What is intermodal?
Intermodal freight travels in the same container across more than one mode of transport, typically rail for the long distance and trucks for the short legs at each end, without the cargo being unloaded between them.
The container is the unit. It is lifted between ship, rail car and chassis, and the goods inside are handled once at origin and once at destination.
Intermodal trades speed for cost. Rail is cheaper per mile over long distances and slower, so it suits freight with schedule tolerance rather than freight that is late the moment it is delayed.
What it means on a dispatch desk
For a dispatch desk, intermodal mostly appears as drayage work at the ends. The relevant question is not whether rail is cheaper but whether the carrier has the chassis access and terminal credentials to work those legs at all, because without them the loads cannot be covered regardless of rate.
Related terms
- DrayageDrayage is short-distance trucking that moves a container between a port, rail yard or terminal and a nearby warehouse. The distance is small but the work is dense with waiting and appointment rules.
- LinehaulLinehaul is the base charge for moving freight from origin to destination, excluding fuel surcharge and every accessorial. It is the core of the rate.
- Dwell timeDwell time is how long a truck, trailer or container sits idle at a facility waiting to be handled. It is the underlying measure that detention charges are calculated from.
Put intermodal in context when researching carrier leads by state, including Texas, California and Illinois.
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