Tideworks Technology is celebrating the 15th anniversary of its dedicated TOS for intermodal rail terminals. The company has created a Customer Advisory Board of rail operators to guide the next phase of development.
Tidework’s Intermodal Pro TOS has built up a successful position in the market. “Since the longest-running active implementation at CSX in Ohio, Intermodal Pro (IPRO) has been implemented in more than 85 intermodal rail terminals, improving efficiency, reducing costs and increasing revenue for rail stakeholders and their customers worldwide,” Tideworks noted.
That position did not come easily. The rail market has always been a tough challenge for TOS suppliers. Railroads typically have a lot of in-house IT systems, as well as Transportation Management Systems and other applications that are developed specifically for the rail industry. Fifteen years ago these legacy systems were not, however, ready for the growth in intermodal volumes that the North American Class I railroads experienced. Railroads had to start considering introducing container stacking into their operations, creating a need for new type of planning software.
Some of the functionality required was available in marine terminal TOS applications. At the time WorldCargo News reported that most marine terminal TOS suppliers “offer rail modules that are typically based on functionality developed for marine terminals with on dock rail.”