Intermodal Marketing Companies (IMCs) Key Terms

Understand the basic terms associated with intermodal shipping companies

Intermodal marketing companies offer business owners the opportunity to transport their goods to faraway places using a variety of methods. It's especially useful when, for example, a company wants to ship goods overseas by boat, but then use trucks to have the goods reach their final destination. However, when using these types of services for the first time, you may come across several terms with which you're not familiar. From container shipping to surety bonds, you can easily learn about all the terms associated with intermodal marketing companies.

 

Container shipping

Simply put, container shipping is the shipment of goods in a container. This is a large box, typically about 40 feet long, which can hold many items. Companies typically price shipping costs per container. Before container shipping, loading goods for shipment was much more cumbersome.
Try: The Container Shipping Information Services website offers an interesting look at the history of container shipping.

LTL and TL

LTL stands for less than truckload and TL stands for truckload. In LTL shipping, an intermodal company will combine the shipments of several companies in order to create a full truckload.
Try: Look at Access America Transport, which offers a full description of LTL shipping.

HAZMAT certificate of registration

The government requires all who work with hazardous materials to receive training on how to properly handle dangerous substances. Companies that deal with hazardous materials must register with the government. The Department of Transportation will then issue a HAZMAT certificate of registration, which shows that the company is registered with the government and has training in handling hazardous materials.
Try: New Prime shows an example of its HAZMAT certificate of registration, which it received from the Department of Transportation.

Port-to-door, door-to-door and port-to-port

Port-to-door shipping means that a company will ship your goods from the port directly to its destination. However, you are responsible for getting the goods to the port. Other methods include door-to-door, where your goods are picked up from your company and delivered to the destination location, or port-to-port, where you get the goods to the port for shipment and the recipient picks up the shipment from the destination port and arranges transportation to its final location.
Try: To understand the various methods of shipping, visit Bloom International Relocations, which describes each of the methods.

Operating authority

In order to transport goods across state lines, a company must have an operating authority form or a broker's operating authority form. This proves that the company understands applicable federal regulations and rules.
Try: Logistec/TTS offers a list of frequently asked questions about trucking, including several questions and answers about operating authorities.

Supply chain visibility

Business owners researching intermodal transport companies should try to choose companies that offer supply chain visibility. As a company ships your goods from one location to another, supply chain visibility allows you to see exactly where they are in the process. GIS systems in particular are aiding in even more exact supply chain visibility.
Try: Ciber discusses supply chain visibility and the methods used to achieve it.

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