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Even if this was only available on Interstate 40, I think you would make a lot of money. Trucking is something like $800B industry, and a lot of that flows on I
by dsnuh 8y ago
Even if this was only available on Interstate 40, I think you would make a lot of money. Trucking is something like $800B industry, and a lot of that flows on I-40.
- philwelch 8y agoIf only there was some mechanism for moving freight along a pre-defined route without the need for constant steering. Perhaps some sort of rails....
- dsnuh 8y agoThe trucking industry is many many times larger than the rail freight industry in America.
- Something1234 8y agoIt'd be nice if we had some more rail expansion. Rails are so efficient, and are just more impressive mechanically the entire system is like a giant computer with actual switches. There was an article posted here a while ago about how rare train accidents are and how incredibly fail safe those systems are.
- tCfD 8y agoThe trucking industry and rail freight industry overlap extensively, in the form of intermodal freight
- dsnuh 8y agoRight, I never said they didn't. But the trucking industry is still by far the main mode of moving freight within the US. https://amp.businessinsider.com/the-staggering-statistics-behind-americas-trucking-industry-2016-12 https://amp.businessinsider.com/the-staggering-statistics-be...
- ghaff 8y agoThat's mostly because of: 1. (As others have mentioned) a lot of freight is intermodal so containers in particular shipped for long distances by train also travel by truck for the first and last X miles. 2. A lot of freight is relatively local in nature, so it makes more sense for it not to be intermodal.
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- EpicEng 8y agoYes, because everyone in the commercial chain forgot about freight trains when they decided to start using trucks to move goods around.
- a3n 8y agoAnd if only there was some mechanism to get freight from rail yards to its final destination, without the inflexibility of rails. Perhaps some sort of steerable vehicle ...
- seandougall 8y agoContext is key here. The comment you’re replying to was made in the specific context of the volume of long-haul truck traffic on I-40.
- dsnuh 8y agoNot sure how the context of what I said changes this? Yes, trains already exist and have existed much longer, and yet have obviously lost out to the truck.
- Rescis 8y ago> Yes, trains already exist and have existed much longer, and yet have obviously lost out to the truck. That may be in large part due to the substantial government subsidation of car/truck traffic through public roads, not the merits of one against the other.
- dsnuh 8y agoWhich was worth more, the government funding of the interstate project, or the almost unchecked power and monopoly of the robber barons of the Gilded Age?
- Rescis 8y agoIt would be foolish for me to attempt to quantify what worth "more"; however, it is worth keeping in mind that the railroads we're very heavily subsidized in their time as well. http://archive.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2011/06/05/collapse_of_inept_gilded_age_railroads_triggered_depression/ http://archive.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2011/06/05/colla... https://mises.org/library/crony-capitalism-and-transcontinental-railroads https://mises.org/library/crony-capitalism-and-transcontinen...
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- dsnuh 8y agoI'm not saying I think trains will disappear, if anything, it seems they would likely benfit from increased capacity in the intermodal system, allowing them to move more of the type of freight they are well suited for.