General Blocking and Bracing Requirements--Coiled Products

For All Coiled, Spooled, Rolled or Reeled Metal Products

  1. The coils, roll, reels, or spools needs to be palletized or on the prescribed Load Roll Pallet (LRP).
     
  2. The coils must be banded to the pallet with 1-1/2" steel banding for coils LE 5,000 lbs, 2" banding for coils GT 5,000 lbs.
     
  3. The maximum coil weight is 12,500 lbs.
     
  4. All products must be blocked and braced with 2 x 6 laminated (two high) dimensional lumber longitudinally and laterally, with 16 penny nails applied in a staggered nailing pattern spaced 4 to 5 inches apart.
     
  5. The maximum floor load must not exceed 2,500 lbs. per linear foot, evenly distributed over the floor area.
     
  6. Coil slits on a pallet must be unitized in stacks, not to exceed 45 inches high.
     
  7. All coils, rolls, spools, reels and ingots are prohibited, and can only move under a special rate and or agreement with Union Pacific. Submit all requests to the Union Pacific damage prevention group. Phone: 402-544-3791 and Fax: 402-233-3312.
     
  8. All coils, rolls, reels or spools must have an executed contract prior to shipment.
     
  9. Forward product characteristics (weight per coil, size dimensions), packing features (pallet size, banding size and application: how coil is secured to pallet), load pattern and blocking and bracing application.
     
  10. After review of the information detailed just above, a letter with the recommended loading and blocking and bracing pattern will be forwarded to the shipper for acknowledgment and contract signature.
     
  11. All ingots must have a Specialized Commodity Quote (SCQ) authority prior to shipment, with the following provisions:
     
    1. The shipper recognizes that the provisions outlined in this SCQ specifically pertain to the transportation of metal ingots offered for intermodal transportation with Union Pacific.
       
    2. The actual shipper and its agents agree to block and brace the cargo to prevent longitudinal and lateral movement in accordance with industry acceptable blocking and bracing practices as provided by the Association of American Railroads pamphlet 45 and/or as modified by Union Pacific's damage prevention group.
       
    3. The carriers will not be held liable for any losses; direct, indirect, special, consequential or punitive, that result from delay or an interruption of rail services, nor do the carriers guarantee rail services on any schedules, published, projected or implied.
       
    4. All other provisions of Union Pacific's, Master Intermodal Transportation Agreement (MITA) Effective Sept. 1, 2005, remain in effect.

To All Intermodal Shippers on Union Pacific Railroad and the former Southern Pacific:

This information is intended for and must be communicated to all waybill shippers, ocean carriers, IMCs, third parties, agents, brokers and their actual shippers/beneficial owners. It will be the responsibility of the waybill shipper of record (third party agent/steamship lines) to communicate these requirements to the actual shipper/beneficial owner.

In recent years, Union Pacific has attempted to address and communicate our concerns associated with the movement of coiled metal products in intermodal service. Unfortunately, Union Pacific has experienced a major derailment, in addition to several load shifts, involving mis-identified and/or improperly blocked and braced coiled metal products.

Our most important mission is to provide a safe working environment for our employees, in concert with providing a safe, damage-free transportation system for our customers' products. As the result of major derailments which have occurred in addition to load shift incidents involving improperly blocked and braced coiled metal product shipments, Union Pacific has been forced to implement the following actions.

Please note that all rate quotes with reference to coiled, rolled, reeled, spooled or ingot metal products moving in intermodal service on the Union Pacific and former Southern Pacific system will be canceled until such time that a separate contract is executed between Union Pacific and all parties involved in the transportation of coiled metal products.

Union Pacific will only accept coiled, rolled, reeled, or spooled metal products offered in intermodal service at Union Pacific origins and in interchange under the following conditions:

  1. All coils, rolls, reels, spools or ingot metal shipments must be identified on the shipping papers/waybill by the appropriate STCC, and the commodity description "Coiled Metal Product " must also appear on the waybill and all associated paperwork.
     
  2. All coil, roll, reel, or spool metal shipments must be shipped in containers/trailers which have been approved for metal coil loading by the equipment owner/supplier.
     
  3. All coil, roll, reel, or spool metal shipments must be shipped on and secured to a Load Roll Pallet (LRP), or an equivalent weight distribution system designed to distribute the weight of the product over the container's/trailer's floor surface area, not exceeding a weight distribution of 25,000 pounds per ten linear feet (or 2,500 pounds per linear foot, equivalent). No exceptions.

    All Load Roll Pallet designs must be approved by a representative of Union Pacific's mechanical maintenance or damage prevention groups. Please forward all LRP designs to:
     

    Eric Watkins at 402-544-3791, Fax 402-233-3312
     
  4. All coils must be secured to the pallet with blocking and bracing approved by representatives of Union Pacific's mechanical maintenance or damage prevention groups.

    Please forward all coil securement drawings to
     

    Eric Watkins at 402-544-3791, Fax 402-233-3312
     
  5. The maximum per coil weight is limited to 12,500 lbs.
     
  6. All coil, roll, reel, spooled or ingot metal product shipments offered for transportation on Union Pacific can only move under a contract agreement, properly executed and retained on file, with Union Pacific. A copy of the contract is attached. No coil shipments can move without a signed contractual agreement.
     
  7. All coil, roll, reel, or spool shipments will be subject to inspections to insure that all documentation and securement of the product is in order.

All shippers previously approved for shipping coil, roll, reel, or spooled metal products in intermodal service who have executed a contract on file with Union Pacific can continue to ship coiled metal products in intermodal service on Union Pacific and the former Southern Pacific system.

These procedures are being implemented to protect the shippers' interests and to provide safe rail transportation for all shippers. Additionally, Union Pacific will amend circular 20-B to reflect these shipping requirements. Your understanding and cooperation is appreciated.

Please contact your local Union Pacific sales, damage prevention, or mechanical maintenance representative with any additional questions you may have concerning this topic.