WASHINGTON – Union Pacific has been delivering unit grain trains as scheduled to a major California poultry and feed producer since federal regulators issued an emergency service order last month.
But Fowler Farms, the largest chicken producer in the West, is seeking a 90-day extension of the emergency service order, which expired on July 17. Thousands of dairy cattle and millions of chickens and turkeys depend upon corn UP delivers to Fowler’s facilities from the Midwest.
The corn inventories at Fowler Farms’ facilities at Traver and Turlock, Calif., have been replenished thanks to UP’s more reliable service since the Surface Transportation Board intervened in June, the company told regulators on July 15.
Fowler Farms fears that UP’s service could backslide due to ongoing crew shortages and the potential for a nationwide railroad strike.
Due to “the high consumption rates of the huge numbers of livestock dependent on feed processed from the corn delivered by UP, Foster Farms is still at risk if UP’s service begins to falter,” the company told the STB.
UP should be directed to continue to carry out its service commitments, Fowler told the board, “but only to the extent necessary to maintain the current cycle times of 10-11 days UP has been achieving for trains F11, F12, F14, and F15.”
Foster Farms still wants weekly conferences with the STB, but says daily status reports from UP are no longer necessary.
Sounds like UP is having a hard time with getting deliveries Made on Customer Demand
It’s Foster Farms…
By the way, it’s Foster Farms
Freight railroading is a SERVICE industry, and makes money for its owners (stockholders) by providing service SUPERIOR to that of its competition at a price that will by doing so earn a PROFIT for the owners. At least how it used to be, especially with UP. Remember Mike Flannery’s “Great Big Rollin’ Railroad? I’m sure Mike is now “rollin'” over in his grave in shame.
“However, still yet, good operating practice (employees,MOW,equipment considerations) all need be considered, not sacrificed.”
Perfectly stated Mike!
If all the MBA’s and executives lived by this statement just imagine how much better off we would be.
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My hand has been called on news issues comments in the past. i.e. These railroads are privately owned. It doesn’t matter, as this news article shows. Yes, so much of RR operations are dictated, NOT on good practice decisions, but by the bottom line for stockholders is the rule of thumb concerning decisions.
Nobody wants to buy stock that has poor dividends. Understood. However, still yet, good operating practice (employees,MOW,equipment considerations) all need be considered, not sacrificed.
Even “privately” owned RR’s (stockholder interests etc.) HAVE to be told what to do sometimes. Think not? Look at article above. For 90 days they had to do what they were told to do (Not by the CEO). endmrw0719221329