Frequently Asked Questions

Leasing Questions

Why lease when I can purchase equipment?

Leasing minimizes the risk to the lessee, minimizes cost of managing your fleet and allows companies to use their resources to focus on growing.
How long is a typical railcar lease?

The typical lease is between 2 to 10 years, however we do offer shorter term leases for those looking for a more temporary solution.
Is there a minimum amount of railcars that I can lease?

No, whether you need 1 car or 10,000 cars, PFL is here to help every step of the way.
Do I need to return the cars clean?

In most cases if a car is leased dirty they can be returned dirty. If the cars started clean in most cases they must be returned clean.
Can you line the railcars?

If lining is required, yes we can have the railcars lined at customer's expense.

Storage Questions

Can you store loaded hazardous materials?

PFL has agreements in place with many storage facilities across North America, many of which do accept loaded hazardous commodities.
What does it cost to store Railcars?

We understand that cost is important and that at the end of the day we need to be as competative as possible. Our partners also understand this and work with us to insure that we stay in line with the market. Beyond this we measure the overall cost that is involved to provide value added service upgrades that outperform other storage options in the market. This allows the overall costs to be minimized as much as possible. We will always work to find the best possible options for our clients.
Can I pay to guarantee storage space?

While the daily rate is the most common contract, we can customize a plan for a "Take-Or-Pay agreement." This will garantee an amount of space. We only recommend this for customers that will have frequent railcars coming in and out of storage and need to insure that another client will not take their space. Another benefit is a reduction in cost. Contact us today for more information about reserving space or a take-or-pay plan.
Where are your facilities?

All over North America we have storage facilities and shortlines. Contact us for more information.
Can I split up my railcars for multiple locations?

Yes! We have clients request this often as they deal with different commodities at different locations. We can tailor an agreement to fit these needs so that when the cars are ready to be put back into service they do not have far to travel.
What is a switching yard?

A switching yard is a railroad whose primary purpose is to perform local switching services. Switching, also referrred to as shunting ourside of the United States, is the process of sorting rolling stock into complete trains, or the reverse. It generally consists of breaking up trains, storing and classifying cars.
How do I advertise my space on your platform?

To apply fill out our shortline questionaire . Our Storage Analyst will then contact you to set up a "Master Agreement." Sit back while our analysts go to work to find the best suited customers for your location.
What does it cost to advertise storage through PFL?

The only cost to advertise is your time to fill out the shortline questionaire. PFL will advertise your location to over 15,000 members of the Railcar community per week and list the location on our live market data, storage services page and storage reports.

MISC

What is a bad order railcar?

What the bad order generally refers to is a railcar that has a mechanical defect. These cars must be set out on line for repairs
Why does the railcar say DO NOT HUMP?

DO NOT HUMP refers to the method of connecting the railcars together. When this is indicated on a railcar the typical use of a "small collision" to join the cars may not be used. This could be due to the type of railcar or the commodity that is inside and requires a softer "touch" than gravity would normally permit.