CN Rail moves circa. $250 billion worth of goods every year. With a rail network spanning over 20,000 miles, CN Rail handles shipping and logistics between Canada and mid-America, while connecting ports on three coasts: the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico.

As a key player in North American transportation, CN rail container tracking has become a staple of container shipping. CN's suite of tracking technology serves to make supply chain management faster, easier, and more cost-effective.

This article tells CN Rail's story and highlights strategies for shippers to get the best from CN rail container line tracking tools for better supply chain management.

Understanding CN Rail and its Services

CN Rail relies on a team of 17,000 trained and trusted “railroaders” to move more than 300 million tons of cargo every year quickly and safely by rail, road, and sea.

CN's services include rail transportation, intermodal shipping, and trucking, each complete with tracking capabilities for end-to-end supply chain visibility covering a wide range of industries.

History and Evolution of CN Rail

With a rich 100-year history, CN Rail began in 1918 as a modest rail network but has grown into one of North America's biggest transportation providers, and Canada's largest railway in its own right.

In its early years, CN was locked in a power struggle with the privately owned Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. This ended in 1933 with the Canadian National-Canadian Pacific Act, which instructed the railways to cooperate by scrapping duplicated services.

Since the 1933 Act, CN's growth has been shaped by a number of key milestones. Fast forward to 1995, the Canadian government sold off its stock in CN, in what was the largest privatization in Canadian history at the time.

On February 11, 1998, CN Rail bought all the stock of the Illinois Central Railroad for $2.4 billion and began integrating operations on July 1, 1999. This helped CN to form a rail network that stretches from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts of Canada.

1998 saw an alliance with Kansas City Southern Railway, further extending CN's rail network into Mexico, and its goal of becoming “the NAFTA Railroad.” At this point, CN was fast establishing itself as one of the most important shipping and logistics companies operating between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico under the terms of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Range of Services Offered by CN Rail

CN Rail's services span rail, intermodal, trucking, supply chain services (including transload, distribution, customs and brokerage), and business development, serving industries ranging from automotive to forestry and farming.

CN's intermodal solutions are a standout service, combining the best of rail, trucking, and maritime transport to help shippers optimize supply chain routes and reduce transit times.

This turnkey service eliminates the need for multiple carriers and intermediaries, simplifying the logistics process and reducing the risk of delays and disruptions while giving shippers greater visibility and control over their shipments.

Outside of intermodal, CN offers a trucking service that serves local and regional shippers. This service combines the efficiency of rail with the added flexibility of trucking.

Working with trucking partners, CN is one of Canada's largest full-load trucking companies. CNTL has more than 1,050 owner operators, and a fleet of 8,000 chassis and 8,000 containers for strategic last-mile delivery.

Plus, CN's suite of logistics solutions addresses the challenges facing modern supply chains. From warehousing and distribution to customs clearance and freight forwarding, CN's extensive network of facilities and strategic partnerships empowers businesses to optimize inventory management, reduce transit times, and enhance overall operational efficiency.

CN Rail’s Container Tracking Technologies

From advanced tracking systems to integration with third-party platforms, CN rail container tracking technologies highlight the company's commitment to excellence in logistics.

Recognizing the need for reliable shipment tracking, CN Rail has pioneered innovative container tracking technologies, including its intuitive CN One tracking system, that give shippers real-time visibility.

Features of CN One Tracking System

The signature system behind CN rail's container tracking capabilities is CN One, a powerful platform designed to deliver real-time status updates on shipments. With its intuitive interface, CN One keeps stakeholders informed of every event that affects their shipments.

Whether it's unexpected delays or a change in transit routes, CN One quickly alerts users to any disruptions, allowing them to take action to mitigate the impact on their supply chains.

Another standout feature of CN One is interactive map views, which provide a visual representation of shipment status, giving stakeholders a clearer understanding of the current location and estimated time of arrival.

At any point, rather than reacting to events that unfold, CN One users can anticipate potential disruptions and take preemptive measures to minimize the impact. This serves to improve operational efficiency and build greater supply chain resilience in the face of unforeseen events.

Integration with Vizion

Combining CN One with Vizion takes tracking capabilities to new levels, delivering data with greater precision and efficiency. By tapping into Vizion's extensive network of data sources, CN Rail's tracking information benefits from greater granularity, providing shippers with even more actionable insights at every stage of the supply chain.

Integrating Vizion with CN One means shippers can tap into data streams including weather patterns, traffic conditions, and infrastructure status, among others. With a wealth of contextual information, shippers can make more informed decisions and optimize their supply chain strategies.

Strategies for Improving Container Tracking

The global smart shipping container market stood at $3,971.2 million in 2022 but is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18.4% by 2030, hitting $15,341.5 million. Demand for shipping container tracking is surging as more businesses want greater visibility and control over shipments — that's how important it is.

Best Practices in Container Tracking

Container tracking is often characterized by technology but it's more than that. To get the best out of CN rail's tracking tools, best practices have to look like something more than using technology, such as:

• Proactive communication: You can have all the container tracking technology you like but it will only ever be as good as the data provided, being communicated transparently. There needs to be clear lines of communication between carriers, suppliers, and customers to keep all stakeholders informed of shipment status.
• Strategic collaboration with logistics partners: Collaborative efforts like joint planning, shared visibility platforms, and coordinated scheduling serve to enhance the accuracy and reliability of container tracking, while getting the best from CN's rail container tracking systems, resulting in greater operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
• Getting documentation in order: Using digital documentation platforms, and integrating them with CN Rail's tracking systems, can further streamline the documentation process, reducing administrative overheads and increasing efficiency.

Utilizing Data for Predictive and Proactive Management

By tapping into data insights from CN Rail and Vizion, shippers can access the power of predictive analytics, forecast demand fluctuations, and anticipate potential bottlenecks.

For example, analyzing historical shipment data and market trends can help shippers forecast demand for their products more accurately. Monitoring external factors like geopolitical events, natural disasters, and labor strikes can also help shippers identify potential risks to their supply chain operations.

Additional Insights on CN Rail

CN's commitment to efficient container tracking has not only benefited the company but has had a far-reaching impact on the wider logistics and transportation sector. Here are key insights into CN Rail's contributions and future directions:

• Safety and sustainability: Each year CN contributes millions of dollars (over $18.6 million in 2023) to nonprofits that promote people, safety and the environment.
  
  
• Cost reduction and emissions mitigation: CN Rail has helped customers reduce transportation costs by up to 25% while cutting carbon emissions by millions of metric tons annually.
  
  
• Network overview and strategic importance: CN Rail's extensive network across North America drives economic growth and facilitates international trade by connecting businesses to key markets while supporting global trade management.
  
  
• Future technology: CN Rail invests in technology to enhance its tracking systems and operational efficiency, driving continuous innovation in transportation logistics. By 2023, CN Rail had deployed next-generation trackside sensors and predictive analytics tools, enabling predictive maintenance and reducing downtime by up to 20%.
  
  
• Partnerships and integration: Collaborations with technology providers equip CN Rail to deliver value-added services, using external expertise to shape the future of logistics. Through partnerships with leading data analytics firms, CN Rail enhances its tracking capabilities, providing customers with real-time visibility and actionable insights into their supply chains.

Track Intermodal Rail Movements With Vizion

CN Rail container tracking is just one example of how you can track cargo on Class I railways across North America.

Vizion's intermodal rail tracking software does the same but with a twist. With a single request, you can track containers across oceans and railways.

Having established direct connections to major Class I railways in North America, Vizion provides coverage for most railbound cargo. These direct connections serve as an instant source of truth for users.

Book a demo with Vizion.