Car Repair Billing

Car Repair Billing (CRB) is the system through which car shops and running-repair agents are reimbursed for repairs they make to freight cars. Because cars routinely travel over and are handled by railroads other than their owner, CRB provides the standardized way for the road or shop that performs a repair to bill the responsible party for that work.

Why It Exists

In the interchange network, a car owned by one railroad or company may be damaged or develop a defect while in the custody of another road. Someone has to fix the car so it can keep moving, but the cost should fall on the party responsible under the rules - often the car owner, but sometimes the road that caused the damage. CRB is the framework that sorts this out, defining what work is billable, what the standard charges are, and who pays for each repair.

How It Works

When a repair is made, the repairing party records the work - identifying the car by its reporting marks and number, the location by codes such as the SPLC, and the specific components and labor involved. The standardized rules and price schedules maintained by the AAR determine the charges and the responsible party, and a bill is issued accordingly. By using a common set of rules and standard prices across all railroads, CRB lets repairs happen wherever a car happens to be while still ensuring the right party is charged, which is essential to keeping interchange equipment in service.