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Metals shippers now can guarantee rail-car capacity from Burlington Northern Santa Fe just as forest products shippers have done the past four years.

Through the railroad's Loading Origin Guarantees (LOGS) program, metals shippers can reserve capacity for BNSF's owned or leased gondolas and bulkhead flat cars four, 13 or 26 weeks in advance through an online auction held every Monday.

Launched in 1999, LOGS provides shippers a guarantee on certain BNSF-controlled equipment as long as they commit to ordering and using the equipment within specified time limits. Forest products shippers can guarantee capacity for up to one year through LOGS.

"The overriding objective of LOGS is to give the customer a very high degree of comfort for car supply and want-date placement, [and] help BNSF make fleet-sizing decisions," said Denis Smith, BNSF vice president, Industrial Products Marketing, in a prepared statement.