12-02-2010, 10:39 PM
I hate to get picky here, but since you guys are talking about it...railroads do not pay per diem (per day). Generally customers pay demurrage by the day. Railroads pay car hire which is by the hour, and is based on the age of the car and enough other stuff to really confuse you. Some cars the rate is as low as 9 cents an hour, maybe even lower but 9 cents was the lowest I saw. Short lines can work with an AAR rule, and I forget what it is called already (only 11 months out of the business 
) where they get 120 hours free from care hire, so if the car is back off line they pay no car hire to the owner road, and if they reload a car they can accrue another 120 hours without paying so that might explain to some of you why they can sometimes leave a car sit a day or two.
Cars with private marks don't get the demurrage charge to the customer.
Also when you use a foreign car for an on line movement, you have to pay mileage to the owner railroad too.
Charlie
) where they get 120 hours free from care hire, so if the car is back off line they pay no car hire to the owner road, and if they reload a car they can accrue another 120 hours without paying so that might explain to some of you why they can sometimes leave a car sit a day or two.Cars with private marks don't get the demurrage charge to the customer.
Also when you use a foreign car for an on line movement, you have to pay mileage to the owner railroad too.
Charlie