Freight modes · Intermodal (rail plus truck)
Intermodal freight moves your product in a container by rail for the long middle of the trip, with trucks handling pickup and delivery at each end. On the right lanes it can cost less than truckload. On the wrong ones, drayage, ramp distance and slower transit wipe out the savings.
We look at your long-haul truckload lanes, compare intermodal on a true all-in basis, then contact intermodal providers and drayage carriers and negotiate on your behalf. Dry van and reefer.
Built for US CPG food and beverage brands with $1M+ in annual freight spend that move steady volume over long distances, such as from a plant or co-packer to DCs across the country.
Intermodal savings come from picking the right lanes and pricing the whole door-to-door move, not just the rail portion. These are the levers from our 10 that matter most here.
Industry guidance
According to the U.S. EPA, SmartWay is a voluntary public-private program, launched in 2004, that “helps companies identify and select more efficient freight carriers, service providers, transport modes, equipment, and operational strategies to improve supply chain sustainability and lower costs from goods movement” (source: EPA SmartWay). Here is what its shipper guidance says about intermodal freight, and what it means for your freight bill.
Maximizer Team is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. EPA. Full list of sources below.
The right answer is rarely one mode for everything. We choose lane by lane and order by order, based on cost per case, delivery requirements and how the product needs to travel.
| If you see this | Consider |
|---|---|
| Short lanes, or shippers and receivers far from a rail ramp | Full truckload |
| Tight delivery windows or urgent orders | Full truckload, with intermodal kept for planned replenishment |
| Long-haul volume that fills only part of a container | Shared truckload or consolidation before moving it to rail |
| Steady long-haul truckload lanes with lead time to spare | Intermodal, compared all-in with truckload |
See how we compare them in our freight modes guide and our mode optimization lever.
Invoices · Review · Negotiate · Verify
On long-haul lanes with steady volume and enough lead time to absorb longer transit. Drayage at each end and the distance to the rail ramp decide whether a given lane actually saves money, so we compare it all-in with truckload.
The truck move between a rail ramp and your shipper or receiver. Intermodal shipments usually have two drayage moves, one at each end, and they’re priced separately from the rail portion.
Yes, on lanes where reefer containers are available. Capacity is narrower than for dry freight, so we check what your lanes support before recommending it.
It can if it’s used on the wrong lanes. We keep intermodal for planned, steady freight with lead time to spare, and keep urgent or appointment-sensitive loads on truckload.
12 months of freight invoices, plus your truckload and intermodal rate files if you have them. We sign an NDA where needed, and you get a free written review in 14 days.
Freight modes
Start with a short intro call. Then send us 12 months of freight invoices. In 14 days you’ll get a free written review of your biggest savings opportunities. Built for shippers with $1M+ in annual freight spend.
No upfront fees. Paid only from savings verified on your invoices. NDA available. Or call 707-292-9754Maximizer Team is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. EPA. References to SmartWay describe public U.S. EPA guidance only; they are not a claim of partnership, certification or endorsement.