Meaning of Intermodal Transportation?
Intermodal freight is the use of two or more modes of the carrier, such as truck and rail, to transport the goods from shippers to the buyer. Special containers are used for intermodal transportation of goods on trucks, freight trains, and ships. These containers are durable in nature so that goods can be transferred between different modes of transportation easily. This reduces the risks of directly handling shipments. There are about 20-25 million containers moved through intermodal transportation every year.
Intermodal Freight Transportation Advantages
Intermodal transport can save companies money, increases the safety and transit of a shipment, and even help to reduce the company’s carbon footprint. Here are some major advantages of using intermodal freight transportation.
Costs Saving.
If your company is shipping freight to a long-distance, intermodal is an ideal solution for it. Further, intermodal transportation is an affordable solution because it provides more predictable pricing and flexibility in loading and unloading goods, which can help reduce handling costs. Also, when you required additional space on your dock, or prepare and load a shipment over the course of days, dropped intermodal container costs is lower in comparison to a full truckload.
Save Fuel.
The railway system needed less fuel to operate than road transport. Therefore, intermodal shipping minimizes costs, and hence it is an environment-friendly choice.
Shipment Safety.
Intermodal transportation is highly efficient when you need to transport goods to long distances because an intermodal container is well-suited for transport by either ground, air, or sea. Additionally, railroads are the best choice because it involves fewer accidents and is trusted to carry hazardous materials more than trucks and other modes of transport.
Common intermodal transportation queries.
When should you choose intermodal shipping?
Intermodal transportation is best suited for intermediate and finished goods in load units of less than 25 tons.
What is the drayage service?
Short distance trucking as part of a long-distance freight shipment is called drayage service.
What type of freight solution do I need?
To find out which shipping solution fulfills your business needs, a number of factors need to be taken into account. Our dedicated experts can help find the right logistics solution for you.
What is the difference between intermodal and multimodal transportation?
While both intermodal and multimodal transport involves the movement of cargo using two or more modes of carriers, there is a primary difference. In intermodal shipping, each mode of transport has its own carrier, with its own contract. Multimodal on the other hand uses two or more modes of transport but under a single contract or bill of lading.