Shipper

Railroads generally do not supply tank cars and other special-purpose rail cars such as covered hopper cars for the movement of bulk plastic materials. Rather, shippers or receivers must furnish such equipment, usually through a purchase or lease arrangement with car manufacturers or lessors. 

Car manufacturers and intermediaries offer various forms of rail-car leases, ranging from short-term, full-maintenance rentals to long-term leases requiring outside financing (3). Many chemical shippers have substantial investments or lease commitments in tank cars and similar rail equipment, including cars constmcted of or lined with special materials for particular products. Other cars may be thermally insulated to prevent excessive heat buildup in transit or for protection against fire. 

Some limited, volume of tiaffic also may be subject to ceitain rates, terms, and conditions collectively established by a group of carriers pursuant to an agreement between such carriers, if approved and exempted from the antitmst laws by the Surface Transportation Board (STB) (8). Whenever any rate arranged between a shipper and carrier iacorporates provisions of such an agreement, a shipper should request confirmation from the carrier that the carrier is a party to the agreement. 

When goods consigned to a shipper s warehouse or terminal are damaged, disputes frequentiy arise as to their value. Usually, the carrier contends that shippers should not earn profit on sales not made, and the shipper contends that it should not be required to produce goods merely to recover its costs. Such disputes are sometimes resolved by payment of the sales price less costs not incurred, such as the cost of deHvery from the warehouse to the consignee. 

S. Hoffman, Mock Tega/Forms for Shippers, Transport Law Research, Inc., Mamaroneck, N.Y., 1970, several forms of car leases are shown. 

W. J. AugeUo, Freight Claims in Plain English, Shippers National Freight Claim Council, Inc., Huntington, N.Y., 1979. 

Some additional details are given later. Because of frequent changes, it is always necessary to cdieckthe latest rules. The shipper, not the carrier, has the ultimate responsibility for shipping in the correct container. 

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