(a) Summary information. The summary of a contract for the transportation of grain products that involves service to or from a port must contain the following information:

(1) Carrier names. A list, alphabetically arranged, of the corporate names of all carriers that are parties to the contract, and their addresses for service of complaints.

(2) Specific commodity. The specific commodities to be transported under the contract. Broad commodity descriptions such as “grain products” are permitted only to the extent that is the commodity description in the contract.

(3) Contract duration.

(i) The date on which the contract has or will become applicable to the transportation services covered by the contract.

(ii) The termination date of the contract, and any terms for automatic extension or renewal of the contract.

(4) Rates and charges.

(i) The specific base rates and/or charges that would apply without the contract.

(ii) The existence (but not the terms or amount) of any escalation provisions.

(5) Volumes. The existence (but not the terms or amount) of any provisions regarding movement type (e.g. single-car, multiple-car, unit-train) or minimum volume requirements.

(6) Special features. The existence (but not the terms or amount) of special features such as transit time commitments, guaranteed car supply, minimum percentage of traffic requirements, credit terms, discounts, etc.

(7) Rail car data. Either the information in paragraph (a)(7)(i) of this section or the certified statement in paragraph (a)(7)(ii) of this section as follows:

(i) The number of dedicated cars (or, at the carrier's option, car days), by major car type, to be used to fulfill the contract or contract options, including those that are:

(A) Available and owned by the carrier(s) listed in paragraph (a)(1) of this section;

(B) Available and leased by those carrier(s), with average number of bad-order cars identified; and

(C) (Optional) On order (for ownership or lease), along with delivery dates.

(ii) A certified statement that:

(A) The shipper will furnish the rail cars used for the transportation provided under the contract, and that those rail cars will not be leased from the carrier; or

(B) The contract is restricted to services which do not entail car supply.

(8) Ports.

(i) The port(s) involved.

(ii) Either the mileages (rounded to the nearest 50 miles) between the port and each inland origin or destination, or the specific inland origin and destination points.

(b) Supplemental information. In the event a complaint is filed that is directed at a carrier's ability to fulfill its common carrier obligation with carrier-furnished cars, the carrier(s) shall immediately supplement the information contained in the contract summary by submitting to the Board, and supplying to the complainant, additional data on the cars used to fulfill the challenged contract. This additional data shall include (by major car type used to fulfill the contract):

(1) Total bad-car orders;

(2) Assigned car obligations; and

(3) Free-running cars.


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