Riding the Rails: Inside the Business of America's Railroads

by Robert D. Krebs

When Robert D. Krebs joined the ranks of Southern Pacific Railroad in 1966, the industry had been in decline for decades, and the future of trains was in peril. Despite these obstacles, Krebs fell in love with the rugged, competitive business of railroads and was determined to overcome its resistance to change and put rail transportation back on track. By the age of 40, Krebs was president of the Southern Pacific Railroad and had also served as chief executive of both the Santa Fe Railway and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway companies. Riding the Inside the Business of America's Railroads details Krebs's rise to a position of influence in the recovery of America's railroads and offers a unique insider's view into the boardrooms where executives and businessmen reimagined transportation in the United States.

Genres: Biography, Railways

144 pages, Hardcover

Published January 22, 2018

Reviews

[Pedro Degiovanni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly entertaining, even to a neophyte to railroads as myself. He gives useful context that helps understand the dynamics of the big railroads of the second half of the 20th century. Sadly, the book took a dip in quality after he became CEO; instead of describing the fascinating details of how to make a company run, he started talking about Vission, Mission and Goals.

[Joe Topham · Rating 3 out of 5]

An efficient overview of the career and thinking of one of the most successful railroad leaders of the modern age, Riding the Rails delivers a pitch for the "Krebs way" at Southern Pacific, Santa Fe, and the BNSF. Which, is pretty fair given his success. There are some excellent tips here for future managers of large organizations, and transportation moguls alike.

At times it feels Krebs is making the case for his leadership decisions a decade or more after the fact, but again, he deserves to be heard. BNSF is a resounding success as a freight hauler, and to give anyone but Krebs the credit would be to deny the force behind much of how they have arrived where they are today. The book does a good job of riding with the author from his first days on the railroad to his retirement as CEO of BNSF, this is an interesting and necessary read for anyone interested in understanding the modern age of railroad operations.

[Tab Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this hoping to gain a better understand of how a railroad works and how the industry works. In that regard, things fell short. There was lots of insider talk, terminology, and operations that went left undefined and leaves readers confused. It doesn't detract from the book, but it also doesn't serve as an industry primer like I hoped.

Krebs's career arc is interesting. There are some fun anecdotes about Buffett (who I knew was involved), Zell, and Reichman (who I didn't know were involved). How Burling Northern Sante Fe came together was also very interesting. Some of the failed M&A, like with UP and CP was fascinating. That said, I was disappointed to find Berkshire buying BNSF wasn't discussed. That commentary / background probably would have been enough to put this in the 4* category.

Overall, it is a worthwhile read if you are interested in Berkshire or the railroads, but leaves a lot to be desired as a primer and given the sub-title.

[Earl Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had reasonably high expectations for this book due to the cost ($28 for only 144 pages) and being a BNSF alumnus. While the book was certainly an interesting quick read, it fell short primarily due to my feeling that it was more of a chronological recap of Krebs’s career than an inside look at the industry. While he certainly had a phenomenal career at an interesting time in the industry, I felt there was a missed opportunity to expand the context on the history/state of the industry when he joined, the major events that took place during his career (Staggers Act, Merger Frenzy, etc.), and the implications of those events on the companies that he led and the industry as a whole.

There are not very many published contemporary railroad books written by current/former C-level senior leaders, so this book is a welcome addition. This book is a good read if you have nothing more than a passing interest in the business of American railroads.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book that traces Robert Krebs railroading career from a trainee, then assistant train master, to ultimately at his retirement, the CEO of BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway). It is a walk through many railroad lines as they merge together, a history of American railroading today. Railways to succeed must be profitable to the shareholders and their employees, giving exemplary service for reasonable rates to its customers, is what Mr. Krebs emphasized.

[M.J. Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing railroad leader!

This book on Rob Krebs made me smile. I enjoyed reading on how he rose from a switchman at Southern Pacific to that railroad’s president, to CEO at the Santa Fe Railway and top executive power at BNSF. The book contains interesting anecdotes provided by Rob himself. I recommend this book for anyone interested in railroad business or big corporate business.

[Bud Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

The detail and history and accuracy make this one of the greatest railroad and business books I have ever read. This guy knows railroading and has been apart of its history for many years. Honored to have read his book.

[Bill Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting insight into RR management, but I would say a little bit of lack of self-awareness. No doubt he was good at operations, but until the end of the book you don't get a feel for management style, which I would guess was abrupt at best.