Issues of Importance to NAFCA
- Railroad fleets are inadequate to fill shipper requirements
- Railroads encourage shippers to provide their own equipment
- Railroads are limiting their investments in railcars because of demands on their resources
- Railroads do not hold themselves out to supply higher cube and heavier axle cars that shippers are requiring
- Private car economics
- Compensation
- Tank car compensation is prescribed
- Compensation on other equipment is determined by the railroads
- No effective recourse before STB
- Short lines and leasing companies rely on "deprescribed" car hire
- Railroads handle other railroad cars for $.42 per mile
- Railroads charge shippers up to $1.45 per mile with minimum of $375 per car for movements to repair facilities
- Railroads charge destination demurrage on private cars on railroad tracks but keep all of the demurrage collected
- No effective recourse before STB
- Holding tracks
- Cost being shifted to shippers
- AAR interchange agreement (must be signed by shipper before operation of private cars)
- Rules set by AAR (which is controlled by Class 1 Railroads)
- Third parties have minority representation on some AAR Committees, however, they have limited voting rights on AAR Committees
- Hollow wheels
- Discriminatory mechanical and safety standards
- Constant contact side bearings
- Private car utilization
- Service failures