In this blog, Ashley Dietiker, MRC’s Commercial Operations & Customer Service Manager, shares her insights on what customers value most, how MRC helps them navigate challenges and what makes MRC different from other railcar lessors in the market.
Rail customers today value reliability, safety, cost, energy and operational efficiency above all. They’re under pressure to move more freight with aging infrastructure, labor shortages and tighter regulations.
Railroads lose massive money when trains don’t run. Customers value predictive maintenance, asset monitoring and minimizing delays and disruptions. Rail is a 24/7 operation. Even small failures ripple across the network, so customers prioritize solutions that keep trains moving and reduce downtime.
Safety is the #1 license to operate in rail. Customers care about worker safety, track and equipment integrity, automated inspections, compliance and risk reduction. In rail, safety isn’t a feature. It’s the foundation. Customers invest heavily in technologies that reduce risk and support regulatory compliance.
Rail customers want real-time visibility across the network, integration across legacy systems and a good customer experience. There is a major shift toward digital railroads, which are systems that use data to predict, optimize and automate operations. MRC partnered with RailPulse in recent years for some of our new build cars and our customers truly appreciate the real-time updates that RailPulse provides.
Overall, rail customers want partners who help them run safer, more reliable and more efficient networks while preparing for a more digital and sustainable future.
MRC works with our customers to ensure we are meeting their needs in order for their business to succeed. We value our partnerships with our customers above all.
As a lessor, we help customers navigate capital constraints, fleet flexibility, maintenance and compliance and market volatility.
Leasing allows railroads and shippers to scale capacity without a large upfront investment, adapt quickly to changing demand and rely on a partner to manage asset lifecycle and regulatory requirements.
Customers often need equipment fast due to new contracts, network expansion and unexpected demand spikes. We provide fast access to equipment so customers can respond quickly to new opportunities.
A big part of what we help customers navigate is the balance between having the equipment they need and not taking on unnecessary risk or tying up huge amounts of capital. Rail assets are expensive and have long lifecycles, so buying everything outright just isn’t practical for a lot of customers. Leasing gives them access to the equipment they need while keeping their balance sheet flexible. We also help them deal with unpredictable demand.
Freight volumes change with the economy, commodity markets and seasonality, so customers don’t want to be stuck with too many railcars during a downturn or not enough during a surge. MRC offers flexible leasing options and we work with our customers to scale up or down as their business needs evolve.
Our job is to remove friction so customers can focus on moving freight. Some of the challenges we come across are fleet availability and demand cycles, along with market uncertainty and planning long-term leases. We can’t predict the future, but we can use relevant market research and data to help our customers make the most informed decisions.
Our customer experience is at the core of MRC’s values because we know that customer experience drives loyalty and revenue.
Everything we do is centered around integrity, accuracy, transparency and respect. We never stop striving to exceed expectations of our satisfied customers.
Our team really sits at the intersection of our customers’ needs and the company’s growth. On the customer side, we help them get the right equipment, at the right time, in a way that fits their business and financial goals.
From the company’s perspective, that translates directly to long-term relationships and repeat business. Rail leasing is a relationship-driven industry, so building trust, understanding customers’ plans and being proactive about solutions helps drive utilization of our fleet and long-term stable revenue.
We also bring market insight back into the company. Because we are so close to our customers, we see trends in demand, emerging needs and potential risks early. That helps inform fleet strategy, investment decisions and where the company should focus next.
Overall, our impact is really about creating a win-win by helping customers succeed and grow, while driving utilization, revenue and smart growth for MRC.
There are several railcar lessors in the market, and MRC strives to be the first call. Benefits of a smaller leasing company include our agility and speed in decision-making, flexibility with lease structures and problem solving and our ability to adapt quickly to market shifts and customer needs. We combine industry expertise with the flexibility customers often can’t get from larger lessors.
This is a very exciting time for the MRC team as we are approaching our 30th anniversary and recently rebranded. Over the past three decades, MRC has grown and evolved a ton. Our fleet, our capabilities and our customer base have all expanded.
The rebrand is really about honoring our history while positioning us for the future. It signals that we are not just a railcar provider. We’re a long-term partner helping customers navigate capital planning, fleet strategy and industry change.
Internally, it’s also been energizing. It gives our team a shared story and momentum as we head into the next chapter of growth. The rebrand isn’t just cosmetic. It represents our growth as a company and our commitment to the future of the rail industry.
What I really enjoy about the rail industry is that it is essential and incredibly relationship-driven. I have worked in the rail industry for over 12 years now and one thing I truly enjoy are the long-lasting relationships and industry community you grow across all networks. Owners, shippers, maintenance and service providers: the list goes on.
Rail quietly powers so much of the economy, and it’s rewarding to be a part of an industry that keeps goods and people moving every day.
From a commercial operations and customer service perspective, I love the problem-solving aspect. No two customers are exactly the same, and their needs can change quickly.
Being able to work closely with customers, understand their business and help find solutions that keep their operations running smoothly is really motivating to me.
I also enjoy how collaborative the industry is. Success depends on strong partnerships and trust, so building long-term relationships and being a reliable partner is a big part of the job. And that is something I genuinely enjoy.
Rail is evolving. There is a lot of innovation and change happening around efficiency, sustainability and technology. It’s exciting to be part of an industry with such a strong legacy that’s also continuing to modernize, and I look forward to seeing what’s next.
Click here to see the 7-minute video of Ashley Dietiker sharing her thoughts on MRC’s approach to customer service.
