In 1994 I made a commitment to bringing forward exactly what the world needs to solve its greatest challenges. It became clear to me: a civilization that invests in its inefficiencies is not sustainable. Getting our use of the wheel right for moving heavy weight over land became my drivetrain for innovative thinking that would lead society toward sustainability. Redirecting investment to advance the utilization of railroads, with the reduced friction of steel wheels rolling on steel tracks is now critical. This reorientation to capitalizing efficiencies will deliver cascading benefits to our environment, economy, and quality of life. Starting with supply chain infrastructure, it is time to transform how capital and resources are invested in all sectors. This blog is about why getting our use of the wheel right while transforming capital flow from inefficiencies to efficiencies matters to all of us.

Even beyond reduced emissions, the efficiencies of railroads generate many benefits. One of those benefits is a much lower impact on communities than highways. One train passes through a neighborhood in four minutes while the same cargo requires a tractor trailer every thirty seconds for one and a half hours. Railroads also alleviate highway congestion. The load carried by one 1 1/4-mile train requires a 27-mile convoy of trucks. However, even as North American freight demand rises 3% per year, rail freight’s market share has been declining. Freight railroads, while often operating out of sight and mind, need to once again be placed at the center of our environmental and economic regeneration.

For humanity to succeed with billions of us on a planet of fixed physical capacity, we must move goods from place to place as efficiently as possible. Addressing urgent environmental challenges requires an increased use of rail transportation, supported by collaborative, whole systems practices that transform supply chains and how capital and resources are invested. My perspectives are informed by working at the nexus of railroads, government, and communities for the last quarter century. I have advised states, the federal government, and railroads on the logistics of moving more freight by rail. We barely plan our supply chains in agriculture, minerals, food, consumer products, energy, and as we have recently seen, medical supplies.

We answer these challenges with a new way to think, plan, and invest. Our supply chain work models a much-needed shift—from capital and resource investment narrowly focused on individual projects, to regional, national, and global collaboration. Displayed below are our for-profit and non-profit entities that research and develop this model. With our client, the State of Nevada, we have birthed the Southwest Supply Chain Coalition, an innovative four-state collaboration for regional infrastructure planning and investment.

We are also launching the North American Freight Forum with my co-chairs, James Hoecker, the former Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Daniel Elliott, the former Chair of the Surface Transportation Board. The Freight Forum utilizes a new platform that organizes stakeholder intelligence toward improved commercial activity and public policy to better serve the common good. This platform can be directed to serve other arenas as well.