If they're full, they'd have seals on top and bottom(if applicable). Those seals will have a commodity tag attached. If hazardous, it will have DOT placards. Rail car numbers, most of which start with letters(UTLX, DOWX, etc.), tell who owns the rail car. I know I can look on a program at work to find this information but not sure if there's a public website to get it. Cars without placards and no commodity tags could actually be recently cleaned and empty. With companies slowing down processes, because lack of transportation, and customers not purchasing, these cars could very well be empty and being stored until demand comes back up. Not saying something nefarious isn't at play. Just saying this is typically how it works.
Ok. That works too. I just load these things and follow DOT regs for transportation of hazardous chemicals and RCRA waste. Most companies will not risk sending a car full of chemical out of the property without proper manifest. As an individual loading a product, you can be independently fined and jailed for doing so. I aint risking it. Still, not saying that some idiot wouldn't try cutting seals off the car and removing the placards. But it's still tracked through railserve with all the original information. And most cars also have GPS so it can be tracked whenever, wherever it goes.
Or they're being transported without any markings so people can't figure out what's in them.
Ok. That works too. I just load these things and follow DOT regs for transportation of hazardous chemicals and RCRA waste. Most companies will not risk sending a car full of chemical out of the property without proper manifest. As an individual loading a product, you can be independently fined and jailed for doing so. I aint risking it. Still, not saying that some idiot wouldn't try cutting seals off the car and removing the placards. But it's still tracked through railserve with all the original information. And most cars also have GPS so it can be tracked whenever, wherever it goes.
Shhhh. That type of talk don't sit well round these here parts, boy.