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The best railroads and maritime shippers will thrive as global demand for commodities and goods continues to grow, writes Elliott H. Gue in Personal Finance.

The Pro: Elliott H. Gue, editor of Personal Finance
The Picks:

• top US freight railroad Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP)
• railcar maker Greenbrier (NYSE: GBX)
• tanker operator Knightsbridge Tankers (Nasdaq:VLCCF)
• container shipper Seaspan (NYSE: SSW)

The Takeaways:

• Union Pacific is benefiting from strong demand for coal, grain, and gains pricing power when oil goes up
• Greenbrier has seen a recovery in orders and could use the proceeds of a recent share offering to pay down debt
• Knightsbridge is mostly shielded from the current tanker glut and should benefit from rising rates next year
• Seaspan is also all but locked up for 2011 and is a play on growth in the global container trade

By the Numbers:

• Union Pacific operates more than 50,000 miles of track; buy under $100. (Shares closed below $95 Friday)
• Greenbrier leases 8,000 railcars and makes 60% of North American boxcars. Buy under $24. (Closed below $22)
• Knightsbridge shares are yielding 8.7% and are a buy under $25. (Closed shy of $23)
• Seaspan yields 3.6%. Long Beach, CA container volumes rose 25% in 2010. Buy under $14. (Closed at $13.94)

Quotable:
“Shipping remains the lifeblood of the economy. US railcar loadings have recovered to pre-recession levels, a sure sign that the economic recovery continues apace. The pulse of the global economy is also strong.”

Learn More:

• The fundamentals look a lot better than the recent charts of transport stocks, Tom Aspray notes
• Bryan Perry prefers another tanker stock as well as a maritime drilling specialist
• Gue recently flagged two possible buyout targets in oil equipment

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