follow-up to thread over the weekend about rail package theft
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2022-01-17/supply-chain-latest-union-pacific-battles-rail-freight-theft-in-l-a
Union Pacific is considering changes to rail operations including avoiding Los Angeles County as a rise of cargo theft in the area hurts business.
It's not exactly clear how the Omaha, Nebraska-based company would carry out such a threat and use alternatives to the nation's largest gateway for imported goods. But what's obvious is the railroad's frustration with the lack of deterrents for committing crimes like trespassing and theft along the current route.
Widely tweeted footage by a CBS journalist last week showed the extent of the security breaches, with hundreds of opened packages looted from rail-borne shipping containers strewn around the tracks.
The problems have escalated for months as imports surge through the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and freight sits idle for weeks before heading north or eastward on trucks and trains. Theft is adding to the multitude of logistical headaches that have slowed the movement of goods to American store shelves and factory warehouses to such a degree that the White House felt pressure to get involved.
"Customers like UPS and FedEx that utilize our essential rail service during peak holiday season are now seeking to divert rail business away to other areas in the hope of avoiding the organized and opportunistic criminal theft that has impacted their own business and customers," UP public affairs director Adrian Guerrero wrote in a Dec. 20 letter to the Los Angeles district attorney.
The letter added that "like our customers, UP is now contemplating serious changes to our operating plans to avoid Los Angeles County." A spokeswoman said in an emailed statement on Sunday that the company is still considering such options.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2022-01-17/supply-chain-latest-union-pacific-battles-rail-freight-theft-in-l-a
Union Pacific is considering changes to rail operations including avoiding Los Angeles County as a rise of cargo theft in the area hurts business.
It's not exactly clear how the Omaha, Nebraska-based company would carry out such a threat and use alternatives to the nation's largest gateway for imported goods. But what's obvious is the railroad's frustration with the lack of deterrents for committing crimes like trespassing and theft along the current route.
Widely tweeted footage by a CBS journalist last week showed the extent of the security breaches, with hundreds of opened packages looted from rail-borne shipping containers strewn around the tracks.
The problems have escalated for months as imports surge through the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and freight sits idle for weeks before heading north or eastward on trucks and trains. Theft is adding to the multitude of logistical headaches that have slowed the movement of goods to American store shelves and factory warehouses to such a degree that the White House felt pressure to get involved.
"Customers like UPS and FedEx that utilize our essential rail service during peak holiday season are now seeking to divert rail business away to other areas in the hope of avoiding the organized and opportunistic criminal theft that has impacted their own business and customers," UP public affairs director Adrian Guerrero wrote in a Dec. 20 letter to the Los Angeles district attorney.
The letter added that "like our customers, UP is now contemplating serious changes to our operating plans to avoid Los Angeles County." A spokeswoman said in an emailed statement on Sunday that the company is still considering such options.
