Transload yards are a critical part of the supply chain for utility companies as well as other projects.
Transload facilities are where companies move heavy equipment from the rail car to trucks, and it’s a core part of the utility pole shipping process. Also known as rail-car unloading, it's the critical process of moving goods from one transport to another, often rail transport mode to the truck.
When evaluating the shipping process of your utility equipment, transload options play a major role.
But what do you need in a transload yard?
Keep reading to learn more about the best intermodal rail yards and what qualities they have.
Large Space
When considering building a transload yard, many don’t realize the sheer size required. To ensure a smooth final delivery, transload facilities need ample space. Without enough space, you’ll run into issues moving freight.
How much space is enough space? Blackwood Solutions' newest transload yard is 16 acres in a light industrial zone, offering ample space for transloading services.
Easy Access From Major Roads
Part of the challenge of creating the right transload yard is access to major roads. While you want a yard that’s large enough, you also want one that’s conveniently located. Access to major highways and roads is an important consideration. This makes it quicker and easier to get the poles en route to their final destination after unloading freight from the rail car.
Blackwood Solutions made sure that we chose a location with excellent accessibility to the road. It provides easy access to Interstate 69, which helps streamline our final delivery of utility poles.
Rail Access
The intermodal rail yard also needs convenient rail access. The easiest way to move heavy equipment from rail car to truck is with close access to the railroad. Of course, finding a location that’s large enough, close enough to highways, and close to railways is a major challenge.
Blackwood has done just that with our newest transload yard. The facility is adjacent to the railroad that Indiana Railroad services. Therefore, we can build a rail spur for rail cars to easily access the property. Furthermore, we’ve already gotten approval to extend the road to the railroad. This will make everything easier for our transload operators when loading and unloading freight.
Office Space on Property
It’s not a requirement, but having a dedicated office space at the rail-car unloading facility can be a major help. For many transload facilities, this can help smooth out operations and improve the overall process. It can also serve as an area for workers to take their breaks and decompress, which only helps them be more productive and safe.
Blackwood’s newest transload yard already contains a building for potential office space. We can convert this building into a space that best suits our needs, which will improve our transload services in the long run.
Custom Built
Ultimately, you need a transload yard that can best suit your needs. For utility companies, this means a setup that’s ideal for the pole shipping process. Finding a transload yard that meets all of the criteria above can be a major challenge for utility companies.
Blackwood Solutions is Here to Help
The best solution for finding a transload yard for your utility company is to choose Blackwood Solutions. We previously built a transload yard to meet the needs of our utility clients, and have begun additional builds.
Our transload facility in Indiana meets all of the criteria above and more. It’s a 16-acre space that’s conveniently located near the major interstate highway and the railroad. This yard will allow us to best serve utility companies with our transload services.
Turn to Blackwood Solutions for all of your rail-car unloading needs. We are here to help from start to finish with our transloading and utility pole hauling services.
We offer immediate transloading services, where we move your poles from rail-car to truck and then to your job site. But we also offer inventory storage services, where we can hold the poles for you and send them out later as you need them.
Our services include telephone pole transloading, hauling, or storage solutions. Blackwood Solutions is here to help with our custom transloading distribution centers and experienced operators.
Learn more about the telephone pole transportation options we offer and how we can help with your next utility project today. Contact us at 812-676-8770 or jamie@blackwoodresources.com to get started.
