BNSF Railway Company

07/30/2021 | News release | Distributed by Public on 07/30/2021 11:47

Reminder: Complying with AAR Loading of Carload Shipments to Avoid Overloaded or Unbalanced Hopper Cars

Date
Jul 30, 2021

To prevent creating a hazard to rail operations and the environment and to keep shipments on BNSF fluid and safe, customers are required to comply with the American Association of Railroad's car loading rules. When a rail car is improperly loaded or is found to be leaking, it can lead to accumulations of agricultural products on or around the tracks that may become a food source or attractant to wildlife such as grizzly bears.

When loading, customers should inspect railcars to ensure they are not leaking, and that grain or grain products are not accumulated on the top or sides of the cars. As a reminder, customers' failure to follow these rules will result in the customer being responsible for making the necessary arrangements to correct the loading deficiencies and the customer will also be financially responsible for the clean-up of lading released on BNSF property and all associated costs resulting therefrom.

Please ensure that railcars are loaded correctly to protect the product, avoid delivery delays and additional charges, and ensure the safety of your freight and all the communities that BNSF serves.

We encourage customers to review BNSF's Rulebook 6100, Item 3035 and The Association of American Railroads (AAR) Rules, Pamphlets, and General Information incorporated therein. You will need to be logged into the BNSF customer portal in order to access it.

If you have questions regarding open top loading, please contact [email protected].

Your business is important to us. Thank you again for choosing BNSF as your transportation service provider.