Intermodal drayage relies upon the use of multiple modes of transportation to carry freight to its endpoint. As a business owner, you may need to seek this type of shipment for the transport of goods that will be transported a long distance.

Your Carriers

Shipping goods involves calculating freight costs, tracking shipments, and abiding by a shipping company's policies. Products that will be shipped via an intermodal drayage transport service will need to be properly prepared before they are picked up from their point of origin. Intermodal drayage is typically utilized when large shipping containers are going to be transported overseas or across the country.

Before you sign up for this type of transport process, seek carriers who offer the services you need. Your research will provide you with information about the hubs where goods will be transferred between two shipping companies and the modes of transportation that will be utilized to transport each shipment. Typically, intermodal drayage vehicles will consist of large trucks, planes, and ships.

Your Responsibilities

You may choose an intermodal drayage shipping process due to time constraints. You may not have another way to ship goods if there are going to be any variables that will necessitate that two or more transport modes are used when shipping freight. For instance, if you are going to be shipping products to another country, you will likely need to rely upon the use of a boat or a plane to transport the goods to their final destination.

If the point of origin where the goods are being shipped from is not close to either the dock or airport where the products will need to be shipped from, you may need to hire a truck driver to aid with the beginning part of the shipment process. Your responsibilities involve ensuring that all of the goods that are being shipped are packaged efficiently. You will also need to be certain that you abide by the guidelines of a shipping carrier.

Some carriers may restrict the types of products that they will transport. While your intermodal drayage shipments are en route to their final destination, using tracking software will allow you to keep track of where the goods are located. When shipments are handed off between two carriers, the carriers are usually required to sign a paper that pertains to the shipment. You will be furnished with a copy of the paperwork that relates to your shipment.