August 4, 2022

R. J. Corman Hosts AAR’s Specially Equipped Freight Car Committee Meetings

This week the R. J. Corman Railroad Group had the honor to host the Association of American Railroads’ Specially Equipped Freight Car Committee (SEFCC) at its headquarters in Nicholasville, KY.

The Specially Equipped Freight Car Committee (SEFCC) develops and maintains Standards and Specifications for multi-level railroad equipment. This includes new multi-level cars, multi-level rack end doors, vehicle tie-down systems, portable bridge plates, certification requirements, and other related information.

These multi-level railcars are a critical component of the automotive industry supply chain. According to the Association of American Railroads (AAR), freight rail moves nearly 75% of the new cars and light trucks purchased in the U.S. each year.

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In addition to the SEFCC’s sessions, the R. J. Corman Mechanical team was invited to present key findings of research conducted after discovering a recurrent potential safety hazard while inspecting C-decks (the top level of a tri-level autorack). Due to the importance of these findings, the SEFCC implemented changes to inspection criteria on the industry audit format.

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After the session, several Specially Equipped Freight Car Committee members toured R. J. Corman’s headquarters, shops, and farm, guided by Michael Robinson, R. J. Corman VP - Commercial Development.

We are grateful for the opportunity to host the SEFCC, and we are thankful for the crucial work they do to uphold the safety of not only freight but also the railroad and supplier personnel throughout America.