Railroad Association Changing Load Requirements

The AAR, in addressing railcar derailments and accidents, is looking to reduce the amount of material that can be loaded into these vehicles. At the present time a shipper can fill the open top container so it can reach 18 inches above the top chord on the car. However, the new change will mandate that all loads using open top containers, can only fill the cars up to the top chord, and can not go over. While the reduction may seem minimal, there are estimates that the change would result in the requirement of an additional rail car for every 10-12 railcars loaded.

Tom Herod, the director of transportation safety for ISRI, notes that initial problem arose from shipments of construction and demolition waste, and not scrap metal.

Regardless, the AAR, through its AAR Open Top loading Rules Committee, has passed the restrictions. The committee is expected to have the new policy written by next month, and the changes could go into effect by the end of September.

According to a circular sent by ISRI, the organization was not contacted to provide input to the AAR, although, Herod points out, the association will continue to talk to the railroad association to work to make the change as effective as possible.