(erielack) LCL

[Wdburt1_@_aol.com]

Bob Reebie was A.E. Perlman's vice president planning and had a hand in 
organizing the NYC's SuperVan trains.  For those who don't know these were early 
container trains utilizing FlexiVan equipment and a retail marketing strategy 
utilizing New York Central Motor Transport.

Reebie later founded RoadRailer.  I worked for him at that firm in the late 
1970s and early '80s and pestered him whenever I had the chance about EL and 
NYC.  

NYC's very profitable SuperVan trains were the result of a 1959 Reebie study 
for Perlman that concluded that LCL was hopelessly unprofitable and that the 
correct strategy was to selectively market to the balanced traffic using a 
superior technology.

Reebie's opinion, for what it as worth, was that Gary White was too attached 
to the LCL business, reluctant to cut back the unproductive network of station 
agents, etc.  Moreover, that EL at the highest levels did not understand the 
importance of marketing for traffic balance and accordingly was only too happy 
to take the imbalanced traffic left behind by NYC while hoping against hope 
to find backhaul loads.

WDB


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