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What is Rail Command?
RSI Logistics was founded by former railroaders who understood the day-to-day challenges of moving freight by rail. In the early days, we used manual methods to support rail supply chains, but we quickly saw the need for a smarter, more connected way to manage every aspect of rail logistics. That’s why we built Rail Command, an intelligent Rail TMS that unifies planning, execution, visibility, and optimization into one connected system.
- PLAN your rail supply chain with confidence
- EXECUTE seamlessly across North America
- MONITOR every move, in the yard or on the rail
- OPTIMIZE for better performance and lower costs
From end to end, origin to destination, shipper to receiver, Rail Command empowers your rail supply chain to be more powerful than ever before.
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Proven Excellence – The Rail Command® Advantage in Action
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Fortified Data Protection meets Superior B2B Functionality
Robust Data Protection, Certified by Type 2 SOC1
Our dedication to data security runs deep and is validated by our Type 2 SOC1 certification. Rail Command® incorporates layers of industrial-grade security, ensuring that your vital rail logistics data is meticulously protected at all times.
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Rail Command Rail TMS Frequently Asked Questions
A Rail Transportation Management System (Rail TMS) is a software solution designed specifically to manage, optimize, and streamline the logistics of rail freight supply chains. It provides businesses with a centralized platform to oversee, track, and improve rail shipping operations. While traditional Transportation Management Systems (TMS) handle multimodal logistics, a Rail TMS is purpose-built for the specifics required when shipping by rail.
A Rail TMS is equipped to handle such rail logistics as demurrage and detention, railcar utilization, complex carrier relationships, and compliance with rail-specific regulations. Through automation, shippers can eliminate time-consuming manual tasks, access detailed data insights, and more effectively manage rail shipments from start to finish.
With Rail TMS solutions, like Rail Command, businesses gain tighter control and visibility over their rail freight. A Rail TMS supports the entire shipment lifecycle:
- PLAN – Efficiently organize every detail of your rail supply chain, including equipment, rates, yard management, and accounting data.
- EXECUTE – Automate shipment execution with any rail carrier, ensuring all necessary details are stored and accessible.
- MONITOR – Track shipments in real-time using GPS and CLM systems, from origin to destination, identifying and addressing issues promptly.
- OPTIMIZE – Utilize advanced data analytics and reporting to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance decision-making.
A Rail Transportation Management System (Rail TMS) is tailored for rail freight, supporting rail-specific processes like railcar tracking, demurrage management, and rail rate management. Unlike general TMS platforms, it addresses the unique challenges of rail transportation.
Rail Command is a Rail Transportation Management System (Rail TMS) designed to streamline every aspect of rail logistics. It unifies planning, execution, visibility, and optimization in one secure, centralized platform.
Users can plan operations by accessing databases on rates and contracts, equipment maintenance, accounting, and more. Execute across North American Class I and short line carriers, track diversions, and identify potentially delayed or problematic railcars. Using traditional railroad reporting like CLM, alongside advancing technology like GPS, monitor and track railcars in one system alongside enhanced ETAs. Advanced analytics dashboards, automated reporting, and tools like demurrage reporting allow users to optimize costs and performance.
Yes, Rail Command can integrate with most supply chain and logistics systems, often utilizing APIs for seamless connectivity. It supports integration with platforms such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, and JDE, enabling efficient data sharing and coordination across your entire logistics network.
A Rail Transportation Management System (Rail TMS) like Rail Command delivers value for any business managing bulk rail shipments or utilizing rail as part of their supply chain. Manufacturers, bulk commodity shippers, agricultural producers, energy providers, and distributors with regular outbound or inbound freight operations may benefit most.
At RSI Logistics, we have seen a wide variety of shippers successfully utilize our Rail TMS, Rail Command.
Implementation timelines for a Rail Transportation Management System (Rail TMS) can vary depending on the complexity of your operations. In some cases, deployment could be completed in as little as weeks for straightforward systems. More intricate setups or phased rollouts may require additional time but can provide greater long-term value by addressing complex rail logistics needs in depth.
Rail Command does not impose a limit on the number of users within a company’s account. This flexibility allows teams across departments and locations to access the system, collaborate seamlessly, and maintain complete visibility into rail freight operations, enhancing efficiency and reducing bottlenecks in supply chain management.
RSI Logistics provides tailored support for both software and service options. For users of our Rail Transportation Management System (Rail TMS) Rail Command, every client is assigned an account manager for technical support and guidance. For service clients, a dedicated account manager and logistics coordinators manage parts, or all, of your rail supply chain operations.
Yes. A Rail Transportation Management System (Rail TMS) unifies near real-time GPS and Car Location Messages (CLM) data into one platform, across North American railroads. This gives you more powerful insight into railcar locations, diversion tracking, exception reporting, and even inbound. Enhanced ETAs and integrated dashboards provide data visualizations that take the manual work out of finding insights from your supply chain.
Rail Command, a Rail Transportation Management System (Rail TMS), uses CLM technology and can integrate GPS for equipped fleets. Whether you rely solely on CLM or want the combined power of CLM and GPS, the system delivers more precise tracking data and railcar events. This integration allows you to monitor your rail supply chain with confidence.
A Rail Transportation Management System (Rail TMS) like Rail Command could enable you to reduce excessive demurrage charges. Since it tracks railcar locations within a centralized platform, it is simpler to stay ahead of delays and detention risks, and to dispute demurrage charges. Demurrage-based reporting is automated from your supply chain’s activities, allowing you to find insights easier and faster.
Yes. Rail Command, a Rail Transportation Management System (Rail TMS), is designed to help businesses reduce costs by providing an integrated, automated platform that optimizes rail logistics in key ways including:
- Integrated Data & Workflows: Rail Command eliminates the need to jump between disconnected systems by integrating all aspects of your rail logistics into one solution, including accounting, maintenance, shipment execution, monitoring and visibility, and more.
- Automation of Processes: Rail Command’s automation streamlines tasks like shipment execution, tracking, freight bill auditing, data analysis, and demurrage reporting. This automation reduces administrative overhead and minimizes manual errors.
- Comprehensive Visibility & Railcar Management: Rail Command consolidates railcar monitoring, exception logs, and diversion tracking, decreasing time spent managing with manual methods across multiple platforms.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Dashboards and a customizable report builder take the manual work out of finding insights from your data. Tools like demurrage reporting and fleet sizing allow for better supply chain control and cost optimization.
A Rail Transportation Management System (Rail TMS) improves supply chains by delivering visibility, automation, and operational efficiency tailored to rail-based supply chains. Through centralized data and automation, it optimizes shipment tracking, data analytics, accounting and maintenance, and more. By improving railcar utilization, reducing cost time and money, and improving communication between stakeholders, a Rail TMS strengthens your supply chain’s reliability and responsiveness.
Yes. A Rail Transportation Management System (Rail TMS) like Rail Command includes a rate database for tracking contracts, tariffs, and fuel charges. Tariff changes and fuel surcharges can be automatically updated, and you can receive notifications for pending rate expirations.
A Rail Transportation Management System (Rail TMS) such as Rail Command delivers actionable insights related to a wide range of logistics operations. Shipment visibility data tracks railcar locations and ETAs and provides mapping visualizations. Performance metrics such as dwell, fleet turns, and inbound pipeline data highlight the health of your supply chain. Cost and rate analysis tools help you make informed decisions, while route and load optimization suggest ways to enhance efficiency.
Throughout all this data, dashboards offer dynamic visualizations, ensuring complex details are easy to interpret.
A Rail Transportation Management System (Rail TMS) streamlines rail supply chain planning, execution, monitoring, and optimization.
Key benefits include consolidated shipment tracking, which simplifies visibility across your supply chain, reducing sunk time and improving planning. Automation eliminates manual processes, increasing accuracy in planning and reporting.
Powerful dashboards provide actionable insights into key metrics like dwell times, fleet turns, and demurrage, helping reduce waste and optimize asset utilization. Cost and rate analysis tools assist in making.
Pricing for a Rail Transportation Management System (Rail TMS) depends on the specific solutions and services tailored to your rail freight operations. Costs can vary widely and may be structured by shipment, such as flat fees, hourly rates, or based on shipment volume. Flexible pricing models accommodate diverse business needs within rail supply chain management. Contact our rail supply chain experts for more information on our Rail TMS, Rail Command.
