Analyst Insight: The shale gas revolution has fueled a resurgence of domestic manufacturing, driving rail shipments up over 6 percent and a two-year backlog for new cars. Maximizing fleet utilization is now a key management issue for most shippers. While current rail management tools are effective at tracking rail cars, an important gap exists with accurately predicting the usage and location of the cars over the entire planning horizon. – Alfred Sherk, CEO, SherTrack LLC

Freight that moves by rail instead of highway is estimated to reduce emissions by two-thirds, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. If just 10 percent of the long-haul freight currently moving by truck could be switched to rail, it would eliminate more than 12 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.

The 10.2-percent year-over-year gain in domestic container volume in the first quarter of 2013 represents the sixth consecutive quarter of 10-percent-plus increases, and the second highest volume in domestic container history, according to the Intermodal Association of North America's Intermodal Market Trends & Statistics report.

Bill Clement, vice president of intermodal at CSX Transportation, thinks an additional 9 million truckloads a year could and should be moved from highway to rail, and explains why CSX is taking that message directly to shippers.

Europeans have long pitied Americans for their rotten passenger trains. But when it comes to moving goods America has a well-kept freight network that is the most cost-effective in the world.

Freight railroads are positioning themselves to meet future transportation demands in this country, including those related directly and indirectly to the expansion of the Panama Canal, Edward R. Hamberger, Association of American Railroads (AAR) president and CEO, told the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.