Utility managers are well aware of the complexity of project planning. There are several steps and logistics to consider.
While choosing the right telephone pole for the job is one major consideration, another key part of the project logistics is new pole transport. But telephone pole transport isn’t only about trucking your poles to your location. It’s also about moving freight from rail to truck.
Transloading operations are the key to moving utility materials from rail cars to the trucks that finally bring them to your location.
The process of moving material as large and heavy as utility poles is never a simple one.
How can you get the new poles from rail-car to truck, to your site, in a cost-effective manner?
Renting equipment is rarely an option in this case, as it takes expertise to transload the poles as well. That’s why it’s so important to choose an experienced rail-car unloading company. But when picking a partner, you need more than a transloading solution, you want one company that will handle the entire process from transloading to delivery.
Read on to learn more about the importance of a transload yard for utility pole transport and how to choose the best solution.
What is Transloading?
As mentioned, transloading is a core part of the telephone pole supply chain. Manufacturers move the poles via the rail form of transport. Transloading is the process of getting the poles from the rail car to the hauling trucks at a distribution center. Rail-car unloading is moving the material from one mode of transportation to another.
This process may happen immediately, or the poles may require outdoor storage until you are ready to bring them to your job site.
What Happens at a Transload Yard?
A transload yard is a place where the transload services happen. It’s where the transloading operations unload the rail cars and then put them on a truck as the final method of transportation.
But not all transload yards are built alike.
The most cost-effective transload facility will also have built-in storage capabilities. Given the supply chain dynamics of purchasing new poles, it’s something you often need to do months (or even years) in advance. But chances are, you don’t have a place to store and manage pole inventory directly on your job site. Even if you do, there’s a better solution.
Choosing a transload yard that can also serve as a pole storage and inventory facility is key. They will still offer transload services to remove your poles from the rail-car, but they can also hold these poles until you are ready for them. They can cross-dock any materials you are ready for now while storing and managing the rest until you need them.
Transload Yards Impact Your Entire Project
Every step of your utility project is important. Any issues or delays can put a wrench in your entire project.
The same holds true for telephone pole transloading facilities.
Transload facilities impact every area of your project. The benefits of a transload yard include:
Budget - How much you spend on transloading and pole storage impacts your budget. Choose a company with its own transload yard and outdoor pole storage options to save time and money.
Timing - Timing is critical for all utility projects. The right transload yard can help you do that. It can help with a smooth transloading process, but also ensure you meet your project timelines by storing poles for as long as you need.
Completion - You need to move utility poles from rail car to truck to ultimately complete your project. Transloading services and facilities are key to this.
Stress - Handling a utility project can be stressful even for knowledgeable managers. Choosing the right transloading solution reduces your stress, especially when they also handle inventory storage and management.
Blackwood Solutions is Here to Help
Blackwood Solutions offers complete pole hauling services and solutions, including transloading operations. We offer cost-effective services for moving your poles from rail care to your final destination, no matter how much time is in between.
We’ve created our own transload yards to streamline the process and ensure a complete solution for telephone hauling. With our transload yards, we not only move your materials from rail to truck, but we also offer inventory storage solutions and inventory management solutions to help you beat the complex supply chain in the long term. Whether you need immediate final delivery or pre-order poles for a project that's years away, Blackwood Solutions is here to help with our transload yards.
Want to learn more about our complete utility pole hauling and transloading solutions? Our team is happy to answer any questions that you may have and to talk more about how we can help you with your upcoming projects.
Contact us today to get started.