A customer asked C.H. Robinson’s project logistics team to move a massive locomotive from Longview, Texas, to Bethune, Saskatchewan.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most effective delivery mode was by rail; but transporting the locomotive via railroad is not as straightforward a task as it might seem.

Shipping through the United States and across the border into Canada by two separate carriers required extensive expertise and careful coordination.

Fortunately, the project logistics experts at C.H. Robinson were more than up to the task.

Working seamlessly between the customer, customs broker, both rail carriers, the pickup location, and the delivery site, dedicated account representatives and local experts organised the project to maximise efficiency and minimise risk.

The project began when C.H. Robinson worked with the customer to secure the proper insurance.

Next, when Union Pacific, the carrier in the United States, required an inspection of the 17.12 x 3.2 x 4.72 meter locomotive prior to shipping, C.H. Robinson facilitated communication by gathering the required information and processing all the necessary documentation.

Then, both Union Pacific and Canada Pacific - the carrier in Canada - needed to approve the border interchange location.

At that point, Canada Pacific would also require their own inspection of the locomotive and need to endorse its final arrival site.

Here again, C.H. Robinson streamlined the process, helping manage the mandatory approvals and prepare the proper materials so that the hand-off and inspection were smooth.

In the end, the journey of 2,580 kilometers began with Union Pacific in Longview, Texas, and continued up to the Canadian border at Eastport, Idaho.

There, Canadian Pacific took over the load through Kingsgate, British Columbia, to the customer’s delivery site in Bethune, Saskatchewan.

"Finally, after a long trip across the continent, the locomotive arrived in good condition, on time and according to plan."

http://www.chrprojectlogistics.com