Intermodal Freight VS. Over The Road Trucking

Intermodal

Freight Right offers nationwide intermodal services for full truckload (FTL), less than truckload (LTL), and project cargo.

Capacity

Intermodal freight is moved in 53’ trucks as well as in 20’, 40’ and 45’ ocean containers.

Predictability

Intermodal freight is much less volatile than over the road trucking.

Visibility

Precise tracking from rail carriers every step of the way.

Drop and Pick

Like ocean shipments, containers can be dropped for loading over hours or days.

Single Point of Contact

Our dispatchers will handle all involved carriers.

It's Green

Minimize your carbon footprint with one of the most fuel efficient modes of transport.

Intermodal Freight VS. Over The Road (OTR) Trucking

Intermodal freight and over-the-road trucking (OTR) each offer advantages that bring down the cost to ship. Rail freight is generally less expensive and is more likely to carry heavier freight, while intermodal is slightly slower, thus a better option of transporting goods that are not rushed.

Intermodal Freight is Green

Moving freight by rail is four times more fuel-efficient than moving freight over-the-road. Trains can move a ton of freight over 470 miles on a single gallon of fuel. The efficient use of fuel results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, increasing the portion of the intermodal freight and decreasing over-the-road will decrease our carbon footprint.

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More Options With Our Drayage Network

Drayage is a short-haul means of transportation with a 200-mile transit radius, it moves the container to and from the rail terminal or shipping port. Working with an experienced company ensures that all drayage capabilities are fully leveraged. Freight Right offers you access to a nationwide drayage network with:

Coverage at all ports and ramps
Bonded, quality carriers anywhere you need them
Dry and temperature-controlled capabilities
Warehousing and transloading contacts near every major port
Extensive nationwide network of UIIA and TWIC certified carriers

Here Is How It Works:

- A truck will pick up an empty trailer or a container and will deliver it to the shipper for loading;

- Once loaded, it will be delivered to the railyard where it will be loaded onto railcars;

- These are ultimately shipped out and the train leaves the origin;

- Once the train arrives at the destination, the trailer is taken off the car and lowered onto a chassis;

- Then another carrier at the destination picks up the trailer and delivers it to the receiver for unloading.

*This maneuvering is primarily why rail is slightly slower than over-the-road trucking.

How Long Does It Take?

Rail transit times vary depending on port and railyard congestion, and other transport conditions. However, they tend to move more rapidly than trucks when it rains or snows. Here’s an idea of transit times:

A Little More About Rail:

Historically, railroads were slow and unreliable means of freight transport. Each railyard set its own schedules for its people, locomotives, and cars. There was no actual coordination, which resulted in an inconsistent service and schedule.

Legendary railroader Hunter Harrison pioneered the system called Precision Railroading, in which the trains ran 24/7 on set schedules. The benefit of all-night runs when the routes are free of commuter trains has made the North American railroad system one of the most reliable on-time modes of transport. Current freight rates per mile for intermodal transport comfortably beat motor freight rates for distances over 500 miles.

Intermodal freight and over-the-road trucking (OTR) each offer advantages that bring down the cost to ship. Rail freight is generally less expensive if the freight's origin and destination are close to railyards (railheads). Rail shipping is also the most economical choice when shipping heavy freight.

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