A cost-efficient alternative to long-haul truckload — rail for the long leg, drayage on both ends. Priced and tracked as its own mode.
Container moves from origin to the rail ramp.
The long-haul portion moves by rail at a lower cost than over-the-road truckload.
Container is drayed from the destination ramp to final delivery or transload.
Both can serve long-distance freight, but they solve for different priorities.
| Consideration | Truckload | Intermodal |
|---|---|---|
| Transit | Typically the more direct option | Usually allows more transit flexibility |
| Cost | Often favored when speed or direct movement matters most | Can reduce cost on suitable long-haul lanes |
| Handling | One over-the-road movement | Rail line-haul with drayage at both ends |
| Best fit | Time-sensitive or less predictable lanes | High-volume, repeatable, transit-flexible freight |
| Planning | Shorter planning horizon may be possible | Benefits from consistent lanes and earlier planning |
Container pickup from port and rail ramps, performed by qualified drayage carriers and priced by pickup terminal — port fees passed through, fuel surcharge and chassis fees itemized.
Dedicated trailers for full loads, solo or team drivers, with equipment matching, rate confirmations and door-to-door tracking on every load.
Palletized freight, rated and tracked across multiple LTL carriers — with NMFC lookup, density-to-class estimation and accessorial validation built into the quote, before it ever reaches a carrier.
Register an account, send the lanes you run most, and we will quote them for you to compare.
LTL, truckload, drayage and parcel priced side by side — register direct, or partner as an agent
NMFC, density class and accessorial validation before the quote goes out
ZIP, NMFC, freight class and address checks — free, no signup