Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Determine your business' capabilities and needs by renting railroad products before you buy

Whether you're testing the waters before a major investment in railroad gear and other intermodal equipment or just need to handle a one-time cross-country shipment, sometimes renting makes perfect sense. Renting first, instead of buying right away, also gives you the perfect opportunity to familiarize your employees and managers with how intermodal equipment functions, is handled, operated and maintained -- all with little commitment, financial or otherwise, on your part.

I recommend: Learn about the types of port or intermodal handling equipment that are typically available for rent from companies like Maring Enterprises and Landbridge Intermodal Equipment Sales.

Stay current on regulations that apply to your fleet of intermodal or rail equipment

Intermodal and other rail products are carefully regulated for standards of safety, maintenance and inspection. Even though you probably have a dedicated maintenance department or a contractor that is responsible for the upkeep, you should still maintain close oversight over whether the relevant regulations and standards are being upheld.

I recommend: Use the Justia Regulation Tracker and the Federal Register's online search function to stay current on the latest laws and proposals that relate to safety regulation on intermodal equipment.

Keep track of rail and intermodal equipment and supplies with remote monitoring systems

Intermodal rail equipment, chassis and containers are all hefty business investments. They're also attractive shipping options for smugglers, drug runners and others who might want to take advantage of long range shipments that undergo relatively little handling. These are good reasons for keeping careful track of your assets with remote tracking/mapping units that are generally quite petite (less than a foot in dimension) compared to the units they're installed in.

I recommend: Learn about different ways of remotely tracking and monitoring intermodal chassis, equipment and containers from InfoGPSonline and PAR Technology.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Many of the companies that rent or lease intermodal or railway equipment may also have used railroad equipment available for purchase. You can use the rental or lease period to help evaluate whether it would be worthwhile to have the equipment on hand permanently, then score a good deal on used equipment that's still safe and effective.

Action Steps
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Lease intermodal railway equipment from many prominent shippers

Many established intermodal shippers lease their unused equipment. If you already have an intermodal shipping company that you work with, see if they have equipment you could rent. If you don't, there are many places where a new shipper can look for equipment.

I recommend: When leasing loading and offloading equipment, you can check with the depot you use but leasing containers and railcars is much easier. Both GE Rail Services and RSI Logistics offer lease options on their unused equipment. Leasing containers is even easier, as most intermodal companies have them as well. If you want an independent source, try One Way Lease. They have many different containers available.

Find railroad equipment suppliers selling new and used railcars

Railcars form the main part of any intermodal railway system. The size and configuration of your engine determine the number of cars you can pull, while the types of cars determine what kinds of cargo you can carry. Locating the right equipment from the beginning is the key to a successful operation.

I recommend: RailCarDeals is a website specializing in matching railcar buyers and sellers. They usually have a wide selection of offers available. Southwest Rail specializes in buying, selling and leasing railcars of all types. They even buy back old railcars if you don't need them anymore.

Locate rail equipment for sale and take charge of your own shipping

If your take great care with your cargo at every point in shipping, it would be a shame for something to happen at a loading dock. It is essential to perform as much of the loading and unloading of your product as possible. Buying your own railroad equipment is an often overlooked part of the intermodal chain.

I recommend: Try GREX for a selection of specialized railway equipment or Andress Engineering for a wide selection of intermodal transportation supplies.

Buy shipping containers, an essential piece of intermodal equipment

There are many different types of shipping containers, and most seem very basic. Having a well-maintained selection of containers will keep your intermodal system running smoothly. Damaged or faulty containers can ruin shipments and delay deliveries.

I recommend: Buy customized shipping containers from the RCS Group or Mikinney Container. Both companies offer a wide variety of sales and customization options.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Don't jump into intermodal railroad gear too quickly. Start out small and lease things before you buy so that you always know exactly what you need. Only increase your owned equipment when necessary and look for well-maintained used equipment.

1. Determine which types of railroad equipment are suitable for intermodal transport or container handling.
2. Learn how to properly package and load materials into intermodal or rail equipment.
3. Find out where to acquire intermodal containers, transfer/handling equipment and shipping services.
   

Action Steps
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Familiarize yourself with intermodal transportation supplies and equipment

The cargo container is the basic unit of intermodal transport: Rail products that can also be shipped by truck, sea or air. Containers come in standardized domestic or foreign sizes and may be specially equipped to safely transport dry, liquid or refrigerated goods.

I recommend: Union Pacific gives a comprehensive listing of various kinds of rail and intermodal equipment and supplies. The Intermodal Container Webpage helps you get acquainted with a wide variety of intermodal containers through photo galleries and notes.

Ensure that your intermodal and railway equipment is loaded correctly

Special care must be taken when packing or loading intermodal transport containers. Preventing movement of container loads is key to preventing damage, since intermodal loads may be transported by sea, road, rail or air and will arrive in the same container from at their point of origin.

I recommend: BNSF Railway offers an online guide for loading and securing intermodal shipments. GS Packaging offers some examples of potential uses and benefits for some intermodal load restraining materials.

Track down new and used rail equipment for sale, rent or lease

You have two major options when it comes to acquiring rail and intermodal transport equipment and supplies. You can either purchase, rent or lease the equipment yourself or allow a specialty shipper to handle the logistics, maintenance and paperwork for you.

I recommend: Landbridge Intermodal Equipment Sales rents, sells and leases intermodal containers, chassis and material handling supplies. Learn more about expediting domestic and international intermodal shipments at Schneider National, a transportation services company that owns their own intermodal equipment, which makes it easier for them to track your shipments.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If your shipper or source for railroad products tells you that containers are sized for International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard pallets, inquire about exact dimensions or pallet sizes. The ISO recognizes several different pallet standards.

Action Steps
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Dunnage

When you're shipping goods across the country or across the world, the last thing you want is for everything to be rattling around getting broken inside containers. Dunnage is any kind of material that prevents goods from damage during transportation. Common dunnage includes tarps, padding, ropes and strapping.

I recommend: Transportation Information Services has a great description of the different types and functions of dunnage.

Shipping container

A standard shipping container, sometimes just called a container, measures 20x40 feet and is widely used in intermodal and international shipping. If a company ships intermodally or internationally, it's often much cheaper and easier to ship goods in containers. For international or intermodal travel, the containers are typically loaded at the company's factory, transported to a train yard or port, loaded on a train or ship, loaded back on a truck and delivered to their final destination.

I recommend: Shipping International offers illustrations and other information about shipping containers.

Piggyback

When an over-the-road truck is placed on a flatbed train car for transportation, it's riding piggyback, or piggybacking. This occurs when it makes more sense to drive part of the way, load the entire truck onto a flatbed rail car, then drive the remainder of the distance to the final destination.

I recommend: See a piggyback train in motion at YouTube.

Less-than-truckload or less-than-containerload

Small freight shipments of less than a truckload or container load are known as less-than-truckload (LTT) or less-than-containe rload (LTC) shipments. These shipments are often bundled together and shipped in a full-size truck, then delivered individually in smaller vehicles.

I recommend: wiseGEEK has an excellent description of less-than-truckload shipping.

ISO pallets

When shipping overseas, it's particularly important to note international standards. International Organization for Standardization or ISO (yes, the acronym doesn't match the letter placement in the name) pallets, for example, meet certain requirements so that they can be easily and safely handled by loading and unloading equipment such as forklifts. When shipping intermodally or internationally it's critical to use standard pallets.

I recommend: The International Organization for Standardization lists all the particulars regarding ISO pallets.

Double-stack rail

Double-stack rail is when two containers are stacked on top of each other and carried on a single rail car. This configuration is much more efficient than the traditional one container per rail car configuration.

I recommend: Yenra provides an excellent discussion of double-stack rail advantages.