• BREAKBULK & PROJECT CARGO
  • April 24-26, 2024 | Hilton New Orleans Riverside, Louisiana

William B. Cassidy

S&P Global

Senior Editor, Trucking, and Domestic Transportation, Journal of Commerce

Bill Cassidy is senior editor of trucking for the JOC, where he leads coverage and analysis of trucking and North American transportation. He joined the publication in 2009, after 13 years at Traffic World magazine where he served as executive editor, managing editor, and associate editor. Based in Washington, DC, Cassidy has been reporting on trucking since 1984, when he joined Fleet Owner magazine in New York. He also has covered logistics management and supply chain technology, the rail and maritime industries, Congress, and federal agencies. Cassidy speaks regularly to industry groups, is a regular participant on SiriusXM radio's "Road Dog Trucking" program, and co-chairs the programming committee for the annual JOC Inland Distribution Conference.

Sessions With William B. Cassidy

Thursday, 20 April

  • 03:00pm - 03:30pm (CST) / 20/apr/2023 08:00 pm - 20/apr/2023 08:30 pm

    Relying on Rail: Managing OOG Scheduling, Equipment, and Labor

    A challenging market segment that requires special care and attention, out-of-gauge rail, or OOG, makes up a small percentage of the railcars that move annually in North America. Railroads can be reluctant to take it on, as OOG rail restricts train speeds and is far more complex to handle than intermodal. The necessary rail clearance and special operations teams often are understaffed, especially in the age of precision railroading, which makes dedicated OOG rail teams on the logistics providers’ side useful and often essential. Potential rail strikes and well-publicized accidents may add to a sense of risk. However, although it takes months of planning, inherent challenges in securing suitable railcars, and other specialized, dedicated resources, there are important pluses to moving OOG by rail. It’s greener, faster, and often far less expensive than over-the-road transport and allows shippers to avoid myriad permitting requirements and infrastructure limitations, especially when moving long distances. This session, led by Journal of Commerce senior editor Bill Cassidy, will discuss the realities of North American OOG rail in 2023.

View Full Agenda