Owner Op looking to get into intermodal

I ran intermodal with Schneider, back during the main part of covid.

The "big dogs" in intermodal are Schneider, and Swift.

Either of those should be able to get you started.

BEWARE: Your intermodal experience will be either good--or bad--depending on how the rail or shipyard you work has their act together (or doesn't).

You can waste A LOOOOOOOTTT OF TIME waiting to in-gate, out-gate...and/or waiting for a crane to put your container on a chassis.

You'll waste still more time...if the container isn't mounted on the chassis correctly (and thus, needs to be adjusted).

You'll also need good backing skills. Some yards have pretty tight parking.

As an owner-op, you well know that "time is money".

First--I recommend you talk to other drivers who are working the rail or shipyards you have in mind.

Find out if the yard(s) in question work things efficiently--or are instead a fustercluck.

Then talk to Schneider or Swift from there.

--Lual

 

I agree, example of wasted time.
Took a tanker load of fuel additives, class 3 flammable.
Ingate said my placards were wrong, i told them I had them up high, for their 20’ cars as required.
They said it was supposed to be a class 8 corrosive.

I told them they were wrong, you could wash your hands with this as long as you didn’t have fire nearby.
So i sat outside the property(CSX Memphis turns you around) for 10 hours.
I got paid after 1 hour but lost another good load due to someone billing the load wrong.

This happens a bunch.