Container on flatcar (COFC)
Containers ride on rail cars, often stacked two high.
- Common sizes
- 53 ft domestic; 20 and 40 ft international
- Best for
- Palletized and boxed freight
Services · Rail intermodal
Rail Intermodal Freight
Long-haul freight that doesn’t have to be there tomorrow can ride the rails for most of the trip. A truck picks it up, a train carries it the long middle stretch, and a truck delivers it: door to door, in and out of Canada and Mexico.
- Door to door
- Containers & trailers on rail
- U.S., Canada & Mexico
How it works
Truck, train, truck
Intermodal combines trucks and trains. Your freight is loaded once into a container or trailer, trucked to a rail ramp, carried by train for the long-distance stretch, and trucked again to delivery. The freight stays in the same box the whole way.
Rail is most cost-effective on longer hauls and suits heavy, steady freight that isn’t time-critical. Landstar has contracts with the major North American railroads and stack train operators, with service in and out of Canada and Mexico.
Equipment
Ways to ship by rail
Intermodal containers and trailers cover most freight; railcars handle bulk, long and liquid loads at rail-served facilities.
Trailer on flatcar (TOFC)
A highway trailer rides on a rail flatcar, then continues by road.
- Best for
- Freight already loaded in a trailer
Boxcar
Enclosed railcars for heavy palletized and packaged goods.
- Best for
- Paper, lumber, building products, packaged goods
Bulk, flatcar & tank
Covered hoppers, flatcars and tank cars for bulk materials, long or heavy items, and liquids.
- Bulk
- Grain, plastics, minerals
- Flatcar
- Lumber, steel, machinery
- Tank
- Liquids and chemicals
Typical loads
What moves by rail
- Consumer goods
- Shelf-stable food & beverages
- Paper & packaging
- Building materials
- Steel & metals
- Plastics & resins
- Automotive parts
- Grain & agricultural products
- Chemicals (hazmat rules apply)
Step by step
How an intermodal move works
Pickup (drayage)
A truck picks up the loaded container or trailer and takes it to the rail ramp.
Rail linehaul
The train carries it the long-distance part of the trip.
Delivery (drayage)
Another truck takes it from the destination ramp to your receiver.
Status updates
You get updates on the shipment’s progress along the way.
Request a quote
What I need for a quote
- Pickup and delivery addresses
- Commodity, weight and number of pallets
- Ready date and delivery window
- Loading and unloading: live or drop
- Hazmat or temperature needs
- Recurring volume, if it’s a regular lane
What is rail intermodal?
Moving freight in a container or trailer by more than one mode, usually truck to a rail ramp, train for the long haul, and truck to delivery, without unloading the freight in between.
Is intermodal cheaper than truckload?
On longer hauls it often is, because rail moves freight efficiently over long distances. On shorter lanes, or when every day counts, truckload is usually the better choice.
Is rail slower than truck?
Usually somewhat slower, because of time at the rail ramps and the handoffs at both ends. For freight that isn’t urgent, the savings can be worth it.
What is drayage?
The short truck move between a shipper or receiver and the rail ramp or port. Intermodal shipments have drayage at both ends.
Can intermodal go to Canada and Mexico?
Yes. Landstar’s rail service runs in and out of Canada and Mexico through contracts with major rail and stack train operators.
Transit times and the cost advantage of rail depend on the lane, the equipment and the rail schedule. This page is general information; I confirm the options for every load.
More services
Other freight I move
Request a quote
Long lane, steady freight?
Send the lane, commodity and volume, and I’ll compare rail intermodal with truckload for you.