Meet Our SIT Yard and the Advantages it Brings
Greater flexibility to meet changing demands and more transparent logistics processes are two requests that we have heard in 1,000 hours of interviews with converters. To address those challenges, we are giving you an in-depth look at our Storage In Transit (SIT) Yard and the benefits it will bring converters.
Peace of Mind For Your Supply
The goal of our SIT yard is to provide converters with logistical peace of mind. Shell Polymers will be able to deliver high volumes of products to centrally located customers and keep them in the know when it comes to their supply and its location.
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We’re able to achieve that thanks to having all of our hopper cars equipped with GPS units.
We’re the first in the polyethylene industry to make this investment, which offers many benefits.
Converters will be able to track their en -route shipments using our Customer Hub. Shell’s team will also be keeping tabs, so that we can notify converters as quickly as possible about any delays that might arise.
Early detection, coupled with our plant’s strategic location and dual-modality logistics approach, is one of the many ways a supplier can help converters minimize disruptions and downtime.
For example, if a train is waylaid by mechanical issues or rail congestion, Shell could arrange to send trucks, where possible, to transport replacement resin.
We can also work with other railroads in the region when needed. This will enable us to take advantage of additional tracks when demand increases. And as an added supply security measure for our regular customers, our fleet of trucks is at the ready in case of an emergency. This kind of supply chain modality will enable Shell Polymers to customize delivery solutions for the needs of our regular customers.
It’s also important to note that rail congestion typically happens four times a year, causing converters to send trucks to the Gulf Coast to pick up resin. This predictable congestion can be mitigated via our SIT yard, meaning converters may be able to avoid some of the challenges with delayed shipments during those times.
We are proud of our SIT Yard and the benefits that it will bring our customers. The yard’s strategic location, advanced technology, and Shell ownership can translate to our customers getting their materials faster via a transparent and state-of-the-art supply chain.
A Key Piece of Our Logistics Puzzle
A SIT Yard is sometimes described as a “warehouse on wheels,” as it acts as a storage site for products like PE resin. SIT Yards are rail yards where pellets are stored in or loaded into rail cars before being shipped to customers. Our SIT Yard is an important facility, located near our Pennsylvania polyethylene plant, helping enable reliable supply for our customers.
Shell and CSX cut the ribbon on the SIT Yard in Spring 2022, just ahead of our plant’s planned operations.
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Using a SIT Yard instead of traditional offsite storage creates a cost-effective resource for both the supplier and its customers. There is less of a need to store resin off-site as we can have materials produced and in storage, ready for converters, so they have a reduced need to order back stock.
Location, Location, Location
One of the biggest benefits our SIT yard offers converters is its convenient location. Our SIT yard is located outside of Pittsburgh, close to our Monaca, PA plant and many converters in North America. This opportune location makes it easier for us to respond to customer demand and get rail cars out quickly to our customers throughout North America.