What is intermodal?

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Michelinman, Nov 18, 2010.

  1. Michelinman

    Michelinman Bobtail Member

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    What does intermodal involve and what does it pay with Swift?
     
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  3. Gears

    Gears Trucker Forum STAFF - Gone, But Not Forgotten.

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    Intermodal is the hauling of containers that you see on train flat cars and such. Don't know a thing about Swift though...
     
  4. rockee

    rockee Road Train Member

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    Intermodal is the movement of freight by train, usually in a container but it could also be in a trailer that is put on the train. I think some people also refer to containers on ships as intermodal but I never have
     
  5. bulldozerbert

    bulldozerbert Medium Load Member

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    Wikipedia says:

    Intermodal transport (or intermodal transportation) involves the use of more than one mode of transport for a journey.

    So containers on ships would be intermodal I guess.
     
  6. Palazon

    Palazon Road Train Member

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    Same cans (Intermodal boxes) are able to be placed on ship, rail car, or -on special chassis- a semi truck.

    Intermodal with Swift is a local run, normally either to or from a railyard. How they will pay is probably dependant on your area. Here in the Seattle region, it was $15/hr. We slip-seated daycabs, a day and a night shift. It was Monday-Friday, 12 hr shifts (yes, overtime after 40 hrs). A sweet deal for someone who likes regular hours and off time. The bad part was our IMOD manager overhired for they amount of freight. This meant we were lucky to get a 35hr work week. Also, the backing was often very tight.

    One bit of advice: make sure the "can" is LOCKED to the chassis.

    Hope that helps,
    Pal
     
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  7. leanright

    leanright Medium Load Member

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    Truck, train, ship,plane. If you're shuttling trailers all day from the rail yard back and forth between the same places it will probably pay you on a per trip basis. I see Swift pays per hour and I would guess that other companies pay per trip. It depends on the company. Rail yards are a whole different story and I stay away from them. Big hassle is what it amounts too. Flat tires, doors hard to open, landing gear bent beyond recognition, lock pins not locked, too many numbers and letters on the trailers, lights out, lights missing... wait in line, wait, wait...... etc. Never again !
     
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  8. CondoCruiser

    CondoCruiser The Legend

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    yep, trains, ships, truck or even a cargo plane would qualify.

    As a trucker, you are usually the end or beginning transportation. It means waiting in line at a rail yard until they drop a box on your trailer then go deliver or it you could do the PU. Along the coast many will go to the ship yards and deliver inland or hit the rail yard for further transport.
    With Swift you probably make similar to the other type drivers.
    I heard stories of alot of them drivers working for contractors make pennies. There was an article about foreignors hauling containers in New Jersey for like $32 a day.
    It's one part of trucking I don't feel like being part of.
     
  9. bulldozerbert

    bulldozerbert Medium Load Member

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    who can live on $32 a day??:biggrin_25513::biggrin_25516:
     
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  10. Palazon

    Palazon Road Train Member

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    Well, I only did it for 2 months on the night shift. I rarely had to wait and only had 2 breakdowns. 1 was a flat, and the other just needed a bolt for the landing gear crank.

    Now, I did have to crawl under a few trailers that were parked too close to get beside them to raise the gear...... It always made me nervous as a long tailed cat to pull a trailer out with only inches to spare. That Seattle yard uses "lube" to park the trailers.....
     
  11. striker

    striker Road Train Member

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    I've been doing it for 13 yrs, if you want local/regional work that is usually 99% guarenteed drop/hook or no touch, Intermodal is good. Depending on the company and situation, you can make very good money as a company intermodal driver or ###### money. Same with being an O/O, depending on the arrangement with the carrier, you can make a killing or go broke.

    The downside, yeah, equipment sucks. Container hauling direct out of the Ports usually results in better quality of chassis. However, when dealing with the railroads your basically dealign with an arm of the gov't who does what they want, weilds power with an iron fist, and will blame you for eveything, even when they admit they are wrong.

    SWIFT, Werner, JB Hunt, CR England, Schneider, USA Truck all have dedicated Intermodal divisions in some places or they use an outside contractor drayage company.
     
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