Revenues

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]

Revenues

Revenues

The Company’s revenues are primarily derived from the transportation of freight as performance obligations that arise from its contracts with customers are satisfied. The following table presents the Company’s revenues disaggregated by market as this best depicts how the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows are affected by economic factors:

	First Quarters
(Dollars in millions)	2021		2020
Chemicals	$	580	$	626
Agricultural and Food Products	349		365
Automotive	236		281
Forest Products(a)	220		219
Metals and Equipment	186		199
Minerals	125		127
Fertilizers(a)	122		110
Total Merchandise	1,818		1,927
Intermodal	468		422
Coal	384		405
Other	143		101
Total	$	2,813	$	2,855

(a) In first quarter 2021, changes were made in the categorization of certain lines of business, impacting Forest Products and Fertilizers. The impacts were not material and prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current presentation.

Revenue Recognition

The Company generates revenue from freight billings under contracts with customers generally on a rate per carload, container or ton-basis based on length of haul and commodities carried. The Company’s performance obligation arises when it receives a bill of lading (“BOL”) to transport a customer's commodities at a negotiated price contained in a transportation services agreement or a publicly disclosed tariff rate. Once a BOL is received, a contract is formed whereby the parties are committed to perform, collectability of consideration is probable and the rights of the parties, shipping terms and conditions, and payment terms are identified. A customer may submit several BOLs for transportation services at various times throughout a service agreement term but each shipment represents a distinct service that is a separately identified performance obligation.

NOTE 8.     Revenues, continued

The average transit time to complete a shipment is between 2 to 8 days depending on market. Payments for transportation services are normally billed once a BOL is received and are generally due within 15 days after the invoice date. The Company recognizes revenue over transit time of freight as it moves from origin to destination. Revenue for services started but not completed at the reporting date is allocated based on the relative transit time in each reporting period, with the portion allocated for services subsequent to the reporting date considered remaining performance obligations.

The certain key estimates included in the recognition and measurement of revenue and related accounts receivable are as follows:

•Revenue associated with shipments in transit is recognized ratably over transit time and is based on average cycle times to move commodities and products from their origin to their final destination or interchange;

•Adjustments to revenue for billing corrections and billing discounts;

•Adjustments to revenue for overcharge claims filed by customers, which are based on historical payments to customers for rate overcharges as a percentage of total billing; and

•Incentive-based refunds to customers, which are primarily volume-related, are recorded as a reduction to revenue on the basis of the projected liability (this estimate is based on historical activity, current volume levels and forecasted future volume).

Revenue related to interline transportation services that involve the services of another party, such as another railroad, is reported on a net basis. The portion of the gross amount billed to customers that is remitted by the Company to another party is not reflected as revenue.

    Other revenue is comprised of revenue from regional subsidiary railroads and incidental charges, including demurrage and switching. It is recorded upon completion of the service and accounts for an immaterial percentage of the Company's total revenue. Revenue from regional subsidiary railroads includes shipments by railroads that the Company does not directly operate. Demurrage represents charges assessed when freight cars are held by a customer beyond a specified period of time. Switching represents charges assessed when a railroad switches cars for a customer or another railroad.

During the first quarters 2021 and 2020, revenue recognized from performance obligations related to prior periods (for example, due to changes in transaction price) was not material.

Remaining Performance Obligations

Remaining performance obligations represent the transaction price allocated to future reporting periods for freight services started but not completed at the reporting date. This includes the unearned portion of billed and unbilled amounts for cancellable freight shipments in transit. The Company expects to recognize the unearned portion of revenue for freight services in transit within one week of the reporting date. As of March 31, 2021, remaining performance obligations were not material.

NOTE 8.     Revenues, continued

Contract Balances and Accounts Receivable

The timing of revenue recognition, billings and cash collections results in accounts receivable and customer advances and deposits (contract liabilities) on the consolidated balance sheets. Contract assets, contract liabilities and deferred contract costs recorded on the consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2021, were not material.

The Company’s accounts receivable - net consists of freight and non-freight receivables, reduced by an allowance for credit losses.

(Dollars in millions)	March 31, 2021		December 31, 2020
Freight Receivables	$	786	$	716
Freight Allowance for Credit Losses	(16)		(16)
Freight Receivables, net	770		700
Non-Freight Receivables	199		224
Non-Freight Allowance for Credit Losses	(12)		(12)
Non-Freight Receivables, net	187		212
Total Accounts Receivable, net	$	957	$	912

Freight receivables include amounts earned, billed and unbilled, and currently due from customers for transportation-related services. Non-freight receivables include amounts billed and unbilled and currently due related to government reimbursement receivables and other non-revenue receivables. The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses to provide for the estimated amount of receivables that will not be collected. The allowance is based upon an assessment of risk characteristics, historical payment experience, and the age of outstanding receivables adjusted for forward-looking economic conditions as necessary. Credit losses recognized on the Company’s accounts receivable were not material in the first quarters 2021 and 2020.