Intermodal Shipping refers to the process of transporting a shipping container using at least two different forms of transportation, typically in a long-haul situation. That could mean truck to rail, ocean to truck, ocean to rail, or any other combination, sometimes involving air as well.
This is common when moving commodities too and from areas of the nation that are not easily accessible. For example, barges moving commodities up the Mississippi River would eventually need to transfer their loads to a truck or rail service.
It can also be used to avoid sending multiple single truckloads to one destination. In that case, multiple truckload shipments can be transferred to a rail line service. This allows multiple boxcars of goods to arrive to their destination at the same time.
Sometimes referred to as intermodal trucking, it can also be used when a shipper doesn’t want goods being handled at transfer points. When transfers are necessary, the entire shipping container is moved between modes of transportation – not the goods themselves.
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