Intermodal freight transport: The smart shipping alternative
When you want cost effectiveness, fuel efficiency, available capacity and reliable service, intermodal shipping may be right for your supply chain.
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How intermodal services work
Using intermodal shipping gives you door-to-door services via truck and rail, even when you don’t have access to tracks at your facility. Trucks handle the first and last mile of your shipment with trains taking the long haul portion in between.
Road: The trucking company brings you an empty container and, when loaded, takes it to the rail ramp (drayage).
Rail: The railroad ships the container from the origin to destination rail ramp.
Road: At the destination rail ramp, the container is transferred back onto a truck for final delivery.
Even though intermodal may add a day or two to your freight’s transit time, the environmental tradeoff is substantial. Transport by rail is four times more fuel-efficient than trucking alone. As an example, if you shipped 100 truckloads from Los Angeles to Chicago annually, you could save 200+ tons of CO2.
Converting the long haul portion of your transit to rail can have a significant impact on your sustainability goals.
Benefits of blending road and rail transport
Intermodal increases your supply chain versatility by by rethinking the possibilities for end-to-end to delivery. It is a more fuel-efficient, cost-effective way to move freight in longer haul situations vs standard truckload. You get the flexible service that trucks provide, but at a competitive rate only rail can offer.
Tap into the North American rail network by partnering with our intermodal experts. Kuehne+Nagel is a top Intermodal Marketing Company. IMCs are logistics companies that purchase intermodal capacity directly from railroad and trucking providers. We use equipment from multiply sources to offer solutions that help you diversify modes of transport with a lower carbon option.
Real-time visibility on every shipment that provides maximum transparency
Access to all North American railroads for ultimate flexibility and consistency
Robust network of drayage providers making first and last mile a seamless experience
Reduce carbon footprint by converting truckload freight to intermodal service.
