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    <title>Transport Research International Documentation (TRID)</title>
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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
    <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
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      <title>Transport Research International Documentation (TRID)</title>
      <url>https://trid.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle.jpg</url>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF FREIGHT CARS--RAILROADS MUST MAKE BETTER USE OF WHAT THEY HAVE</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/157521</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Railroads cannot satisfy the demand for freight cars because they do not use the existing car fleet efficiently. Enough cars are available, but they are not in the right place at the right time. Federal agencies can do little to substantially improve utilization. Federally financed research does point the way to improve car utilization techniques, but only railroad managers can make the operating improvements which will largely eliminate the illusive freight car shortage. To supplement improved utilization, railroads could use greater pricing freedom to defer peak demand for cars. The recently approved rail deregulation act permits greater pricing freedom but it is too early to evaluate this legislation's effects.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 18 Feb 1981 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/157521</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>AGRICULTURAL TRANSPORTATION: THE NATIONAL POLICY ISSUES</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/151933</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The author examines the problems facing agricultural shippers in the 1980s, including trucking inefficiencies, rail abandonments, rail car shortages, deteriorating rural roads and bridges, over-regulation, and waterway-user charges.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 1980 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/151933</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>LEASING FIGHTS COAL CAR SHORTAGES</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/154199</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This article discusses a growing trend noted among industrial and utility plants dependent on coal as their fuel source to combat rail car shortages by leasing coal cars for their own use.  Although the railroad industry has testified to the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) that it is capable of keeping pace with the growing use of coal, many coal officials are not so optimistic.  Examples of how two coal companies--Island Creek Coal Co. and Peabody Coal Co.--cope with car shortages are given.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 1980 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/154199</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>CEMENT SHIPPERS FACE SEVERE RAILCAR SHORTAGES</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/146421</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Transportation factors and trends in rail and truck deliveries of portland cement are discussed and shown diagrammatically.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 15 Jan 1980 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/146421</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>CN BOOSTS CAR UTILIZATION</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/146501</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Canadian National utilizes information gathered by its TRACS computerized car reporting system to produce a weekly Current Fleet Action Report that is facsimiled across the system for all those involved in better freight car utilization.  It is used as the basis for moving and repairing cars, indicating the groups which are in surplus or shortage status.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 19 Dec 1979 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/146501</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>ECONOMIC IMPACT OF FREIGHT CAR SHORTAGES</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/84482</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This study estimates the economic impact of freight car shortages on the lumber, plywood, and grain industries in 1968.  It defines the nature and cost/benefits per incident of different shortage conditions for affected parties (shippers, consignees, and carriers) and the net economic effect.  The latter was defined as the net sum of costs and benefits affecting the total national economy.  Information was obtained by in-depth interviews, analyses of existing data, and an extensive survey of shippers and receivers. The results were then combined to estimate the total economic impact of these events.  In addition, methodologies were developed to forecast weekly lumber and plywood shipments.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 31 Jul 1979 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/84482</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>ECONOMIC IMPACT OF FREIGHT CAR SHORTAGES. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/84483</link>
      <description><![CDATA[No Abstract.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 31 Jul 1979 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/84483</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>ECONOMIC IMPACT OF FREIGHT CAR SHORTAGES. APPENDICES</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/85003</link>
      <description><![CDATA[No Abstract.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 31 Jul 1979 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/85003</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>FREIGHT CAR FORECASTING MODEL (FCFM)</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/71687</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This computer program is used for fleet planning.  It will handle up to 29 commodities and 39 car types.  With a given fleet capacity, it can determine the tons or carloads which can be handled.  With a given traffic forecast, it can determine the required car fleet.  It can determine sensitivity to a car utilization forecast and to the usage of foreign cars.  With given priorities and total capacity, car repair programs can be established.  A simple algorithm handles car redistribution when car shortages occur.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 18 May 1978 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/71687</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>THE RAILROAD PERFORMANCE MODEL</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/58062</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This report describes an operational, though preliminary, version of the  Railroad Performance Model, which is a computer simulation model of the nation's railroad system. The ultimate purpose of this model is to predict the effect of changes in government or industry policies on the performance of the railroads.  This model simulates the history of individual cars and individual loads of freight; and it explicitly incorporates a number of decisions made by government, railroads, and shippers.  This model includes phenomena such as freight car shortages and surplused, interlining, per diem rates, car service rules, the demurrage system, routing of cars, and the allocation of home and foreign empty cars.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 1978 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/58062</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>WHEAT SHIPMENTS FROM KANSAS, 1972-1973</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/64796</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This report summarizes data on shipment of wheat from Kansas local and terminal elevators from July 1, 1972, through June 30, 1973--a wheat marketing year with wheat export sales substantially higher than expected, resulting in transport equipment shortages and shipper distress.  Rail shipments accounted for 92.5% of total movement.  Kansas local elevators shipped 60% of their product to Kansas millers and terminal elevators and 40% to out-of-state destinations. Kansas terminal elevators made 94.2% of their shipments by rail.  Four companies originated 92.7% of rail shipments; on all seven Kansas lines participating in wheat haulage main line stations originated 52.6% of shipments.  Rates were predominately single-car basis, although some multiple-car and trainload rates were applied.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 1977 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/64796</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>PROCEEDINGS MANUAL. FREIGHT CAR UTILIZATION SEMINAR</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/64314</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This Seminar, held in Chicago in November 1976, indicates what the research of the Freight Car Utilization Research Demonstration Program had produced to that time. The Subjects: Preliminary Lessons of Freight Car Utilization Research; Improving Utilization: Buffer Storage, Freight Car Scheduling from an Operating Man's View, Improving Car Control; Strategy for Utilization Improvement; Fleet Sizing; Utilization Performance Evaluation; Car Movement and Distribution.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 15 Mar 1977 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/64314</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION SERVICE AND UNIT TRAINS</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/44809</link>
      <description><![CDATA[While the Interstate Commerce Act prohibits common carrier transportation firms from practicing service discrimination and railroads have been able to provide efficient service for high volume shippers through the use of unit trains, smaller shippers have argued before the ICC that unit train service discriminates against them by depriving them of an adequate car supply.  ICC has justified keeping a maximum of 20% of the car fleet in unit train service because of the volumes handled and cost effectiveness.  This paper models the impact of unit train operation on the smaller shippers and proves that car supply for all shippers is improved. It also finds the ICC's 20% maximum is inappropriate and likely curtails the supply of cars for small shippers.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 06 Oct 1976 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/44809</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE FREIGHT CAR SUPPLY PROBLEM: THE ROLE OF DEMURRAGE</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/45901</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Car supply problems contribute in a major way to general railroad performance difficulties and the largest possible freight car fleet will not be adequate to serve shippers if it is not used efficiently.  One method for expanding the effective size of the fleet is to reduce the time users detain cars; in theory demurrage changes, the fee charged users for holding cars beyond the allotted free time, should provide the incentive for shorter detention. The evolution of demurrage is traced.  The author urges a rigorous examination of demurrage and observes that thus far car users have not attempted to contribute to a solution which will inherently benefit their transportation problems.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 13 Jul 1976 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/45901</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>TRAIN II - ADVANCED COMPUTERIZED FREIGHT CAR CONTROL</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/40009</link>
      <description><![CDATA[TRAIN II, the evolutionary development of AAR's computerized car control system, gives the car service Division instant information on cars throughout their empty to load to empty cycles.  The Division charts origins and destinations for car types and commodities for individual railroads and regionally.  Loading trends can be combined with commodity classification inputs and the status of loads and empties on line and coming to a railroad to produce the true useability of that road's car inventory.  The ability to identify regional concentrations of cars will make possible more precise car use directives.  Forecasts of loadings, unloadings, inventories, net available cars by type and other data will be available to AAR and individual railroads.  Even now new refinements are under study.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 1975 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/40009</guid>
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