RCR Rail Co, a leading provider in the rail transportation industry, has entered a transformative partnership with Cedar AI to revolutionize their operations through automation. This collaboration is reshaping how RCR manages everything from railcar logistics to storage, accounting, and more, using Cedar AI’s powerful Automated Rail Management System (ARMS). Vice President of Operations Cody Poteat comments, “We chose Cedar AI because of its ability to consolidate all of our operations into a single, automated system. We have been able to reduce the time spent on many of our daily activities with this new software, and it has improved our customer’s experience by allowing us to provide them with more efficient, accurate information.” Explore how RCR is leveraging Cedar AI’s platform to automate crucial functions such as railcar tracking, transload storage, and billing.
Automating Rail Car Arrival and Departure Logging
Traditionally, managing the arrival and departure of rail cars was a labor-intensive process for RCR. With Cedar AI’s automation tools, RCR can now track rail car movements with little to no manual input, saving time and improving accuracy for their customers. Using ARMS, the process of inbound and outbound traffic management is now almost entirely automated and highly accurate.
The ARMS platform integrates with AEI readers and surveillance cameras to log the precise time when a railcar arrives or departs. Once a train arrives at a terminal, the system automatically updates inventory records, generates notifications, and sends essential data, such as 419s and TRAIN II messages, to the appropriate departments. This automated tracking ensures that RCR’s rail cars are always where they need to be, and RCR’s customers receive timely and accurate updates on their shipments.
Automating Storage Management in the Transload Area
RCR operates a developing Industrial Outdoor Storage (IOS) space in its transload area, where goods are loaded from trucks to rail cars and vice versa. RCR’s plans to expand their IOS offerings at Taylor Park in the coming months include a large parking area for semi-trucks and even more land dedicated to storage for customers. This expanding IOS offering means managing this space effectively will be critical, given the volume of materials that will flow through it. Cedar AI’s Transload platform has the ability to introduce advanced automation to this process, offering significant efficiency gains.
Through AI-driven optimization, the Transload system streamlines the management of IOS by automating storage allocation and load tracking. Whether it’s bulk materials, large industrial equipment, or other cargo, the system efficiently assigns storage space based on current capacity and inbound cargo needs. It also monitors the dwell time of goods in the storage yard, providing alerts when items are ready for shipment or in need of additional space, maximizing operational efficiency and reducing costs.
RCR is currently utilizing the Cedar AI Mobile App to manage all operational aspects within the park, ranging from railcar movements and transloading to inventory storage. This cutting-edge application empowers the RCR team to efficiently input data related to completed tasks, significantly reducing the need for manual paperwork. By streamlining the reporting process, the Cedar AI Mobile App not only enhances productivity but also optimizes the overall workflow within the parks, allowing for faster and more accurate operations management. This efficiency allows RCR to provide their customers with better, faster, and more accurate services.
Customizable Reports for Accounting Purposes
Accurate financial reporting is essential for any rail company, and RCR is no exception. Cedar AI’s ARMS system offers robust reporting tools that allow RCR to generate customizable reports tailored to specific accounting needs. These reports cover everything from revenue generated by car hire and storage fees to switching operations and transload activities.
With Tableau analytics integrated directly into ARMS, RCR can generate detailed reports in real time. The system offers out-of-the-box reporting templates, but RCR can also customize these reports to fit specific requirements, such as monthly financial summaries, profitability metrics for specific transload activities, or revenue per customer.
This automation has streamlined RCR’s accounting processes, reducing the amount of manual work needed to compile financial data and ensuring that all transactions are recorded accurately. These automated reports can be easily shared across departments, ensuring that financial operations are always aligned with RCR’s broader operational goals.
Billing and Revenue Reporting
A vital part of rail operations is billing for the various services provided, including switching, storage, and transloading. Cedar AI’s system automates the generation of billing reports for RCR, ensuring that all services rendered are accurately documented and billed accordingly. This allows RCR’s billing department to ensure that each customer is billed appropriately and there are no errors in the billing process.
Through ARMS, RCR can set up automated billing triggers based on pre-configured thresholds, such as the amount of time a rail car spends in storage or the number of times it is switched between tracks. The system also automates the settlement of interline traffic, ensuring that RCR is always paid for the services provided and customers are not charged beyond the time a rail car is in the yard.
Enhanced Safety and Quality of Work Life for RCR crew with Cedar AI
Beyond operational efficiency and financial benefits, Cedar AI’s automation tools also significantly enhance safety and improve the quality of life for RCR’s crew members. By automating processes such as rail car tracking and inventory management, Cedar AI reduces the need for workers to physically interact with rail cars in potentially hazardous environments. This is important in areas where extreme temperatures—whether scorching heat or freezing cold—can pose serious risks to crew members. T With Cedar AI, much of the work that once required on-the-ground presence is now handled remotely or automatically, keeping employees out of danger. Furthermore, by alleviating some of the physical demands of the job, Cedar AI contributes to a higher quality of work life, allowing RCR’s employees to focus on more strategic and less physically taxing tasks, ultimately leading to greater job satisfaction and a higher retention rate. This benefit is passed on to RCR’s customers in the form of more experienced crew members who know the job, customers, and products well, resulting in higher efficiency and better service.
RCR Rail Co’s partnership with Cedar AI represents a significant leap forward in the use of automation within the rail industry. By leveraging Cedar AI’s powerful ARMS system, RCR is able to automate many of the time-consuming and complex processes that once required manual intervention. From tracking rail car arrivals and departures to managing storage in the transload area, optimizing switching operations, and automating automobile inventory management, RCR is operating more efficiently and cost-effectively than ever before.
These advancements have not only improved RCR’s operational performance but have also had a positive impact on customer satisfaction, financial accuracy, and overall service quality. As the rail industry continues to evolve, partnerships like the one between RCR and Cedar AI will become even more essential in maintaining a competitive edge. With Cedar AI’s innovative technology, RCR is well-positioned to continue leading the way in efficient, automated rail operations and bringing their customers into the future of rail shipping.
If you are interested in shipping via rail to Taylor, TX or Hempstead, TX with RCR Rail Co, contact us on our website.
If you are interested in learning more about acquiring Cedar AI for your company, contact them on their website.