to transfer the products from ship, to rail cars, to trucks. When a faster mode of transport is needed, the process can include truck, to airplane, to truck again is sometimes used.
The reason this transferring of a product from one type of transport to another is of concern is due to the costs that are associated with it, along with the inherent possibilities of damage occurring to the product.
To minimize the cost associated with this transferring of goods, special transloading stations are established. These are specialized places that only handle this specific type of work. Because they specialize, they have become experts in this field. This has helped these companies reduce the amount of time it takes to perform this task, along with knowing the best way to minimize the handling of the product.
The use of mobile conveyors is the most partial way of transloading dry bulk material like sand and grains. This can be accomplished by placing the end of the conveyor under the rail car with the other end over an awaiting truck. When done in an efficient manner, 20 tons of dry goods can be off-loaded from a rail car to a truck in 10 to 15 minutes.
Trans-loading does not get much fanfare and is generally unknown to the public because it is done in the middle of the transport cycle. Even though it is unseen by most, it is still a very important part of the transportation system of supplying goods to consumers.
The sponsor of this blog is the TranZ company and if your business or industry is connected with the Marcellus Shale hydro-fracking business you already know them well. TranZ provides materials and rail car to trucking facilities to service this natural gas and oil drilling enterprise.
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