- Freeways
- I-710, I-5, CA-91
- Starts
- Compton, square D7
- Ends
- Commerce, square D6
- Also reaches
- Rancho Dominguez, Santa Fe Springs
Alameda Corridor and Vernon: the reel pickup lane
The Alameda Corridor lane follows the freight rail trench from the 91 in Compton north through Huntington Park and Vernon to Commerce and the rail yards east of downtown. It is our busiest lane for building-wire reels and the lane that serves Vernon's data-centre construction.
Where the Alameda Corridor and Vernon run goes
The Alameda Corridor itself is a 20-mile freight rail line that links the ports to the BNSF and Union Pacific main lines near downtown Los Angeles. Its 10-mile trench, 33 feet deep, has carried trains since 2002, and the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority owns it. The truck does not use the rail, of course: it follows Alameda Street and the 710 alongside it, and the industrial cities strung along the line are the stops.
The run comes north from the ports end through Compton, picks up stops along Alameda Street and Santa Fe Avenue, cuts into Huntington Park and then spends most of its morning in Vernon, where nearly every lot is a plant or warehouse. It finishes in Commerce, between the BNSF Hobart yard and the 5, and either heads home on the 710 or carries on east on the San Gabriel Valley lane.
The run sheet, stop by stop
| Stop | Area | Grid | ZIP codes | Freeways | Usual flanges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Compton | D7 | 90220, 90221, 90222, 90224 | I-710, CA-91, I-105 | 30, 42, 48, 60 in |
| 2 | Huntington Park | D6 | 90255 | I-710, I-110 | 24, 30, 36, 48 in |
| 3 | Vernon | D6 | 90058 | I-710, I-5, I-10 | 30, 48, 72, 96 in |
| 4 | Commerce | D6 | 90040, 90022 | I-5, I-710 | 36, 42, 48, 72 in |
When the deck still has room, the run also takes stops in Rancho Dominguez (Ports and the 710 lane), Santa Fe Springs (Orange County on the 5 lane).
Where the reels on this lane come from
- Data-centre construction in Vernon
- Prime Data Centers' LAX01 (33 MW at full build-out) and Goodman Group's 49.5 MW project put large feeder and busway jobs in Vernon. Their reels are 60 to 96 inch, bolted and nailed.
- Food, metal and apparel plants
- Vernon's food plants employ almost 10,700 people. Rewires and new lines in plants like these empty 30 to 42 inch reels a few at a time.
- Municipal and city fibre work
- Vernon has its own electric utility, and Huntington Park is building about 50 miles of its own fibre. Both put reels on this lane.
- Wholesalers and contractors
- Electrical supply branches and contractors in Commerce and Vernon collect empties from cut-to-length sales and jobs.
What the stops on this lane put out
Reel sizes along the Alameda Corridor and Vernon lane
| Flange | Seen at | Empties per 53 ft deck (est.) | Empty weight, lb |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 in | Huntington Park | 416 | 23 to 24 |
| 30 in | Compton, Huntington Park, Vernon | 189 | 39 |
| 36 in | Huntington Park, Commerce | 102 | 64 to 77 |
| 42 in | Compton, Commerce | 60 | 90 to 100 |
| 48 in | Compton, Huntington Park, Vernon, Commerce | 26 to 30 | 106 to 177 |
| 60 in | Compton | 24 to 28 | 187 to 347 |
| 72 in | Vernon, Commerce | 20 to 24 | 204 to 592 |
| 96 in | Vernon | 16 to 18 | 250 to 1,199 |
Estimates from published reel and loading charts; method on reels per load.
What the driver needs to know on this lane
Because the freight trains run below the streets in the trench between Compton and Vernon, the cross streets along this lane are rarely blocked by trains the way they once were, which keeps the run predictable. The traffic that does slow it is trucks: drays to and from the rail yards in Commerce and Vernon, and the food plants' own fleets in the early morning. We aim to be loading in Vernon after the first wave of plant deliveries has cleared.
Small stacks ride along
This is the easiest lane in our area to ride along on. The stops are close together, the truck goes through Vernon on every run, and most docks have forklifts. A single 72 inch reel or a cart of 24 inch spools can be added without changing the route.
Windows and timing on this lane
Vernon docks keep strict receiving windows because refrigerated and container trucks are queued behind ours. Book a window you can keep, and tell us whether the reels are at a dock or in a yard. Afternoon traffic on the 710 and the 5 makes morning stops the norm.
The other lanes
Questions about the Alameda Corridor and Vernon lane
Is the Alameda Corridor lane the same as the ports lane?
They meet near the 91. The ports lane covers the harbour and the area just north of it; the Alameda Corridor lane covers Compton up to Commerce.
Do you pick up at data-centre sites in Vernon?
Yes, where the contractor lets a flatbed in and can lift the reels. Large reels need a forklift rated for them.
Can Santa Fe Springs reels go on this run?
Sometimes. Santa Fe Springs is normally the first stop on the Orange County lane down the 5, but it is ten minutes from Commerce.