Intermodal

What is Intermodal ?

Intermodal in general is defined as the movement of finished goods or raw materials involving more than one mode of transportation. Rail Intermodal is normally thought of as a shipment in a container or trailer moving over rail plus one or two other modes 

Common Intermodal Terms :

• ISO & Domoestic Containers

ISO containers refer to those containers that are 20, 40, 45 and 48’ long and carried international on ships between countries and continents. Only a fraction of them ever move in North America. Domestic containers refer to the 53’ (and some 60’) containers that move solely within North America 

• BCO - Beneficial Cargo Owner

The Beneficial Cargo Owner is the ultimate owner in the shipment in the container. Unlike carload shipments where the shipper and consignee are the main rail waybill customer parties, the BCO fills that role in intermodal. The BCO books the shipments either direct or through a third party. The BCO may or may not be on the rail waybill. The BCO for intermodal would be companies such as WalMart, Home Depot and Dollar General. Amazon and WalMart have invested in the own container fleets 

• Freight Forwarder/Intermodal Marketing Company/Broker 

All three of these are third party (3PL) entities that book and manage intermodal shipments on behalf of the shipper or BCO. These parties can manage the pickup (dray), book the rail shipment, and the delivery to either the destination BCO or the port of debarkation. The advantage to a shipper or BCO using these services is that it allows them to focus on their core competency (manufacturing, retail, etc….) and spend less on transportation management. These 3PL companies rarely show on a rail waybill.

• Drayage or Dray Carriers 

Drayage is the act of getting the container from the customer dock to the rail ramp (or port) or from the rail ramp to the customer docks (or port).
This is the role of motor carriers in intermodal and is also referred to as the:
“First Mile” – Customer dock (or port) to the railroad ramp -or- “Last Mile” – From the railroad ramp to the customer dock (or port).

Types of Equipment :

• Intermodal Flat Cars - Two major types

Intermodal cars can be a single car or be articulated.  Articulated cars come in sets of 3 or 5 “platforms” that are counted as a single car.
Intermodal well cars can carry 1 to 3 containers in a single well. Articulated spine cars may carry 1 or 2 trailers or 20’ containers 

Containers & Trailers : 

Containers may sometimes be referred to as "boxes" or "cans" in the industry

• Dry Van ISO Containers : 20', 40' and 45'

• ISO "Reefer" Containers: 40'

• ISO Liquid Tank Container : 20'

• Domestic Containers : 53', 60'

• Trailers : 53'

Intermodal Equipment - The Chassis

• The chassis is a rubber-tired trailer under-frame on which a container is mounted for transport in the intermodal facility, out on the street or on the highway transport. They come in 20, 40, and 53 foot sizes.
• Chassis used to be owned by the ocean carriers but are now largely owned by private pool companies.
• Motor carriers pay a daily per-diem for use of the chassis.