Page 66 - Inbound Logistics | April 2017 | Digital Issue

With the ability to land on unimproved airstrips and the flexibility to carry payloads up to 48,000 pounds of palletized or breakbulk
freight, Lynden Air Cargo can meet a wide range of requirements and tight deadlines for Alaskan shippers.
Weather can be a factor in travel Corporation, a public corporation of service that starts in Prince Rupert,
times. “We never want to put our the state of Alaska, owns and operates Canada, and heads to Alaska. Most
employees, customers, or the public the railroad. barges can hold between 45 and 50
in harm’s way, so we’ll make prudent Since the first stretch of the rail- cars. When they arrive in Alaska, the
weather decisions,” Grimaldi says. road was laid in 1903, it has played railcars roll off the barge and head to
“However, we have the experience and a key role in moving freight. In the various points throughout the state.
the professionalism to handle many 1940s, two tunnels built through the
weather situations.” Chugach Mountains allowed rail access Railcars Keep on Rolling
Lynden uses advanced technology to Whittier, a military port and fuel Alaska Railroad can move railcars
and works closely with customers to depot that helped support U.S. military from anywhere in North America to or
coordinate deliveries and ensure they efforts in World War II. In the 1970s, from Alaska. “We’ve moved freight from
have products on their shelves when they the Alaska Railroad hauled pipe from as far as Mexico and Florida in railcars
need them. It offers Keep-From-Freezing Valdez and Seward to Fairbanks, where that come to Seattle, and roll onto the
(KFF) service through insulated trailers it was then trucked to the North Slope barge,” Williams says.
with heaters, which keep paint and other for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. For many products, once they’re
liquids from freezing. In 2014, the Alaska Railroad hauled loaded on a railcar, they don’t come off
Few carriers operating in the lower nearly 5 million tons of freight. Its freight until they’ve arrived at their final des-
48 also operate in Alaska. “It’s a difficult service fleet includes 863 railcars owned tinations. “There’s no transloading,”
place to operate,” Grimaldi admits. “But or leased by Alaska Railroad Corporation, Williams says. “Companies cut costs
we’ve been here for well over 60 years— and 180 railcars that its customers lease. because they don’t have to re-handle
Lynden was one of the first carriers to The typical railcar can hold about the freight.”
bring fresh meat into the state—and 100 tons, or four truckloads of prod- The company also can transport
have it figured out.” uct, and loading one takes about eight products that come in containers and
hours, Williams says. Most carry prod- trailers via steamships from the Port of
Moving Commodities ucts for the oil and gas, construction, Anchorage to Fairbanks. Moving these
While ships, planes, and trucks carry and mining industries, including chem- via trailer-on-flatcar (TOFC) service
numerous products to and from Alaska icals, pipes, structural steel, building takes trucks off the road, Williams says.
and its many communities, rail remains materials, machinery, and other prod- While bulk commodities account for
an effective transportation option for ucts. The company also moves coal, much of the cargo on the railcars, they
many commodities and equipment. aggregate, and fuel throughout the state. also can transport containers on flat-
“We’re able to carry heavy, dense Once the products are loaded into cars, or COFCs, Williams says. Once
products,” says Tim Williams, direc- railcars, the cars travel via barge from a barge arrives in Whittier, Seward,
tor of freight sales and marketing with Seattle to Whittier, a week-long trip. or Anchorage, the containers are
Alaska Railroad. The Alaska Railroad Alaska Railroad also operates a barge offloaded to flat train cars to continue to

64 Inbound Logistics • April 2017