Is UPS shipping by train?

[TinCan782]

UPS also uses the Postal Service for final delivery sometimes! Some things I have shipped to my work address (which has daily UPS service) are delivered by the USPS!

 

[Shortline]

A few decades back, I spoke with a software guy who was working with a Class I on the "new technology of the day" - the color bar-codes that were on some railcars back then. That project totally failed. So, obviously, not all new tech stuff works, but when several technologies work well together, and make good economic sense - good news - world saves billions, stuff gets from here to there on-time --

Color barcodes?

I've seen lots of barcodes in my day, and these days they're almost everywhere, but I've never seen one that had more than one color. Must have been before my time. .

Stole this pic from another site after a search, they're disapearing, been a while since I've noticed one still on a car. I think this started in the late 60's or early 70's, for some sort of optical scanner cars would pass. Now they use AEI Tags for all equipment.

 

[NorthShore]

Here in Chicago, UPS has shipment centers along major rail lines and yards. Passing over a bridge or along a highway by one of these centers, one can see several tracks of unit trains with UPS trailers.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

UPS Trucks that go by train train are empty and our going back to where they came from or other destination. It is cheaper for them to send empty trucks by train than pay for lots of diesel. UPS Vice President

Sorry Bob but many of those trailers are in fact full of parcels being shipped.

A few decades back, I spoke with a software guy who was working with a Class I on the "new technology of the day" - the color bar-codes that were on some railcars back then. That project totally failed. So, obviously, not all new tech stuff works, but when several technologies work well together, and make good economic sense - good news - world saves billions, stuff gets from here to there on-time --

Color barcodes?

I've seen lots of barcodes in my day, and these days they're almost everywhere, but I've never seen one that had more than one color. Must have been before my time. .

Stole this pic from another site after a search, they're disapearing, been a while since I've noticed one still on a car. I think this started in the late 60's or early 70's, for some sort of optical scanner cars would pass. Now they use AEI Tags for all equipment.

Seeing is believing, but what I cannot understand is what is being accomplished by adding color? Wouldn't it just fade away to varying degrees like all the other paint? It's not like you need a lot of information to ID the car. Even early codes like 3-of-9 should be able to handle "NRLX528230" without much space or effort.

 

[Paulus]

UPS Trucks that go by train train are empty and our going back to where they came from or other destination. It is cheaper for them to send empty trucks by train than pay for lots of diesel. UPS Vice President

Sorry Bob but many of those trailers are in fact full of parcels being shipped.

I suspect he's referring to truck on flat car shipments rather than container shipments.