Intermodal drayage is the truck portion of an intermodal move — the short haul that carries a container between a rail intermodal ramp and its origin or destination. In a typical intermodal shipment, a container travels long distances by rail (the cost-efficient line-haul) and relies on trucks only for the ends, and those trucking legs are the intermodal drayage.
The term "intermodal" simply means the freight moves in more than one mode — ship, rail, and truck — without being unpacked, because it stays in the same standardized container the entire way. Drayage is what makes that seamless handoff possible at each transfer point.
Intermodal drayage carriers coordinate with railroads' ramp scheduling and notice systems, manage the last free day at the ramp, and often provide or source the chassis the container rides on for the road leg.
Need a Intermodal Drayage carrier?
QuoteFleet lists FMCSA-verified drayage and intermodal carriers, and gives shippers an instant freight quote. Find a carrier or price your move now.