Gladiator

Make
Jeep
Segment
Sports Car

If you head to a dealership and glance at all the Monroney stickers pasted to all of the new cars on the lot, you'll see a little price at the end of the list that's labeled, "destination." That charge, if you don't already know, is the cost of shipping a car from the end of its assembly line to the dealership lot. Automakers have a variety of means to move vehicles around. Cars built overseas are, obviously, put on a cargo ship and sent to their destined region. Vehicles sent somewhere not close to water are usually loaded onto freight trains and sent to the places they will be sold.

Tesla is somewhat unique in the sense that it trucks Model 3s, Model S', and Model Xs around the country rather than rely on freight trains. But no matter the chosen method, shipping something has its own inherent risks. Risks that FCA and General Motors have just been reminded of.

That's because a train carrying Jeep Gladiators and Jeep Wranglers, as well as GMC Sierra HDs and Chevrolet Silverado HDs has just derailed and spilled the brand-new vehicles all over the Nevada landscape. The photos, snapped by the Lincoln Country Sheriff's Office, show the vehicular and train car slaughter, which took place Wednesday around 5 am in Lincoln County, just northeast of Las Vegas.

Around 33 Union Pacific rail cars were involved in the accident, but thankfully no toxic chemicals were spilled and no injuries resulted from the destruction. The wreck was so bad that it shut down nearby roads. "The county road from Elgin to Carp is completely closed until at least tomorrow and then it will remain partially closed for the next 7-10 days due to the train derailment this morning," reports the Lincoln County Sheriff's office. "There are construction equipment, train cars, and debris blocking the roadway. UPRR is working to get the area cleaned up and the road back open as quickly as they can."

While the wreck is bad news for fans of these trucks, which were shipped from GM's Flint, Michigan Assembly Plant and Jeep's Toledo, Ohio assembly line, the pickups were very likely insured so that the automakers won't lose any money on the wreck. The only real pain will be felt by customers who have to wait a little longer to get the vehicles they ordered.