MTMC outsources rail car management, administration
The administrative support functions associated with management of military-owned rail cars will now be accomplished with a private contractor.
MTMC has signed a two-year contract with IntelliTrans, of Atlanta, to provide all car movements, tracking, maintenance management, repairs and records for the 2,200 railroad cars in the Defense Freight Railway Interchange Fleet.
The majority of the rolling stock is flatcars and tank cars. The more unique flatcars include 566 heavy-duty cars capable of carrying a pair of huge M-1 tanks. In addition, the railroad car inventory includes more than 200 special purpose units, such as depressed center cars and cabooses.
Military customers will benefit from the contract in another way. IntelliTrans will also track military customers' shipments aboard commercial railroad cars.
"This is another step toward leveraging commercial capabilities," said Maj. Gen. Kenneth L. Privratsky, commander.
Outsourcing coordinator Tom Hicks agrees.
"This is a big change," said Hicks. "We are outsourcing administrative support functions while acquiring rail traffic management tools that will allow us to manage more efficiently," said Hicks. "We will eliminate some government-unique information systems in the process. We will now have a single-information management system that will be used by both government and industry.
"We'll have greater management and visibility of our rail cars," added Hicks. "We are now going to be true traffic managers."
MTMC will reduce the size of its management staff involved in rail operations.
The contract, signed Dec. 7, will run 24 months and will have three one-year renewable options. The 24-month contract base period is valued at $1.9 million.
IntelliTrans will provide Department of Defense users and military customers with the following capabilities:
· Forecasting
· Car ordering
· Intransit visibility
· Data collection
"The system will provide MTMC overall near-real-time visibility of the rail procurement and execution process, and the ability to influence it," said Mark Metz, transportation planner.
One of the big gains with the outsourcing will be managing rail car assets during a contingency, said Hicks.
"The contract will greatly improve our ability to manage the surge requirements of a wartime scenario," said Hicks. "We will be better able to integrate Department of Defense rail cars and commercial rail cars. This will allow us to use them better."
(FROM MILITARY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS)
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