Intermodal
Door-to-door rail + truck on long-haul lanes. 15-25% cheaper than FTL, 60-65% lower CO₂ per mile. Class-1 partners across North America.
Move long-haul freight by rail without the complexity.
Intermodal converts long-haul FTL miles to rail miles. A 53' domestic container picks up at origin by truck (origin dray), is loaded onto a Class-1 rail flatcar (COFC — Container on Flatcar), runs to the destination ramp, and is delivered by truck (destination dray). Best economics show up on lanes over 750 miles where rail line-haul is much cheaper than truck. Used by 90% of major shippers in some form. CO₂ reduction of 60-65% per ton-mile vs OTR is documented by EPA SmartWay. Qeep maintains relationships with all six North American Class-1 railroads.
From quote to POD, step by step.
Origin dray to ramp
Local driver picks up your loaded container and delivers to the origin rail ramp. Cut-off times vary by ramp — typically 24-48 hours before train departure.
Container loaded on flatcar
Rail crews stack container on a doublestack flatcar. Train assembled and dispatched per schedule.
Rail line-haul
Train runs 500-2,500 miles depending on lane. Pacific Northwest to Chicago: ~48 hours. LA to NY: ~5-6 days. Tracking via railroad EDI.
Destination ramp + dray
Container offloaded at destination ramp. Local driver picks up and delivers to your dock. Total door-to-door typically FTL transit + 1-2 days.
POD + billing
Driver returns POD. Single invoice covers origin dray + rail + destination dray. No bill-shock surprises mid-shipment.
Pick the right trailer for the job.
53' Domestic Container
Standard intermodal box. ~26 pallet positions, 45,000 lb payload. EMP, UMAX and Hub Group pools
53' Refrigerated Container
Genset-powered reefer intermodal. Limited routes (Carlile, RoadOne, etc.)
Doublestack Flatcar
Carries two containers stacked vertically. Standard on most Class-1 routes
What drives the rate?
Transparent inputs, not mystery margins. Here’s exactly what goes into a intermodal quote.
Get my rateIntermodal vs FTL — when each wins
| Factor | Intermodal (Rail) | Full Truckload |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | 750+ mile lanes, dense freight, sustainability priority | Under 750 miles, time-sensitive, fragile |
| Cost | 15-25% cheaper on long lanes | Higher per-mile but no dray overhead |
| Transit | FTL transit + 1-2 days | Fastest direct |
| CO₂ per ton-mile | 60-65% lower | Baseline |
| Damage rate | Slightly higher (handled at ramps) | Lowest (no handling) |
Verticals where intermodal is the right call.
Intermodal questions, answered.
How much slower is intermodal than FTL?
Is intermodal really cheaper than FTL?
What’s the damage rate compared to FTL?
Can I do intermodal for reefer?
How does intermodal lower CO₂?
One file. Multiple services. Same team.
Dedicated trailer, single shipper, point-to-point — fastest transit and full chain-of-custody.
Container drayage from every major North American port and rail ramp — chassis, demurrage, the works.
Outsourced TMS, control tower and procurement — Qeep runs your transportation desk.
Have a shipment? Get rates in 10 min.
Tell us the origin, destination and mode. A Qeep specialist replies within the hour with live capacity, lane price, and a transit window you can actually plan around.