The act of retrieving a loaded or empty car from a customer's facility after loading or unloading is complete. The shipper or consignee typically notifies the railroad when a car is ready to be pulled. Delays in pulling can result in congestion at customer facilities.
The act of placing a railcar at a specific loading or unloading position at a customer's facility. A car is considered spotted when it is in position and available for the shipper's use. The date and time of spotting often marks the beginning of free time for demurrage purposes.
The formal notification given by a shipper or consignee to a railroad that a car has been loaded or unloaded and is ready to be pulled. Release marks the end of the customer's responsibility for the car and triggers the railroad's obligation to retrieve it. The release time is used to compute dwell and demurrage.
A train that serves individual customers along a branch line or industrial corridor, spotting empty cars and pulling loaded cars. Locals are typically the only rail service connecting small shippers to the broader network. They operate at lower speeds and cover fewer miles per day than through or intermodal trains.