DOF Ground's Intermodal Solutions
Intermodal freight utilizes multiple modes of transportation — from cargo ships to trucks and trains — to move your goods efficiently and at a lower cost.
Cost Effective And Reliable Intermodal Transportation Services
As an intermodal marketing company (IMC) with standing contracts with the Class I railroads, we can help you:
Convert your truckload freight to intermodal.
Source containers from a pool of 100,000+ railroad-owned domestic 53’ assets.
Find 45’, 40’ and 20’ international container capacity.
Tap into our network of drayage carriers to keep your container moving.
Our specialists make intermodal easy by guiding you through scheduling, implementing best practices to mitigate accessorial fees and managing your shipment from the loading dock to the final destination. And if you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint, you can cut your CO2 emissions by over 30% with intermodal compared to over-the-road shipping alone.
What Is Intermodal Shipping?
Intermodal shipping refers to moving freight by two or more modes of transportation. By loading cargo into intermodal containers, shipments can move seamlessly between trucks, trains and cargo ships. Intermodal shipments typically fall into one of two categories: international intermodal or domestic intermodal. International intermodal shipments travel in 20- or 40-foot containers. As international intermodal shipments travel between ocean carriers, trucks and trains, the product stays in the same container for the entirety of the trip. Domestic intermodal shipments travel in 53-foot containers. Although these shipments are referred to as “domestic intermodal,” products may still arrive from overseas. The key difference is that after products arrive at a port in 20- or 40-foot international containers, they are transferred to 53-foot domestic containers, whether at a cross dock facility, transload facility or distribution center. From there, they travel to inland (i.e., “domestic”) destinations..
What Are the Benefits of Intermodal Shipping?
Intermodal freight shipping offers a multitude of benefits, including:
1. Cost effectiveness
2. Fuel efficiency
3. Available capacity
4. Sustainability compared to long-haul trucking
5. Consistent, reliable service
So, why should shippers care about intermodal shipping? Putting these benefits together, intermodal can offer shippers a smart alternative to shipping by truck alone. Intermodal shipping gives companies access to rail even when their facility or their customer’s facility doesn’t have tracks at their door, allowing them to reap the benefits of rail without any capital investment.