Intermodal Marketing Companies (IMCs)

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Tips & Advice to help you make your decision on Intermodal Marketing Companies (IMCs)

Business owners that transport their goods to great distances may want to explore Intermodal Marketing Companies (IMCs). They can help business owners through a variety of methods and it is especially useful for a company when shipping goods overseas by boat, maritime ships, railroads, planes followed by trucks and other transporters before the goods reach their final destination. This improves cost-effectiveness and the time it takes to transport your products from one destination to another. By using shipping containers, container transportation companies can handle hauling obligations moving the container from one carrier to another. This helps the process go quicker, reducing damages and theft.

When determining if Intermodal Marketing Companies (IMCs) will work for your business determine what are the preferred shipping methods for your business. What kind of shipping constraints do you have or deadlines? Check out your options for container transportation, trailer companies and other intermodal shopping companies. Look at which ones have methods and services that will best meet your needs and help business. To learn more about intermodal marketing companies, Business.com can help you make a decision for a good fit. On the left side of this page, you can make a selection for this important endeavor.

Intermodal Marketing Companies (IMCs)

Intermodal shipping companies use at least two modes of shipping to improve cost-effectiveness. These intermodal marketing companies employ maritime ships, railroads, planes, trucks and any other transporters needed to get the job done.

A fairly recent shipping innovation is the development of modern containers used in all phases of transportation. The containers are easily carried by ship, railroad or truck. This makes it convenient for container transportation companies to handle all or most of the hauling obligations by simply moving the container with its contents from one carrier to another. This helps speed the process, while simultaneously reducing damage and theft.

Even if a transportation company is not a stand-alone intermodal shipping business, it can participate in one leg of an intermodal procedure. This type of operation is usually set up by a freight broker marketing enterprise. The broker gets the whole process moving by scheduling all aspects of the shipping process.

Before shipping products or materials, consider the following:

1. What are the preferred shipping methods for your business?

2. What container transportation companies, trailer companies or other intermodal shipping companies are available?

3. Would a freight broker marketing company or intermodal consolidator make your shipping task easier?

Find IMCs to help reduce your stress and workload

Reputable intermodal marketing companies offer dependable value-added service and effective competition.
Try: Contact the Intermodal Association of North America for a list of qualified IANA shippers in North America. You can also locate an IMC at LoadMatch, a business started by former transportation dispatcher Jason Hilsenbeck.

Consider purchasing your own shipping containers to be used by container transportation companies

Buy your own shipping containers if you will ship repeatedly. Not only can they be used by intermodal companies to ship your goods, but the containers are sturdy and reusable. You can also use them to securely store products while awaiting transport.
Try: Contact BSL Containers, a leading manufacturer of high-quality containers, for storage containers that are available in a variety of sizes to fit your needs. TSI Containers has been in business more than 28 years and is the place to purchase insulated and refrigerated containers.

Consider all costs you may save by using intermodal shipping

Shipping your own products may be cost-effective for short runs. You can figure in many obvious shipping operation expenditures, but there may also be hidden costs which can be entirely overlooked. When you consider payroll, insurance, transportation equipment, loading equipment, fuel, training and other factors, transporting your own goods may actually cost you more than hiring an IMC to do the job for you.
Try: For up-to-date statistics and industry data to help you make informed decisions, check with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration. For another source of information about the industry and its costs, read The Geography of Transport Systems.

Ask freight brokers or intermodal consolidators about Less than Truckload shipping if you have a small shipping load. It could be combined with an LDL load from another business to save both of you shipping costs.