CSX launches locomotive service truck in Toledo zone

CSX's mechanical department has introduced its first owned and operated locomotive service truck in the Class I's Toledo Zone in Ohio.

The solution allows locomotives to be serviced directly on the line of road, eliminating the need to send them to a central service center, CSX officials announced yesterday.

“Instead of sending a locomotive to a service center, we take the truck to the locomotive. We keep that locomotive in service and moving freight," said Jamie Smith, locomotive field service manager at CSX, in a press release.

The approach has transformed routine engine servicing by enabling mechanical employees to complete tasks in the field in about an hour. By avoiding routing locomotives to a shop, CSX has significantly reduced downtime and improved productivity, CSX officials said.

The benefits extend beyond efficiency, they said. Previously operated by a contractor, the truck is now staffed by CSX's Toledo Zone mechanical employees, supporting 16 line of road locations and the terminal in northwest Ohio. The insourcing effort has generated millions of dollars annualized savings across the CSX network.

CSX mechanical employees at the North Baltimore Yard redesigned the truck’s internal layout, making it safer and more efficient. The modifications eliminated the need to climb into the vehicle to access pumps and valves, reduced the truck’s overall weight, and removed the requirement for a CDL operator or hazmat endorsement.

“This truck changed the way our team operates,” said Sean Killian, CSX machinist. “We control when the engines are serviced. Everything is going out more on time, and we can focus on working to get these engines down the track efficiently.”

CSX prepared a video, available here, to demonstrate how the locomotive service truck works.