Maneuvering Trailers in RV Park

Dinata Misovec

Yesterday, Martin called in the morning and invited us to take our walk to their house for some strawberry-rhubarb pie. We left about 10:30 in a strong, cold wind. Martin and Betsy have rented a house just past the grocery store for the winter so it was not a long walk. We had a delightful few hours eating pie and talking.

As we walked back into the RV park we saw a trailer parked along the road.  The pickup truck looked like our neighbor’s across the street.  When we continued down the road we could see an RV blocking the road and some people standing around.  They saw us too and another neighbor, Jim, zipped up in his golf cart to take us home.  They needed us to move our car so they could maneuver the new, huge fifth-wheel trailer into its space.

Parking New Fifth Wheel Trailer in RV…

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Supply Chain Control Tower: Providing Greater Visibility, Flexibility and Efficiency

A well-managed supply chain provides companies a competitive advantage and increased profitability.

A solution that has been gaining momentum recently is the transparent supply chain process referred to as the SCM Control Tower. Control Tower acts as the supply chain nerve center, utilizing technology, organization and processes that capture product movement visibility from the supplier all the way to the customer. It allows the 3PL customer to collect and use timing, efficiency and service data in real time for short- and long-term planning and decision-making, and it assists them in aligning and realizing strategic objectives. The customer becomes engaged in the entire process across multiple domains, at a level of involvement that caters to the company’s needs.

The flexibility of an SCM Control Tower is key to the service it provides. Its role or focus can change according to the individual needs of a supply chain customer. It is very much a concept of scale; it can be part of the solution or all of it. The real-time analysis of data enables supply chain managers to immediately address questions or issues that occur unexpectedly. They can detect what is happening and determine best practices for response. Additionally, they can identify trends and anticipate potential issues that may arise in the future. The data collected allows them to analyze opportunities, mitigate risk and formulate response strategies. Simply stated, an SCM Control Tower gives customers the information they need to make informed decisions by utilizing pure visibility of daily services and tactical administration.

The most vital SCM Control Tower component is the coordination of activity along all aspects of the supply chain. Improved visibility increases the customer’s knowledge across all domains: manufacturing, inventory, demand, transportation, customs clearance and service — all aspects involved in the day-to-day operations.

For example, at the local level, a 3PL customer can coordinate with the carrier that makes a pickup, while at the same time communicating with the supplier to determine the availability of material for pickup. The customer is able to interface within the system to monitor the process from beginning to end. The customer can coordinate with port compliance for export documentation, ensuring that all paperwork is available to the customs broker for clearance. Shipments can be tracked and traced upon arrival, and required information is made available to the inbound customer’s broker for clearance.

Along with coordination, end-to-end visibility also provides the opportunity to catch and manage a potential crisis along the supply chain. Sometimes issues pop up and decisions need to be made quickly. For example, suppose a shipment is travelling LTL, and it unexpectedly becomes “hot” en route and has to be diverted — possibly going by air — in order to get to its destination faster due to a production need, or it may even need to go to a new destination. The coordination and management necessary to execute such changes require the visibility of an SCM Control Tower.

 

East Coast transit agencies work to restore rail service after blizzard

As the East Coast digs out from last weekend’s snowstorm, transit agencies are rolling out plans to get rail systems back online or operate service on a limited basis.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) initially planned to reopen its Metrorail system this morning, with service on all lines except the Silver Line. However, weather-related damage and icing issues on the third rail prevented the agency from opening four Orange Line stations as scheduled, WMATA officials said in a service alert.

The damage was discovered overnight as test trains ran on the line. The trains couldn’t move through the area reliably and maintain third-rail power to sustain service, WMATA officials said.

Meanwhile, the Maryland Transit Administration on Monday suspended all light-rail service while maintenance crews cleared snow and ice from the tracks. Today, the agency is operating limited light-rail service with the hope of returning to normal operations by week’s end.

For its part, MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) last night announced plans to resume service system-wide today. The update came after LIRR and state workers cleared the railroad’s branches that were left snowbound by the blizzard, LIRR officials said.

 

Here is that NY City GARBAGE TRUCK again.

CP / NS Rail Merger Just Won’t Die

U.S. Sen. Dick Durban (D-Ill.) and other congressional representatives of Illinois are registering concern with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) over Canadian Pacific’s proposed takeover of Norfolk Southern Corp.

In a letter sent yesterday to STB Chairman Daniel Elliott III and board members, Durbin and others leaders asked the STB to consider the economic impact such a merger would have on the Chicago area.

“We urge you to carefully review any plans submitted to the STB, and consider the potential negative impact of the proposal with respect to building a more efficient freight network in Chicago … and comprehensively examine the economic effects of such a consolidation on local industries and jobs in the Chicago region.”

The letter asks the STB to consider whether the merger would take business away from Illinois and the United States by diverting business to Canada, as well as whether CP would “cut costs on the backs of Illinois workers.”

In addition to Durbin, the letter was signed by U.S. Reps. Dan Lipinski, Tammy Duckworth, Danny Davis, Mike Quigley, Bobby Rush, Cheri Bustos, Luis Gutierrez, Jan Schakowsky and Bill Foster. All are Democrats.

CP Chief Executive Officer E. Hunter Harrison told investors that a merger between the two Class Is would reduce rail congestion in the Chicago area.

NS said its board had unanimously rejected CP’s latest offer, which NS officials described as “grossly inadequate.”

Buffett’s BNSF May ‘Participate’ In CP-Norfolk Battle

Shares of Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) rose Friday on a report that BNSF Railway Chairman Matt Rose said his company may enter the bidding for the struggling railroad.

BNSF, which is controlled by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRKB), might step in to provide a competitive bid to Canadian Pacific Railway’s (NYSE:CP) $28 billion hostile offer for Norfolk Southern, Rose told Bloomberg in an interview.

He added that he doesn’t favor more mergers after an earlier wave of consolidation in the industry, but if there is M&A activity to be had, “we would participate as well.”

Norfolk Southern on Dec. 4 said its board had unanimously rejected Canadian Pacific’s bid, leading to speculation that there could be a proxy fight if activist investors want to pursue the merger. Norfolk said on Tuesday that it also rejected a revised bid from Canadian Pacific.

A Canadian Pacific/Norfolk Southern tie-up would create a transcontinental railroad large enough to challenge dominant Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP), the largest in North America by revenue.

Read More At Investor’s Business Daily: http://news.investors.com/business/121115-784930-buffetts-bnsf-may-bid-for-norfolk-southern-vs-cp.htm#ixzz3uaLdeM9C
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New York Regions Railroads Struggle Back To Life

New York Region’s Railroads Struggle Back to Life
The latest on the rails: • Service on Metro-North Railroad is coming back today.• New Jersey Transit’s train service is expected to resume by noon, Gov. Chris Christie said.• The Long Island Rail Road is out commission but hopes to be running in time for Monday’s rush.
Metro-North trains will be operating at Grand Central Terminal on a regular Sunday schedule by 3 p.m. today, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced. The railroad will begin restoring service at outlying stations after noon.

Grand Central itself will open at 8 a.m. Check http://www.mta.info for updates.On the Long Island Rail Road, things are a mess.
Many of the yards are still buried in more than two feet of snow, the governor said. So is a switching hub in Queens where all lines intersect on the way to New York City.

Tracks are blocked by stranded trains. Snow-clearing equipment can’t get where it needs to because of frozen switches.
The railroad will try to bring the most heavily used branches back on line first, and hopes to restore service for Monday’s morning rush. There are no promises. Once again, check http://www.mta.info for updates.
On New Jersey Transit, customers can check for updates at http://www.njtransit.com, or call 973-275-5555.

 

I know, I did not put the usual piece of railroad snow removal equipment as the picture. I think it is so cool as NY City just converts their garbage trucks into SNOWPLOWS

Schumer seeks FTA funds to increase capacity on New York City rail line

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) yesterday called on the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to ensure federal funds are budgeted for a project aimed at increasing capacity and reducing overcrowding along MTA New York City Transit‘s L line.

The MTA’s proposed $300 million Canarsie Line Power Improvement project would add three power substations to allow for two additional trains per hour. These extra trains, in turn, would allow for 2,200 additional passengers per hour, according to a press release issued by Schumer’s office.

Additionally, the project would add entrances and elevators at the First Avenue and Bedford Avenue stations.

L line trains, which accommodate more than 300,000 passengers on an average weekday, run through neighborhoods that have seen some of the largest increases in population in New York City, Schumer’s office said.

Schumer has asked the FTA to include this project in the fiscal year 2017 budget recommendation to U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

“The growth in neighborhoods from Williamsburg to Bushwick to Canarsie means the L-train is literally bursting at the seams,” said Schumer. “The MTA’s improvement project will increase capacity and reduce overcrowding along the L-train, making for a smoother commute for beleaguered straphangers. The FTA should do everything possible to fast track this essential plan to improve L-train capacity and service.”

The MTA recently submitted the project for inclusion in President Barack Obama’s budget for fiscal year 2017, Schumer’s office said. The submission is currently under review by the FTA’s acting administrator, who will then submit recommendations to Foxx.

The total project cost is estimated at $300 million, of which MTA is seeking about $150 million in federal funding.