North American Rail Shippers Association

What North American Rail Shippers Association does

The North American Rail Shippers Association (NARS) is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1929 (originally as the National Railway Advisory Board under the American Association of Railroads) that operates as the umbrella organization linking five regional rail shipper associations across North America: the Pacific Northwest (PNWARS), Southwest (SWARS), Midwest (MARS), Northeast (NEARS), and Southeast (SEARS) associations. NARS aggregates more than 7,000 members spanning rail shippers, Class I and short line railroads, equipment manufacturers, logistics providers, and regulators in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and provides a forum for dialogue between shippers and carriers through an annual meeting, semi-annual regional meetings, awards programs, and the Patrick J. Ottensmeyer Memorial Scholarship for transportation students. NARS separated from the Association of American Railroads in 1994 and has been self-managed since.

NARS does not charge membership dues; its officers are drawn automatically from the five regional associations plus elected officers and a board of directors. The organization monetizes through tiered corporate sponsorship packages (Bronze $1,250, Silver $2,500, Gold $3,500, Diamond $5,000, Platinum $7,500, Emerald $10,000, Exhibitor $800, plus named event sponsorships ranging from $2,000 to $4,000) and annual meeting attendee registration fees ($575 early bird, $625 standard for the 2025 meeting). Operations are lean: the headcount is reported at 11-50, with Tracy Stein serving as Executive Director and a board of directors drawn from sponsoring companies including railroads, law firms, shippers, and the AAR.

The platform is fundamentally a relationship-and-events business rather than a technology business. Distribution runs through rotating annual meetings (Washington DC in 2026), semi-annual regional meetings, the railshippers.com website for registration, scholarship applications and news, and direct email communications. NARS has no proprietary software product, no APIs, no mobile app, and no disclosed AI/ML components; its "technology" is essentially the convening infrastructure of an industry trade association.

Name

North American Rail Shippers Association

Legal name

North American Rail Shippers Association

Website

https://railshippers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

North American Rail Shippers Association is a 1929-founded nonprofit trade association that serves as the umbrella body linking five regional rail shipper associations across North America, providing annual meetings, regional conferences, an awards program, and a scholarship fund to more than 7,000 members in the rail shipping community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Meeting Registration Fees: NARS generates revenue through annual meeting registration fees. In 2025, registration was $575 until April 9, then increased to $625.
2. Sponsorship Packages: Corporate sponsorships at various tiers (Emerald $10,000, Platinum $7,500, Diamond $5,000, Gold $3,500, Silver $2,500, Bronze $1,250, Exhibitor $800) fund the organization and scholarship program.
3. Scholarship Fund Donations: The organization accepts donations to the Patrick J Ottensmeyer Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NARS is the umbrella organization that links five regional associations of rail owners, vendors, and users across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. It provides annual national meetings, regional association meetings, scholarship funding for transportation students, and industry awards, serving as the primary networking and educational forum between rail shippers, Class I and short line railroads, and regulators.

Product overview

The North American Rail Shippers Association (NARS) is an umbrella organization that provides a platform for networking and education for the rail shipping community. It operates through five regional associations (PNWARS, MARS, SWARS, NEARS, SEARS) and offers annual meetings, regional meetings, a scholarship program, and awards recognition. NARS does not charge membership fees—members of regional associations automatically become members of NARS. The organization connects rail shippers, railroads, vendors, and industry professionals through forums that enable open discussion of rail transportation issues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual National Meeting
• Regional Association Meetings
• Patrick J Ottensmeyer Memorial Scholarship Program
• NARS Awards Program
• Meeting Sponsorship Packages

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• TrinityRailminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Emerald level sponsor for NARS 2026 Annual Meeting
• Association of American Railroads (AAR)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Gold sponsor for NARS 2026 Annual Meeting
• Norfolk SouthernminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Gold sponsor for NARS 2026 Annual Meeting
• BNSF RailwayminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Diamond sponsor for NARS 2026 Annual Meeting
• Canadian National Railway (CN)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Diamond sponsor for NARS 2026 Annual Meeting
• Union Pacific RailroadminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Diamond sponsor for NARS 2026 Annual Meeting
• Traffic Club of ChicagominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021NARS partners with the Traffic Club of Chicago for joint events, including the Annual Dinner held in conjunction with NARS annual meetings.
• Pacific Northwest Association of Rail Shippers (PNWARS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1929Regional association linked under the NARS umbrella, representing rail shippers in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and Canada.
• Southwest Association of Rail Shippers (SWARS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1929Regional association linked under the NARS umbrella, representing rail shippers in the Southwest United States and Mexico.
• Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1929Regional association linked under the NARS umbrella, representing rail shippers in the Midwest United States.
• Northeast Association of Rail Shippers (NEARS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1929Regional association linked under the NARS umbrella, representing rail shippers in the Northeast United States and Canada.
• Southeast Association of Rail Shippers (SEARS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1929Regional association linked under the NARS umbrella, representing rail shippers in the Southeast United States.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Association of American Railroads (AAR): AAR is the broader North American Class I railroad trade association and historically the parent of NARS (until 1994). It is comparable as a rail industry convening and advocacy organization, but operates at the carrier level rather than the shipper-carrier bridge that defines NARS.

Emerging players

• Coalition for Transportation Productivity: The Coalition for Transportation Productivity is an industry group advocating for higher-weight truck productivity, including rail-competitive policy. It is partially comparable to NARS as a shipper/carrier advocacy organization touching rail freight policy.

Direct peers

• American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA): ASLRRA is the trade association for short line and regional railroads in North America. It is comparable to NARS as a railroad-focused membership association that hosts annual conventions, advocacy, and member services, although its primary members are carriers rather than shippers.
• Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS): MARS is the Midwest regional rail shipper association under the NARS umbrella. It is directly comparable as a sister regional association hosting semi-annual meetings and providing a local forum for shippers and carriers.
• NASSTRAC (National Shippers Strategic Transportation Council): NASSTRAC is a shipper-focused transportation association that runs networking events, education, and advocacy across modes including rail. It is comparable to NARS in function and target audience (logistics and supply chain decision-makers).
• Pacific Northwest Association of Rail Shippers (PNWARS): PNWARS is one of the five regional rail shipper associations under the NARS umbrella, serving the Pacific Northwest U.S. and Canada. It is directly comparable as a sister regional shipper association hosting semi-annual meetings.
• National Industrial Transportation League (NITL): NITL is a U.S. trade association representing industrial shippers and receivers in transportation policy and service issues, including rail. It is directly comparable to NARS in serving as a shipper advocacy and convening forum, though with a regulatory/policy emphasis.
• Southwest Association of Rail Shippers (SWARS): SWARS is the Southwest regional rail shipper association under the NARS umbrella, covering the Southwest U.S. and Mexico. It is directly comparable as a sister regional association hosting semi-annual meetings.
• Traffic Club of Chicago: Traffic Club of Chicago is a regional transportation and logistics association that co-hosts events with NARS (e.g., the Annual Dinner). It is comparable as a regional membership association serving shippers, carriers, and intermediaries in the Chicago logistics market.
• Intermodal Association of North America (IANA): IANA is the trade association representing the intermodal freight industry in North America. It is comparable to NARS in hosting annual conventions, networking, and industry data services for shippers and carriers in a rail-adjacent segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about North American Rail Shippers Association