Freight Forwarding Protocol

Many operating systems (computer or otherwise) use car forwarding protocol; movements are based on routings assigned to cars in the database. Each car makes the same rounds repeatedly, which is neither prototypical nor interesting. Or they use freight ordering, basing car movements on orders placed by industries. But prototypically the railroad is not a party to orders between purchaser and shipper.

Freight forwarding means basing car movements on shipping orders placed by the industries who are the railroad's customers. The railroad then assigns cars from its available pool based on the shipping orders placed.

With the RMS/RCD programs, you define what products your industries will be shipping and what type of car is used for each commodity, and the program generates train orders based on freight shipments of industry customers.