What intermodal shipping is
Intermodal freight uses more than one mode of transport for a single shipment. In domestic shipping, that almost always means truck-rail-truck. A truck picks up your freight in a container, drops it at a rail yard, the railroad moves it across the country, and a different truck handles delivery at the destination yard.
Intermodal is cost-effective for long lanes, typically 600 miles or more, where rail can move freight more cheaply per mile than a truck driver under hours-of-service rules. The trade-off is transit time. Intermodal is usually one to three days slower than over-the-road truckload on the same lane, so it works best when your freight isn't time-critical.
Freight Squad arranges intermodal moves through major U.S. railroads and their drayage partners for industrial logistics, manufacturing freight, and long-haul freight programs. We coordinate the pickup, the rail line haul, and the delivery as a single shipment, so you have one point of contact across all three legs.
Why ship intermodal with Freight Squad
Real cost savings on long lanes
On lanes over 600 miles, intermodal often comes in 10 to 30 percent below over-the-road truckload. We help you identify which of your lanes are good intermodal candidates.
Drayage coordinated end to end
We handle both the origin and destination drayage, so you don't manage three separate vendors for one shipment.
Tracking across all three legs
You see status from initial pickup through rail movement through final delivery. One shipment ID, one timeline.
Capacity in tight truckload markets
When truckload capacity tightens and rates spike, intermodal often holds steadier. Diversifying part of your freight mix into intermodal protects you from market swings.
When intermodal makes sense
Lanes over 600 miles
Flexible delivery windows
Recurring volume lanes
Tight truckload markets
Lower-emission shipping
Port-to-inland freight
Intermodal FAQs
Intermodal typically beats truckload on lanes over 600 miles, especially in tight truckload markets. Under 600 miles, the cost of drayage on both ends usually eats the rail savings. We can look at your specific lane and tell you whether intermodal is the better economic choice.