WESTERN PACIFIC The Bicentennial Year MilepoSts SUMMER-FALL 1976 The Intermodal group also works closely with D. L. Loftus, Director In­ termodal Development (contracts, equipment, profit analysis), D. C. Pendleton, Manager Intermodal Pric­ ing (tariff changes) as weI! as WP's Operating Department (schedules and The "piggy-packer" with arms train operations), and Western Pa­ extend d ca n unload vans (or cific Transport Company (terminal trail r ) with the same ease it can I'wist a container from or loading, unloading and pick-up and to the railroad flat cars_ These delivery) . cars are designed to handle bOUl vans and containers for The Intermodal Sales Team coor­ the railroad. dinates and assists the WP sales offices across the country in making customer contacts, securing new profitable busi­ ness, and offering expertise in intel'­ modal sales and service. The Team's With the aid of the WP 'morning report· Miss eoverage includes a wide range of in­ Rita Connelly, Manager-Intermodal Service ad ­ vises customers the latest schedules for ar­ termodal customers, such as: freight rival and delivery of their vans or containers. forwarders, shippers agents, shipping Rita is headquartered in the San Francisco associations, steamship lines, steam­ office. ship agencies, container companies, w.P. Establishes Intermodal Dept. brokers, local truck lines, trading companies and individual shippers_ The 'Team' maintains close associa­ t ion with the large northern Califor­ nia ports. Included on this list are the P orts of Oakland, San Francisco, The development and growth of sales team of experienced personnel Stockton and Sacramento. containers and trailers on flatcars, trained to handle the specialized needs Intermodal (container and trailer) commonly known in the industry as of the Intermodal customer. Headed t. raffic was a growth area for the West­ "piggyback" has had a significant im­ by Director William F. Schmidt, this ern Pacific in 1976 with a dramatic 40 pact on the transportation pattern in sales team works closely with shippers percent increase in traffic during the the railroad industry during the last to develop lower-cost containerization fi rst nine months of the year. "This decade. As a result, many "high­ and trailer programs and to provide represents one of the highest percent­ rated" commodities previously inf orma tion on sched ules, tariff age increases in the industry for the shipped by truck are now moving changes and customs procedures. year and I feel this is just the start of 'long-haul by rail. an upward trend in the future devel­ Beginning in the early sixties, West­ Other members of this sales team opment of our intermodal traffic" ern Pacific has been an aggressive are Charles R. McNeal-Manager In­ ~ ay s Bill Schmidt. Bill went on to S~y leader in the development of equip­ termodal Sales, Western Region (San Lhat "using 'Piggyback' offers a com­ ment design, expedited train sched­ Francisco) and William Leslie, Man­ pieL' t.ransportation package to a cus­ Another type of "piggyback" customer is the ules, and prompt service tailored to ager-Intermodal Sales, Eastern Re-­ Lo meI.' by providing reliable service- drayage companies. Manager Charles R. Mc­ Neal (left) talks with C. D. Alfred, Vice Presi­ the Tntermodal shipper. gion (Chicago) and Miss Rita Con­ oLh train and terminal- at a com­ dent, Cal-Pacific Co. (San Francisco) re garding The reorganization of WP's Inter­ nelly, Manager - Intermodal Service p Lit iv pri customer delivery schedules. mod ·1 D partmen Lin 1975 provided a (San Francisco) . Intermodal Department ... Among the wide ran ge of inter· model customers served by the WP are the freight for· ward e rs Here Manager Ch arles R. McNeal (left) dis· cusses service routes to east· ern markets with V. E. Ho· burg, Bay Area Terminal Man .. ager, Universal Carloading & Di stributing Co. in San Fran· cisco. Container leasing companies Members of the Intermodal Sales Team hold Manager·lntermodal Service; Charles R. Mc· provide still another type of frequent meetings with the directors of devel· Neal, Manager·lntermodal Sales; William F. rail intermodal customer. Man· opment and pricing to discuss new WP van Schmidt, Director·lntermodal Sales; D. L. ager Charles R. McNeal (left) and container programs. Key members of Loftus, Director·lntermodal Development, and discusses container commit· this team are: (I. to r.) Miss Rita Connelly, D. C. Pendleton, Manager·lntermodal Pricing. ments with SSI Container Cor· poration's Kathy Montelaro, Coordinating Manager Inter· modal Services, and James A. Weaver, Director· Intermodal Services. Shipper associations play an important role in the move· ment of trailers and containers on the railroads. Bonnie J. Martinez (right), district man· ager, ITOFCA, INC. (at Ala· meda, Ca. ) discusses service commitments with Director W. F. Schmidt. (left- with radio) and Office Manager Paul Brown. This stag ing area fo r containers and trai lers (vans) is directly at1j ace nt to railroad Ilatcar loadin area . _________________________________•• JI [ I " ...'I ...., '-_~ _ _ .II .... [l AI I Intermodal Department ... Western Pacific's loading and unloading of containers and vans is handled by the WP Transport Company. To do this job efficiently. the most modern equipment available is in daily service at the 'pig ramp' in Oakland. Here WPT's modern 'piggy· packer' is load­ ing containers aboard WP's fast container train the "TOF" which makes direct through connections for eastern desti­ nations with the Union Pacific and Rio Grande Railroads at Sa It La ke City. New accounts is a frequent topic of discussion at a inter· modal sales strategy meeting The steam-ship lines and the northern Califor­ Manager Charles R. McNeal (center) discusses in San Francisco. Present at nia ports playa vital role in the movement of container availability for the weekly WP east­ this meeting are (I. to r.) containers to and from Asia and Europe by bound 'minibridge' train the "COFC," with Charles R. McNeal. Rita M ship and across North America via railroad Sea· Land Service, Inc. - Oakland Terminal Connelly and William F "Bill" 'land bridge' and 'minibridge.' Fully loaded Manager, Richard L. Hill (left) and Marine Schmidt. this class ship will carry 1,096 (35' & 40') Manager W. M. Fauntlery. containers. Septem ber 1. 1955 was the beginning of a revolutionary cooperative transport meth· od on the WP lines. In con· junction with the Great Northern (BN) and Santa Fe then. and later with the Union Pacific and Rio Grande R.R.s. piggyback se rvice got the railroads Into the highclass freight busi n ess formerly domi · nat d I)y truckers. Shown: the th n new WP "RiJil/ On arrival at the Port of Oakland, giant cranes A few minutes from dock side, WP Transport Roael " Servic . 110ist containers from the container ship onto Company's 'piggy·packer· removes container waiting fl atbed trucks for the short trip to the from the flatbed truck onto a waiting flat car. W I' rn Pacific "pic·ramp." _c:... ....IIl.. __ .... IIa.Aa.AI U L.AI I of intermodal dispatch and manager went on to the University of Denver of the customer service center. Rita and received a BA degree in Political is also active in such organizations as Science. the Womens Traffic Club of San Fran­ In 1973 Bill began work with the cisco and the Railway Business Wom­ UP as a management trainee in ens Association. Omaha. Other jobs with the UP in­ When not working as Manager of cluded legislative assistant in Wash­ the Intermodal Customer Service, ington, D.C. and Intermodal traffic Rita enjoys numerous outdoor activi­ agent in Chicago. ties along with swimming, hiking, and William F. Schmidt Charles R. McNeal Rita M. Connolly William Leslie, III Bill saw military duty from 1967 bicycling. Rita also makes her home until 1969 as a first lieutenant in Viet in San Francisco. Nam. While in Viet Nam Bill received a Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Meet The W.P. Intermodal Sales Team MILEPOSTS welcomes William Les­ Bill's after work interests include lie, 3rd as Manager-Intermodal Sales­ camping, hiking, snow skiing, and East, headquartered in Chicago. Bill photography. Bill resides in the Windy William "Bill" F . Schmidt is Direc­ for railroads since 1960 when he was who was raised in Bronxville, N.Y. City of Chicago. tor of Intermodal Sales. Bill, who first employed by the C&O railroad as hails from Petaluma, CA. started his a clerk. In 1965 Chuck came to the railroad career in 1964 as a brakeman Alameda Belt Line, which is an affili­ while attending San Jose State Uni­ ate of WP. versity where he received his BS De­ After a short time with the ABL he gree in Business and Industrial Man­ came to WP in the Oakland office. For agement. the next four years Chuck held various Bill joined WP's management train­ clerical positions in the operating de­ ing program in December of 1966. partment. He was promoted to sales During the next 5 years he held vari­ representative at the San Francisco ous intermodal and staff sales posi­ office in 1970, and was Supervisor of tions in the Marketing Department. In Customer Service from 1972 until 1972 he was appointed sales manager 1975. in the Oakland District office. In Chuck was born and raised in Ohio. March of 1975 Bill was promoted to He and his wife Althea live in Con­ his present position as Director of In­ cord, CA. Chuck enjoys after work termodal Sales. activities that include golf, hunting Bill belongs to various traffic clubs and fishing. including the San Francisco Commer­ cial Club, The Transportation Club of San Francisco and The National * * * Railroad Piggyback Association.