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Staggers Act – 30 Years Later

Staggers Act – 30 Years Later. The Shippers’ Perspective. Ike Roberts Freight Resources Network, LLC. From the shippers’ perspective has Staggers been a success?. From 1980 to 2004. Absolutely. From 2004 to today. No longer. What’s Changed? The entire landscape of the railroad industry.

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Staggers Act – 30 Years Later

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  1. Staggers Act – 30 Years Later The Shippers’ Perspective Ike Roberts Freight Resources Network, LLC

  2. From the shippers’ perspective has Staggers been a success? From 1980 to 2004 Absolutely From 2004 to today No longer

  3. What’s Changed?The entire landscape of the railroad industry • Makeup • Ratemaking • Attitudes

  4. Industry Makeup Year# of Class I’sEmployees Miles of Track 1980 39 458,000 270,000 2010 7 152,000 158,000 Regionals & Shortlines (estimate) 759 20,000 68,000

  5. A Fundamental Change Has Occurred For 20+ years rail rates failed to keep up with inflation

  6. Post Staggers Tactics(1980 to 2004 – Buyer’s Market) Branch line disposal Mergers/acquisitions Price competition Contract rates, refunds, surcharges Volume Commitments One-on-one negotiations

  7. Post-Post-Staggers Pricing(2004 and beyond – seller’s market) Less contracting More tariffs, more Rule 11 “Closed” routes Less one-on-one negotiations More independent carrier rate control Goal – Increase Operating Margins (always the primary focus)

  8. RATEMAKING Looking to the future: irreversible change Rates increasing in real dollar terms Carriers taking back control of rates: - tariffs: in more than just commodity markets - proportional rates (Rule 11) - major RRs will control own destiny Less head-to-head price competition

  9. Justification for our beliefs: 1. Higher Fuel costs 1a. Rail 4x more fuel efficient than truck 2. Declining rail productivity gains 3. Volume growth, taxing capacity 4. Fewer major RRs 4a. Fewer routing options

  10. Attitude * Wall Street RR’s are 5th most profitable industry in U.S. * STB Adopted a laissez faire approach since 1995 46 rate cases filed: 40 decided - 6 TBD avg 3/yr Only 4 Small Rate Cases filed On June 22 holding hearing on competition. Wall St’s take: Lot’s of noise – little to no change. No threat to railroads‘ raising prices * Shippers Take it or leave it Ratemaking is handled at higher levels Shipper contact by Marketing is avoided

  11. What has Staggers Produced for Shippers? 2 healthy duopolies – one east, one west – who act like it A rail market that has evolved into 70%+ single–line moves A regulatory agency that is seen as offering little help Escalating rates, mixed fuel surcharges, same service

  12. Redefinition of Terms • Negotiation: Old Definition: discuss with the RR in hopes of reaching a bilateral agreementNew Definition: provide insights in hope of influencing RR to take favorable rate action • Deal:Old Definition: a bilateral business transaction New Definition: unilateral RR rate action in response to outside influence

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