JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Nov. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Cindy Sanborn, CSX (NYSE: CSX) vice president and chief transportation officer, today told the RailTrends annual conference in New York City that a stronger focus on customer collaboration and improved utilization of key resources such as locomotives and rail cars are contributing to the company’s ability to respond effectively to market changes.
“Growth in our merchandise and intermodal sectors – the most service-sensitive parts of our business – means that the dual goal of focusing on asset utilization while gathering customer feedback is imperative to continue delivering the high levels of service to which they are accustomed,” Sanborn said.
CSX’s dynamic resource planning model, which improves the capability to deploy locomotives and rail cars, has helped drive ongoing productivity savings. Those savings, along with a 6 percent gain in merchandise and intermodal business since 2011, have helped offset a 21 percent decline in coal volume during that period. Sanborn shared the example of improved planning for dynamic locomotive utilization, which is expected to create $20 million alone in productivity savings in 2013. CSX is on track to exceed $150 million in total productivity savings this year.
In addition to productivity savings, CSX is creating value through programs like Service Excellence, which emphasizes customer engagement and service execution at all levels of the organization. With the help of customer input, the company is improving railcar utilization, transit times and real-time customer communication, supporting better planning for both customers and CSX.
“Superior service and coordination help set a foundation for our long-term growth,” Sanborn said. “Our customer satisfaction levels are at an all-time high, and we continue to focus on using our assets more efficiently and incorporating customer feedback to achieve our company-wide goal of being the safest, most progressive railroad, relentless in the pursuit of customer and employee excellence.”
