News & Reviews News Wire Hub Group expands intermodal cross-border auto parts service on Union Pacific

Hub Group expands intermodal cross-border auto parts service on Union Pacific

By Bill Stephens | July 28, 2023

The move increases competition with Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s single-line service to and from Mexico

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Yellow locomotives in with double-stack cars ahead and behind
Mid-train distributed power is sandwiched by Hub Group containers as a Union Pacific stack train passes through La Fox, Ill., in May 2021. David Lassen

OAK BROOK, Ill. — Hub Group is expanding its intermodal service to include inbound parts moves to all auto assembly plants in North America, with a focus on cross-border shipments to and from Mexico.

“We are extremely excited about the growth opportunity we have unlocked with our partner, Union Pacific, in the north-south corridor between Mexico, the U.S. and Canada, utilizing the Falcon Premium service product,” Hub Group CEO Phillip Yeager said in a statement on Thursday. “Hub Group continues to expand our capabilities and deliver service, integrity, and innovation to our customers’ supply chains.”

Hub Group will operate utilizing its intermodal expertise and fleet of nearly 50,000 GPS-enabled intermodal 53-foot containers, while leveraging northbound and southbound service including Union Pacific’s Falcon Premium and Eagle Premium services.

Hub Group said the railroad’s new Falcon Premium service provides the fastest transit times from the U.S. and Mexico border to Chicago and Detroit – and the most direct routing entirely by rail between Canada and Mexico.

“We are excited that Hub Group, a long-standing Union Pacific partner, will leverage their growing fleet with our improved premium service product to now serve all of North America’s automotive production facilities,” Kenny Rocker, UP’s executive vice president of marketing and sales, said in a statement.

A Hub spokesman did not immediately return a voicemail seeking information on how many additional plants will be served with the new service.

Hub’s move comes as rival Schneider National shifted its north-south cross-border traffic from UP to Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s new single-line service, Mexico Midwest Express, in May. CPKC says its MMX service offers the fastest transit times between Mexico and Chicago.

5 thoughts on “Hub Group expands intermodal cross-border auto parts service on Union Pacific

  1. With a knowing nod to their N&W and SOU heritage, those folks in Atlanta are smiling about the color scheme on those Ponies.

  2. Founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, Hub Group is a transportation-management company in North America, providing intermodal, truck-brokerage and logistics services. A publicly traded company with over $3.5 billion in revenue, the company also owns Mode Transportation (formerly Exel Transportation Services), a third-party logistics company (Unyson); and Hub Group Trucking, which provides intermodal freight transport and drayage services. Last year, Hub Group acquired TAGG Logistics for $103 million cash on hand.

    Dr. Güntürk Üstün

  3. Look at the condition of those locomotives!
    I spent many days along the UP in the late 70’s early 80’s and you never seen anything that filthy, even in the dead line in North Platte they were cleaner than those two.
    I know, clean locos don’t make the company any money but they do show the companies name and image.

    1. Explain to a Wall Street hedge fund how a clean engine helps the operating ratio and if they believe you would be able to eat off them.

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