Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesqf
But of course a lot of trailers do get loaded onto trains - seems like every freight train I see has carloads of them.
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I think those are mostly containers being sent from/to ports, not for local or regional deliveries. From an efficiency point of view shipping only trailers would be best - just have different tractors pick up the trailers at the other end, but in reality it would never work because truckers get paid by the mile, and they can't make enough money on a bunch of little short-hauls.
True, the truckers would pay the railroads money to transport them, but they would save money in fuel, tires, depreciation, accidents, etc. Seems like a win for truckers, railroads, and consumers. Setting up a system like this might be a good project for some of the infrastructure money coming in the economic recovery funds.