Despite the all-out opposition of James Hoffa's Teamsters Union, U.S. railroads last week won a crucial battle in their campaign to regain some of the business they have lost to the trucking industry. By a vote of 10 to 1, the Interstate Commerce Commission ruled that the railroads could offer cut rates on piggybacking—the carrying of freight-loaded truck bodies on railroad flatcars—in cases where the shipper himself provides either the trailer or trailer and flatcar.
Even before the ruling, piggybacking volume had trebled since 1955. While other carloadings were declining, there were 554,000 flatcar piggyback trips last year. Barring a...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
