RR-11 RR-11-04-01 — Empty Car Distribution and Fleet Allocation

This process manages the distribution and allocation of empty cars across different interline operations within a US Class I freight railroad. It ensures efficient utilization of the fleet by optimizing car availability and minimizing dwell times at terminals.

🗺 BPMN Process Flow

Click diagram to zoom & pan • Scroll to zoom • Drag to pan • Download SVG

📋 Process Attributes

Process ID	RR-11-04-01
Domain Family	NETWORK & PLANNING
L1 Domain	Interline, Equipment & Car Management
L2 Process Group	Empty Car Distribution and Fleet Allocation
Trigger	The process is initiated when an empty car demand report is generated from the Interline Settlement System (ISS) or Switching Settlement Data Exchange (SSDX).
Outcome	Successful completion results in the optimal distribution of empty cars to meet operational needs, ensuring efficient use of the fleet and minimizing delays at terminals.
Systems	ISS / SSDX Umler NetControl I-ETMS EHMS TRAIN II
Regulatory Hooks	49 CFR Part 232 GCOR 6.28

📋 L4 Process Steps

Step	Name	Role	System	Input	Output	KPI	Pain Point / Risk	Decision?	Exception?
1.1	Receive Demand Report	Car Hire / Interline Settlement Analyst	ISS / SSDX	Empty car demand report	Demand analysis document	Time to analyze demand < 1 hour	Inaccurate demand forecasting	N	N
1.2	Identify Available Cars	Equipment Registration / Umler Data Analyst	Umler	Demand analysis document	Available car list	Time to identify available cars < 30 minutes	Outdated or incomplete Umler data	N	N
1.3	Allocate Cars to Terminals	Car Hire / Interline Settlement Analyst	ISS / SSDX	Available car list	Allocation plan	Number of cars allocated per hour > 10	Over-allocation leading to terminal congestion	Y	N
1.4	Update Umler with Allocations	Equipment Registration / Umler Data Analyst	Umler	Allocation plan	Updated Umler database	Time to update Umler < 1 hour	System downtime affecting allocation updates	N	Y
1.5	Generate Dispatch Orders	Train Dispatcher	NetControl	Allocation plan	Dispatch orders	Number of dispatch orders generated per hour > 20	Incorrect dispatch order leading to delays	Y	N
1.6	Monitor Terminal Operations	Control Operator	I-ETMS	Dispatch orders	Operational status report	Terminal dwell under 24 hours	Extended terminal dwell times	N	Y
1.7	Adjust Allocations Based on Feedback	Car Hire / Interline Settlement Analyst	ISS / SSDX	Operational status report	Adjusted allocation plan	Number of adjustments per day < 5	Inflexible allocation plans	Y	N
1.8	Update EHMS with Car Status	Car Inspector (Carman)	EHMS	Operational status report	Updated EHMS database	Time to update EHMS < 30 minutes	System integration issues with EHMS	N	Y
1.9	Review and Optimize Fleet Utilization	VP Network Planning & Operations	TRAIN II	Updated Umler database, EHMS database	Fleet utilization report	Car utilization rate > 80%	Underutilized fleet resources	Y	N
1.10	Prepare for Next Allocation Cycle	Car Hire / Interline Settlement Analyst	ISS / SSDX	Fleet utilization report	Preparedness document	Time to prepare for next cycle < 1 hour	Lack of preparedness documents	N	Y

📊 KPIs & Risk Register

KPIs

Time to analyze demand < 1 hour Time to identify available cars < 30 minutes Number of cars allocated per hour > 10 Terminal dwell under 24 hours Car utilization rate > 80% Time to update Umler < 1 hour Number of adjustments per day < 5 Time to update EHMS < 30 minutes Time to prepare for next cycle < 1 hour

Key Risks

Inaccurate demand forecasting leading to over or under-allocation System downtime affecting allocation updates and dispatch orders Incorrect dispatch order leading to delays and terminal congestion Extended terminal dwell times due to operational inefficiencies Underutilized fleet resources resulting in higher costs

Swim Lanes

Car Hire / Interline Settlement Analyst · 1.1, 1.3, 1.5, 1.7, 1.9 Equipment Registration / Umler Data Analyst · 1.2, 1.4, 1.8 Train Dispatcher · 1.5 Control Operator · 1.6 Car Inspector (Carman) · 1.8 VP Network Planning & Operations · 1.9

Independently compiled from public sources. Not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Union Pacific or any other railroad. Illustrative of US Class I practice; every system, regulation, role and metric named here traces to a sourced entry in registries/.