b'4American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comBromley, VP of Rail Client Services,Foote noteTideworks Technology talks intermodal By George Lauriat, AJOTTideworks Mark Bromley in an interview with the AJOT talks about both theIn July, the Midwest Associ-challenges and benefits derived by intermodal operations. ation of Rail Shippers (MARS) By George Lauriat, AJOT helditssummermeetingin Lake Geneva, WI and the con-Mark Bromley, VP of Railthe equipment shortages likeprocesses on the intermodalferences headliner was James Client Services for Tideworkschassisandlongerdwellterminal? How can it addressJimFoote,Presidentand Technology, has been workingtimes.Maybeyoucantsome of the capacity relatedCEO of CSX Transportation.in the ports side of the businesswheeleverythingupasyouissuesterminaloperatorsFoote, a rail industry vet-forovertwodecades. Whenwanted and now you have toare facing? eranofoverfourdecades, Seattle-based Tideworks, well- ground it. As soon as you startBromley: Our core offeringisanoutspokenproponent known for its marine terminaldoing that, its going to be ais a terminal operating systemofprecisionscheduledrail operatingsystems(TOS),challengetofigureouthow[TOS].Forsometerminal(PSR),asystemofrailser-decidedtoexpandintothetostrategicallystackthoseoperators,themainvalue- vicedesignedtooptimize intermodalsector,Bromleyboxestoavoiddisruptionsadd of that TOS is inventoryoperatingefficiencies.Asit switchedovertointermodal.to your delivery process. Itsmanagement. TOS is a worknotes in his official CSX web-Asheexplained,Tideworksaconstantsetofproblemsorder execution-based systemsite bio: As COO, he aligned alreadyhadsynergieswiththey [the intermodal terminalandaplanningsoftwareforCSXs Operations and SalesJames Jim Foote, President & intermodalfromitsmarineoperators]aretryingtoonandofftheintermodalandMarketingDepartmentsCEO of CSX Transportationterminaloperations,sosolve. So, that does lead toterminal,inandoutofthetoadvancethecompanyswas already executive VP of expanding into intermodal wasopportunitiesforsoftwareyards. Those key componentsoperatingmodelintroducedsales and marketing, became a logical step for the company,that can optimize and automateallowterminaloperatorstoat CSX by the late E. Hunteraclosecollaboratorinthe its customers and Bromley.thoseprocessesforterminalmanagetheirefficienciesHarrison.HunterHarrisonmakeover that is credited with AJOT:Youreoperatingoperators. insidetheirterminal.AndwastheprogenitorofPSR.turning the railroad from a $2 nowinaverydifferentAJOT:So,whatdoes(TALKScontinued onIn2003whenHarrisonwas(NOTEcontinued on environmentthansay,evensoftwaredotooptimizepage 11) made CEO of CN, Foote, whopage 6)pre-COVID 19. And the current operationalenvironment, which includes labor shortages, equipment shortages, and more, fromyourperspective,what doyouseeasthechallenges andhowdoyouoptimize intermodal terminal operations in this new ecosystem?Bromley: Understanding the challenges terminal operators faceandwhattheyneedto succeedinthischanging environmentisdefinitely topofmind.Everybodys tryingtofigureout.Hey, whataretheissuesforthe terminaloperators?There istheequipmentshortage, so,whetheritisempty containers, chassis, you name it,terminaloperatorsmight not have the equipment that they need.Mark Bromley, VP of Rail Client Services for Tideworks TechnologyHowever, its really become a capacity issue. The footprint of these [intermodal] terminals doesntchangeawholelot. Its set. And in many cases, theintermodalfacilities (originally)operatedas wheeledfacilities.Theyve triedtowheelupasmuch cargoaspossibletomake iteasytoaccessandget cargooutthegate.AndI thinkterminaloperatorsare finding that as they put more containerstotheground, itsgoingtobemoreofa challengetofigureouthow tostrategicallystackthem toavoidaddingdisruptions intothedeliveryprocess. Wheeled[operations]work, but then you have to consider'