About AAR Circular Letters
Circular letter summaries are produced monthly by Greenbrier Management Services Group.
AAR circular letters provide information of general applicability to the railroad industry, including proposed and final rules, revisions, standards and recommended practices, and calls for comments. These summaries provide the main points of circular letters issued in the prior month, as well as important implementation deadlines.
For access to the complete circular letter, please go to my.aar.org/circulars. Circular letters are a fee-based service provided by the AAR’s Transportation Technology Center Incorporated (TTCI). You may subscribe online at publications@aar.com or call 719.584.0538.
Implementation Circulars
C-14174
Notice of Implementation: Release of 2023 edition of the Section 1 AAR Open Top Loading Rules Manual (OTLR)
Issued: June 20, 2023
Effective: June 20, 2023
The implementation of these revised changes to Section 1 is effective immediately. Section 1 contains the general rules and guidelines applicable to all open top loading. This manual includes procedures for open top load testing and rule changes, party responsibilities, minimum requirements, and guidance on setting up multicar and dimensional load shipments. Commodity specific load patterns, after being tested and approved by the AAR Open Top Loading Rules Committee, are published in the appropriate section that addresses their commodity categories. The approved load designs are called figures. These figures are contained in Sections 2 through 7. AAR maintains an online OTLR library of OTLR’s rules and figures and can be accessed at https://my.aar.org/otlr. Carriers are asked to ensure that copies of this circular letter are distributed to all concerned shippers and railroad personnel for their attention and guidance.
C-14177
Notice of implementation to edit Item A description, to include minimum end of car clearance requirements, to Figure 15 – Section 5 of the AAR Open Top Loading Rules Manual (OTLR)
Issued: June 27, 2023
Effective: June 27, 2023
The AAR’s Open Top Loading Rules Committee (OTLRC) has approved to implement this figure as follows:
Item: A
Description: Load should be centrally located on car at origin, but must not be closer than 2-ft from either end of car or from any hand brakes and safety appliances that extend above the side sill.
The implementation of this revision is effective immediately and will be included in the next edition of the AAR’s OTLR Manual. In the interim, please insert the circular attachment for figure 15 from Section 5 and be governed accordingly. Carriers are asked to ensure that copies of this circular letter are distributed to all concerned shippers and railroad personnel for their attention and guidance.
Call for Comment
C-14165
Soliciting Participants for Inclusion in the 2024 CRB Survey Process
Issued: June 1, 2023
Notification of participation deadline: June 15, 2023.
The purpose of this circular letter is to solicit Non-Class I Railroad and Running Repair Agent participants for inclusion in the 2024 Car Repair Billing (CRB) survey process. As detailed in C-13558, issued on April 30, 2020, the CRB survey process and calculation methodology now includes these parties in addition to Class I Railroads. In order for new participants’ data to be included in the CRB labor and material calculations for 2024, each of the three individual surveys must be completed and submitted to the AAR by the deadlines identified below:
- Base Wage Rate Survey – submitted to AAR by July 31, 2023
- Overhead Study Survey – submitted to AAR by September 8, 2023
- Material Price Survey – submitted to AAR by November 10, 2023
If your company is interested in participating in the survey process, please complete the contact form (attached to the circular) and submit to the undersigned at billp@aar.org. The AAR will then reach out to the specified contacts to begin the data collection process. The deadline for notifying the AAR of your company’s intention to participate is June 15, 2023.
Notice of Circulars
C-14167
Informational Circular, Canadian Car Repair Facility Labor Rate – Effective July 1, 2023
Issued: June 2, 2023
Effective: July 1, 2023
The Canadian Car Repair Billing Labor Rate calculation for July 1, 2023, is $242.22 CAD. The change will be reflected in the July 1, 2023, release of the Canadian Price Master.
C-14166
Informational Circular, Car Repair Facility Labor Rate – Effective July 1, 2023
Issued: June 2, 2023
Effective: July 1, 2023
The Car Repair Facility Labor Rate, effective July 1, 2023, is $194.23. This will be reflected in the July 1, 2023, release of the AAR Office Manual.
C-14172
AAR Safety Alert Regarding Unsecured Angle Iron on Top Cord of High Side Gondolas Resulting in an Employee Fatality
Issued: June 5, 2023
Effective: June 5, 2023
A student conductor was fatally injured, and a conductor was seriously injured, in December of 2022 when a freight train operating at speed on a main track encountered a section of angle iron that was protruding from the top cord of a high-side gondola in a standing train on an adjacent track. The angle iron was protruding into the foul of the main track and pierced a locomotive cab door window causing the fatality and other injury.
This safety alert is being issued to increase awareness of an unsafe condition involving maintenance to the top cord of high-side gondolas typically used in scrap service. In this accident, angle iron with dimensions 5″ x 5″ x ½” was placed on the top cord of both sides of a high-side gondola. The angle iron had been welded to the top edge of the car but had broken and became dislodged from its intended orientation along the top cord.
Other instances of angle iron becoming dislodged in a manner comparable to what occurred in the fatal accident have been reported. When this condition occurs, the angle iron can swing out, away from the car, and foul an adjacent track, causing a risk to employees on passing trains.
This safety Alert is intended to provide awareness and guidance to rail employees, including switching crews and carmen, to be on the lookout for high-side gondolas used in scrap recycling services that may have unsecured material extending from the top cord as explained above. Employees should be alert to the possibility of this condition and take action to safeguard all employees until the condition can be corrected.
C-14173
Informational Circular, Revisions to Field Manual, Rule 3 and EI-0001, Cars Overdue for 5/8 Year Single Car Air Brake Test
Issued: June 9, 2023
Effective: June 9, 2023
At the April 2023 meeting of the Arbitration and Rules Committee, a proposal to editorially revise Field Manual Rule 3, was reviewed and approved. Cars Due or Overdue for Periodic Air Brake Testing will be split into three separate Equipment Advisories (the entire text of the revision is included in the circular):
EI-0001 Active Cars Due or Overdue for Periodic Air Brake Testing
EI-0002 Inactive and Pre-registered Cars Due or Overdue for Periodic Air Brake Testing
EI-0003 FRA Overage Cars Due or Overdue for Periodic Air Brake Testing
C-14176
July 2023 Field and Office Manuals, Summary of Comments and Implementation Details
Issued: June 20, 2023
Effective: June 20, 2023
This circular provides a recap of circular letters issued in April and May 2023 soliciting comments on proposed rule changes, an indication of comments received (if any), consideration and implementation details. The rule changes are for the Field and Office Manuals and will be included in the July 2023 AAR Interchange Rule revisions.
C-14175
Informational Circular, Revisions to Field Manual, Rule 48
Issued: June 20, 2023
Effective: June 20, 2023
At the April 2023 meeting of the Arbitration and Rules Committee a request to revise Rule 48 to eliminate manufacturer specific language for swing motion style truck pedestal rockers, was reviewed and approved. The entire text of the revision is included in the circular.
Upcoming Event
MARS Summer Meeting
July 10–11, 2023
Greenbrier is a proud sponsor at the MARS in Lake Geneva, WI.
Greenbrier’s Regulatory Services Group
Peace of mind for your business.
The Regulatory Management Group, led by James Rader, provides regulatory, engineering, process consulting and advocacy support to the railcar repair industry and the petrochemical rail shipper community.
- ASNT Level III Subscription Services
- DOT Compliance Assessments (Corporate and Plant)
- DOT Hazardous Materials Training (Corporate and Plant)
- Expert Witness Services in Rail-Related Litigation
- Federal Government Claims Mitigation (e.g. FRA and PHMSA)
- Nondestructive Testing Programs
- Quality Assurance Program Development
- Regulatory Counsel and Policy Advocacy
- Railcar Repair Management (Design Review, Drawings, Engineering and AAR Approval Administration)
- Tank Car Reliability and Maintenance Programs (49 CFR Subpart F of Part 180)
- Tank Car Maintenance Data Collection and Reliability Performance Analysis
- Welding Program Development
For inquiries about these summaries or any of our services, please reach out to: regulatoryservices@gbrx.com
About Greenbrier Management Services (GMS)
Greenbrier Management Services (GMS) is North America’s most comprehensive railcar management solutions provider. GMS manages nearly 400,000 railcars and has invested over 20 years in developing technology, processes, and people to provide the best railcar management products and services in the industry. GMS is powered by proprietary software and the best subject matter experts in the railcar business.
COMPREHENSIVE. INTEGRATED. VALUE.
Combined, these two vitally important capabilities are able to deliver world-class solutions to every type of customer, from Class I railroads, lessors and industrial shippers to financial investors. GMS brings broad expertise to cover nearly any railcar management need that customers may have and its integrated solutions and reporting can be customized for any customer function or management need.