# Escalation Consultants

> Escalation Consultants, Inc. is a rail freight cost-control consulting firm founded in 1979 and based in Gaithersburg, Maryland. For more than 45 years the firm has helped rail shippers of all sizes across the U.S. reduce and control rail expenses through economic analysis, rate benchmarking, optimized rail bid evaluation, negotiation assistance, strategic planning, and the annual Rail Negotiation Seminar. Its core message: the price you pay under a rail contract should not occur by chance.

Escalation Consultants works with large and small shippers in virtually every industry that moves product by rail, including chemicals, coal, energy, and other bulk commodities. The firm maintains proprietary databases covering the rate structure of all U.S. railroads, the competitive status of every rail station in the U.S. and Canada, and rail movements by commodity over time. This data is used to benchmark client rates, identify captive versus competitive movements, evaluate railroad profitability on specific lanes, and find win/win opportunities that give shippers leverage in rail negotiations. Services include Economic Analyses, Macro Benchmarking, Market Benchmarking, Optimized Rail Bid Evaluation (designed to reduce rate structures by 5% to 20%), Negotiation Assistance, and Strategic Planning. The firm has also provided expert testimony on rail rates and conducted fuel surcharge over-recovery studies used in industry lobbying and negotiations.

Escalation Consultants also operates Rail Cost Control (railcostcontrol.com), a companion platform and service offering that includes the Rail Rate Checker for identifying unnoticed cost-cutting opportunities in a shipper's rail rates.

Company details:
- Legal name: Escalation Consultants, Inc.
- Founded: 1979
- Address: 4 Professional Drive, Suite 129, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878
- Phone: 301-977-7459
- Service area: Rail shippers throughout the United States and Canada
- Related site: https://www.railcostcontrol.com/

## Main Pages

- [Home](https://www.escalationconsultants.com/): Overview of Escalation Consultants, its rail cost-control solutions, Rail Cost Control and the Rail Rate Checker, and the upcoming Rail Negotiation Seminar
- [About](https://www.escalationconsultants.com/about/): Company history since 1979, the firm's approach to fact-based rail rate strategy, and a contact form
- [Solutions](https://www.escalationconsultants.com/solutions/): Full description of services including Economic Analyses, Macro Benchmarking, Benchmark Each Market, Optimized Rail Bid Evaluation, Negotiation Assistance, and Strategic Planning, plus documented negotiation results
- [Past Projects](https://www.escalationconsultants.com/past-projects/): Case summaries covering capital investment savings analysis, captive plant rate negotiations, site location studies, market and profitability studies, PRB coal expert testimony, fuel surcharge analysis, and coal power plant strategic planning
- [Seminars](https://www.escalationconsultants.com/seminars/): Details, pricing, hotel information, brochure download, and registration for the annual Rail Negotiation Seminar, the most widely attended negotiation program specifically for rail shippers
- [Contact](https://www.escalationconsultants.com/contact/): Contact form, phone number, and office address

## Seminar Registration

- [Single Attendee Registration](https://www.escalationconsultants.com/single-registration/): Register one person for the Rail Negotiation Seminar
- [Group Registration](https://www.escalationconsultants.com/group-registration/): Register multiple attendees from the same company at the discounted additional-registrant rate
- [Recommendations](https://www.escalationconsultants.com/recommendations/): Testimonials and recommendations from past seminar attendees

## Resources

- [Analysis of Freight Rail Rates for US Shippers (PDF)](https://www.escalationconsultants.com/wp-content/uploads/Analysis-of-Freight-Rail-Rates-for-US-Shippers-2014-03.pdf): Report analyzing freight rail rate structures and trends for U.S. shippers
- [Rail Negotiation Seminar Brochure (PDF)](https://www.escalationconsultants.com/wp-content/uploads/Rail-Negotiation-Seminar-2026-04.pdf): Agenda, topics, and logistics for the Rail Negotiation Seminar

## Related Sites

- [Rail Cost Control](https://www.railcostcontrol.com/): Escalation Consultants' platform for managing rail costs and empowering negotiations
- [Rail Rate Checker](https://www.railcostcontrol.com/rail-rate-checker/): Tool for identifying overlooked rail rate reduction opportunities

## Optional

- [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/EscalationConsultantsInc): Escalation Consultants on Facebook