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UTLX Mini-Track Provides Bayer with Quick Relief for Transportation Headaches

When you manufacture the world's most recognized pain reliever, you understand the importance of a name you can trust. That's why after almost two decades of using Union Tank Car's Houston-area
mobile repair service, Bayer's Baytown, Texas, facility added an in-plant UTLX mini track to service every polyurethane tank car in the fleet of 650 - regardless of the car's owner.

UTLX mobile units and Rack Foreman John Campbell have been familiar sights at Bayer since 1978. At first Campbell was not needed full-time, and his Bayer schedule varied from week to week. But things had changed by the early 1990s, as the fleet size increased along with regulatory requirements.

"We needed to more thoroughly inspect each car, so we decided that bringing in Union Tank Car to do this on a dedicated mini-track was the best way to go," explains Uwe Prigge, Superintendent of Material Handling, Shipping & Transportation at Bayer/Baytown. "What we didn't anticipate was the tremendous
value they would add in helping reduce downtime on cars needing repair."

Inspections, the driving need behind Bayer's establishment of the mini-track in 1994, are still a major activity for Campbell and his three-person UTLX crew. Inspectors perform a complete exterior examination of all inbound tank cars in Bayer's railcar fleet, followed by an interior tank inspection conducted by Bayer personnel. The results of this scrutiny dictate whether a car requires exterior repair work, internal cleaning or whether it may proceed to the loading rack.

But these days, repairs consume an equal portion of the crew's time. Work ranges from running repairs such as draft gears and couplers to wheel changeouts and truck work, performed using a crane on the UTLX mobile unit capable of handling components weighing up to five tons.

The most frequent repairs, though, are valves, fittings and gaskets that must be replaced or rebuilt each time a car is cleaned. Bayer uses a dual safety vent configuration for maximum safety, so this represents several potential changeouts. "Once a week, we resurface all the valves that were removed from cars, and we can usually rebuild them if necessary as a cost-saving measure," reports Campbell. Valves can usually be rebuilt three times, saving Bayer about $100 each rebuild. Campbell's crew also
labels and color-codes the top arrangement of each fitting, so Bayer customers can readily differentiate the top unloading valve from the two safety fittings.

Now, an average of two cars per month requiring work must be sent to an outside shop. "The benefits are tremendous," Prigge assures. "With shopping, these cars are out of our control for weeks, maybe months. Now we can save time, plus the cost of transporting our owned cars to a shop. It provides us greater utilization without having to increase our fleet size." This means a lot to a plant that ships over 7,000 carloads of multiple products per year.

The UTLX mini-track is a key player in Bayer's recently reorganized Material Handling, Shipping and Transportation (MHST) department in Baytown. The group handles railcar loading and cleaning as well as the approximately 40% of Baytown's shipments made by tank truck and barge. "We're the first voice the customer hears, and the last face they see," notes Sean Ritchie, Bayer MHST manager at Baytown. "We re-organized specifically to present our products to our customers in a way that meets their standards for quality, on-time delivery and safety to their employees and to the environment."

Bayer chose Union Tank Car for its mini-track because of the trust built over years of service by Campbell and his mobile crew. "We always had great experience with Union Tank Car and we knew that other companies did too," Prigge says. "John is not just a contractor; he has worked in Baytown so long that it's more of a family relationship. We set very high standards, and we expect the same from our vendors. John accepts only the very best work from his crew."

For example, Campbell recently held off hiring a new welder for his crew until he found someone who was not only certified to industry standards, but could pass his own demanding welding test. "A welder can be certified, but if he lays off for a long period, his skills may be a bit rusty," Campbell explains. "I
think you have to practice that craft on a day-to-day basis to stay sharp."

Campbell's diligence has paid off for Bayer as the company has been the recipient of many awards including the Union Pacific Pinnacle Award for three years in a row. The railroad bestows the honor on shippers having no accidental releases. "I completely credit the good work and service by John Campbell and his crew," says Prigge.

Baytown MHST Rail Supervisor Bob Wronko points out that Bayer's trust in the UTLX crew is so great that the mini-track is situated well within the manufacturing plant and Union Tank Car has obtained agreements even from competitive lessors that permit the UTLX crew to work on their cars leased to Bayer. "I've never seen another plant that permitted either of these situations," Wronko says. "It really underlines a high degree of confidence everyone has in John and his group."

Wronko adds that Campbell's importance in the MHST loop has earned him an address on Bayer's intranet system. "If anyone in our supply chain sees a problem with a car, they e-mail me and copy John," he says. "By the time I see John to discuss it - and we typically meet once a day - he's taken care of the problem."

Prigge adds that the presence of an on-site crew helps Bayer not only keep up with necessary inspections and repairs, but pay more attention to finer points such as each car's appearance. "John's
crew will touch up a paint job or stenciling on a car, just so it looks better," Prigge observes. "It's not required for our cars to look great; but with our name on them it's very important to us to be perceived as first rate by not only our customers, but by the residents of the areas our cars travel through. John's
group understands our commitment to excellence, and they really help us put our best foot forward."

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