Anyone Affected by UPS Train Derailment?

WINE TALK
21

I was told to check temps in Redding CA as the hot spot for wines being shipped from CA up to the Northwest where I live. We had a brief window a couple of weeks ago when it dipped down into the low 70’s, then it shot back up again. I am waiting until November for any additional shipments.

  1. Would checking temps in LA for Southern Cal retailers in addition to Redding, CA for ALL shipments up here be sufficient, in your opinions? (Of course, the window between heat down there and possible freeze up here is generally fairly wide in November and December.)

  2. For shipments from the East Coast to the Northwest, I am not even sure where to start checking. It would seem that now is OK and the Northern US will not have any hot spots (maybe?) and perhaps (hopefully) not any freezing spots, but I would think that window is open now and will close pretty soon. Any advice in general?

22

I believe BNSF has all the UPS contracts, and they have two transcontinental lines – from Seattle to Chicago and from Barstow (east of LA) to Chicago. All California shipments, from north and south, to the East Coast would go across Arizona, but shipments to the Northwest would go over the Cascades east.

(What happens when you cross a train geek with a wine geek? Please – I really want to know!)

23

From UPS:

"Hi Mark,

Thank you for emailing us! A train derailment near Ludlow, California has occurred. I understand the scan stating there was a train derailment was input by our Cach, IL location which may cause confusion, but the package is effected because it was shipped from California. Your package was on one of two trains that collided and over 200,000 packages have been impacted. We’re working as quickly as possible to recover the packages and update our systems. Please continue to track your package at www.ups.com. When tracking on our website, you can select “request status updates” to receive further details regarding your package once they become available. I’m sorry I don’t have any more information for you at this time."

Sincerely,

Sonia B.
UPS Social Media Team

My wine was on the train, an old California Cabernet.

24

From Wine Country Shipping, who ships for Rochioli:

Hi Dustin,

Yes, there has been a trail derailment. Although it does not affect UPS packages, it is causing delay until the tracks are repaired. The temperatures in/near the Mojave desert are fairly mild and we feel they should net compromise the wines. If you feel the wines may have been compromised once you’ve received them please contact the winery (Rochioli Vineyards) directly. Have a nice weekend!

25

My email from UPS confirms that they did have packages on the train and one of them was my 1985 Cabernet.

26

Now that’s shipping shock.

27

How do you find this stuff out, anyway? You know someone in management there? And going though Arizona shouldn’t be a problem, as it would be north of the Mogollon Rim, and thus cooler temps (ie, Flagstaff).

28

I got the same Hodgkins, IL tag for my Siduri shipment. I was also confirmed that there were packages on the train.

29

My Halcon shipment is impacted by this. Paul told me that my wine wasn’t actually on the train, but I’ll wait for UPS to sort this out. Hopefully, this will not take too long…

30

87 degrees F today in Ludlow,CA

31

So if an order is coming from northern Ca. it goes south through Arizona ?

That’a good to know.

32

I also had a case of wine on the train on its way to TX. You never want to see “Train Derailment” as your UPS exception. The winery is going to ship another case next week pending resolution. Completely the winery that I will continue purchasing wine from - Cellars 33. Wine is pretty resilient but a train wreck is another situation altogether.

33

Hey Dustin! [snort.gif]

Wondering how they can say it is not impacting UPS shipping…it obviously is. And the temps in the area area are low 80’s, fact not fiction it looks like to me.

34

I’ve seen a lot of train wreck threads on this board, but none so legitimately deserving of the moniker.

Here’s hoping no one ends up with cooked wine.

35

Temps in Ludlow
Screenshot_2013-10-25-23-41-21.jpg

36

I subscribe to Trains magazine. What can I say?

Here is a map of BNSF’s intermodal (container and truck-on-flatcar) service.

1 Like
37

We all probably freak out if we saw how most of our local wine buys are handled in the summer between wholesaler and retailers.

38

As of this morning, my delayed package is back in transit and scheduled to be delivered Monday.

39

I subscribe to Trains magazine. What can I say?

Here is a > map > of BNSF’s intermodal (container and truck-on-flatcar) service.

LOL there is a magazine for everything. I used to subscribe to one called “Squirrel Hunter”, and was planning on subscribing to “American Cemetery” until I found out how expensive the subscription was (price of a middling Bordeaux).
[wow.gif]

40

I won’t speak for most stores but the one that I use is careful about shipping. Granted its a big retailer and can afford to do things differently. When I was last up there in early Sept, I was talking to the California buyer to see what new had come in since my last visit in April. The answer was nothing. He was waiting until Oct/Nov at which point he was having a semi bring in everything for the fall. Generally, two trucks per year, one in early spring, one in late fall.

Talked to them about Bdx and other wines and it varies but most come refrigerated container when shipped over. Thanks to DC laws,mother can direct import so they have more control here than many stores.