Intermodal container being transferred from a heavy-duty SMS truck to a freight train

The Smart Way to Ship Long-Haul

Shipping over 750 miles? Rail might be your most cost-effective and sustainable option. Combining the economy of rail with the flexibility of trucking for an optimized supply chain.

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The Intermodal Advantage

Cost Reduction

Ideal for shipments over 750 miles, offering significant savings over OTR solutions.

Sustainability

Trains are 4x more fuel-efficient than trucks, drastically reducing your carbon footprint.

Scalable Capacity

Tap into the vast capacity of the North American Class I rail network instantly.

Reliability

Scheduled rail service resistant to highway traffic and weather-related delays.

Door-to-Door Intermodal, Simplified

SMS Trucking manages the entire multi-modal journey. You get a single point of contact, a single invoice, and complete peace of mind.

Drayage Pickup

An SMS professional driver picks up the shipping container from your facility.

Ramp-up

We transport the container to the nearest regional rail ramp for processing.

Rail Transit

Your freight travels via Class I rail for the efficient long-haul leg of the journey.

Final Delivery

Local drayage handles the final mile from destination ramp to your receiver.

Intermodal Frequently Asked Questions

If your shipment travels over 750 miles, is not extremely time-sensitive, and can be loaded into a standard 53' container, it is likely an ideal candidate for significant cost savings.

Typically, intermodal adds 1 to 2 days to the total transit time compared to over-the-road trucking. However, for many shippers, the drastic cost reduction outweigh the minor delay.

Absolutely. SMS provides end-to-end visibility, allowing you to track your freight across both the drayage truck and rail segments through our integrated platform.

Is Intermodal Right for You?

Let our logistics experts perform a free Lane Analysis of your freight patterns to identify immediate cost-saving opportunities.