Intermodal Transport

West Coast Carriers' Intermodal division is a very effective service and can ultimately reduce your transportation costs. With direct access to an extensive network and powerful relationships with the railroads, you can count on us to provide dependable and innovative solutions to your toughest transportation challenges.

Programs can be tailored to meet your individual needs.
Combines the door to door convenience of trucks with the long haul economy of rail service.
A variety of equipment is available:

In many lanes, both standard and premium services are available.
All intermodal service operates on published train schedules.
Premium service is typically one to three days faster than regular intermodal service.
All loads are monitored from pick up to delivery to ensure consistent, on time performance.

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Container Specs

Intermodal Myth One

What I may save using intermodal isn’t worth the delay in transit I will experience.

Standard intermodal service is typically 3-4 days longer than over the road service.
Premium intermodal service often matches over the road service.
With the amount of carriers that have been forced to close due to economic conditions, intermodal becomes a more critical option on long haul lanes.

Intermodal Myth Two

Shipments moving via intermodal are more likely to experience damage.

The old intermodal "hump yards", where rough handling caused damage are a thing of the past. Today intermodal terminals use switch engines to "soft-couple" intermodal flatcars with shock absorbing coupler joints.
The railroads create blocks of multiple intermodal cars going to the same or nearby destinations to minimize switching from one train to another.
Intermodal unit grounding has been reduced by "steel wheel crosstowns" at gateways between railroads.
While intermodal shipments do require blocking and bracing, the overall savings far outweigh the cost of materials and labor.