Rail & Intermodal Freight Services

In addition to offering air and ocean freight forwarding options, Global Shipping Services offers domestic shipping throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. Due to the final destinations and nature of our clients’ cargo, we often utilize multiple modes of ground transportation, including rail freight transport.

With rail cargo transportation, shipping containers are loaded onto container well cars, with each car carrying two stacked containers. It is also possible to load semi-trailers onto flat cars, making it easy to transfer from truck to rail transportation.

In addition to coordinating rail shipping services, we can also transport domestic cargo using trucks, tractors, and even inland barges. With our intermodal freight services, we can transfer cargo to multiple forms of transportation with minimal handling. This allows us to get your cargo to hard-to-reach destinations, on time and intact.

Benefits of Rail Freight Transport

• Fast: Rail is the highest speed form of ground transportation available, making it a good option when you are on a tight deadline.

• Dependable: While some delays are possible, trains typically run on a fixed schedule with fixed routes and are less affected by weather than other forms of ground transportation.

• Safe: There is a lower risk of accidents or breakdowns when you move your goods by rail instead of road.

• Good for Large Loads: Rail shipping may be the best option when you have a cargo load that is too heavy to transport by road.

• Cost-Effective: Although there are costs associated with loading and unloading cargo for rail, trains use less fuel per ton than trucks, making this a cost-effective choice for large loads being moved long distances.

• Environmentally-Friendly: In addition to using less fuel per ton, trains also help to reduce highway congestion, which lowers your company’s carbon footprint.

While there are many advantages to shipping by rail, there are also a few limitations. Due to the fixed routes and schedules, shipping by rail is not always a good option for companies that require flexible shipping schedules or need to deliver their cargo to remote areas. It is also a less cost-effective option for those with smaller shipments traveling a relatively short distance. Global Shipping Services also offers domestic trucking services, including less than truckload shipping, for those cases in which rail may not be the best option.

Benefits of Intermodal Freight Transport

• Reduces Handling: Our goal with our intermodal shipping service is to reduce handling as much as possible when transferring cargo from one mode of transportation to another. By limiting handling, we reduce the risk of damage or security breaches and make sure the cargo reaches its destination on time.

• Access to Remote Locations: Switching between modes of transportation improves flexibility and allows us to get your shipment exactly where it needs to go.

• Easy to Track: Global Shipping tracks intermodal cargo so that you can easily see where your cargo is at all times.

How We’ve Supported Our Clients

Large or awkwardly-shaped cargo often requires intermodal transportation, as was the case with the K10 hyper compressor shipment we moved from the Port of New Orleans to a refinery in the inland city of Plaquemine, LA. Due to the weight of the K10 crankcase, the Louisiana State Department denied road permits, so we opted to move the cargo by inland barge. The offload site for the barge was still about 10 miles away from the refinery, so we used a self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT) to unload the hyper compressor and attach it to a tractor, which we used to haul the cargo to its final destination.

Whenever we are presented with a challenging shipping project, we use our years of experience and professional connections in the freight forwarding industry to come up with creative solutions using the modes of transportation best suited to the cargo.

Why Choose Global Shipping for Intermodal and Rail Freight Services?

With an outstanding track record and over a decade of experience in the freight forwarding industry, you can count on our company to provide fast, reliable shipping services and greater peace of mind. We don’t just handle one leg of your transportation and pass you off to another company– we arrange to have your cargo shipped from its starting point to the door of its final destination. We can even arrange the equipment, such as pallet jacks and cranes, necessary to transfer your cargo from one mode of transportation to the next. We also offer an online trace and track service so that you know where your shipments, declarations, and receipts are at all times.

Contact Global Shipping Services Today

If you’d like to learn more about our domestic and global shipping services, including our intermodal and rail freight transportation options, fill out our contact form or give us a call. We’re happy to answer any questions and provide you with a free quote.

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What Our Clients Say:

“We have complicated international shipping requirements and tight schedules to maintain, GSS has always gone above and beyond to meet these requirements and ensure we have the information needed to keep things running smoothly”

Cameron Kehm
Director, International Operations, OSG Lightering LLC

“In my 16 years of service to industry, I would highly recommend this company as a reliable broker and shipping company to cover any logistics scenario that could arise with professionalism, attention to detail & accuracy. Our representation has been nothing but superb from Global whether a simple shipment is brokered through customs or multiple containers are negotiated to our project sites direct from Germany this company delivers on time at competitive rates every time.”

David Zinke
Senior Project Engineer, Geda USA Elevator & Material Lift Company

“Presmer has been working with Global Shipping for over 3 years now and the service they provide is excellent. They go above and beyond the call of duty to ease your shipment hassles. They take the frustration out of the process with their knowledge and relationships. Forever grateful.”

Annsley Popov
Founder, Presmer

“This company truly puts the customer first. They are always ahead of issues and their follow-up and communications with us has been exemplary. They made what used to be a horrific part of our work, something that is now almost effortless.
Thank you for having the highest work ethic, great industry knowledge, reasonable rates and uncompromising customer service. We appreciate you!”

Les Bloom
President, Superior Building Supplies