Rail Siding Warehouses

Incorporating Rail into Your Supply Chain

There are many benefits to incorporating rail transport into your supply chain and one of the most efficient ways to do this is with rail siding warehouses. Essentially, rail siding is a smaller section of track connected to the main line that allows trains to travel onto warehouse property. In this way, freight can be loaded or unloaded directly from train to warehouse or vice versa. This section of railroad track handles less traffic at slower speeds and has fewer, if any, signals, all of which adds to the efficiency of freight movement.

Benefits of Rail Siding Warehousing

In addition to the ease of moving freight from train to warehouse, rail siding offers several other benefits:

• • Reduced cost – Trains offer a more cost-effective means for transporting goods than trucking, especially when dealing in large volumes of inventories. Also, it eliminates the pricing fluctuations often associated with truck transport, due to such factors as changing fuel costs, increasing highway taxes. This of course translates into lower overall shipping costs.
  • Increased efficiencies – Rail siding warehouses are equipped with handle greater volumes of freight than traditional warehouses are. Additionally, trains are less impacted by weather, accidents and congestion than trucks so there is less time wasted in transit. All of this results in a more streamlined shipping process.
  • Sustainability – One train can hold the equivalent of several truckloads of freight, making rail over three times more fuel efficient than trucks. With fewer vehicles in use, less greenhouse gases are emitted, thus lowering companies’ carbon footprint.
  • Expanded reach – Trains provide access to larger geographic markets, expanding the area of distribution for your products. Also, companies can incorporate intermodal transport into their supply chain, relying on rail for longer distances and trucks for shorter distances or the final mile of their transportation.

Houston Rail Siding Warehouses

If you are in the market for a more sustainable transportation option in the Houston, TX area that offers reduced transportation costs and increased shipping capacity, Palmer Logistics has your answer. We operate six rail siding equipped warehouses in Houston, including the city’s Baytown and La Porte neighborhoods. Call us today for more information.