Intermodal?

Topic 937 | Page 1

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Charles S.'s Comment
member avatar

Hey all, would just like to start off saying that Brett has done a great job with this site and all of those that contribute to the fourm and the blogs really put a lot of good info out there for all of us that are just trying to figure out if this is the right lifestyle for us.

I see a lot of mention in the discussions about flatbed, dry van , refer, and some tanker, but I haven't seen much discussion about intermodal? There are a few local companies that deal with them and I am just curious what the deal is? Do they pay less or are they less desirable for some reason?

Getting all of the info I can before I make my move. The CDL prep course is awesome, I couldn't even imagine trying to push all of that into my head in a weeks time and pass the CDL exam. Again thanks to Brett and the rest of the regulars on here that provide the daily updates, it is appreciated much more than you know.

CDL:

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:

  • Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
  • Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.

Intermodal:

Transporting freight using two or more transportation modes. An example would be freight that is moved by truck from the shipper's dock to the rail yard, then placed on a train to the next rail yard, and finally returned to a truck for delivery to the receiving customer.

In trucking when you hear someone refer to an intermodal job they're normally talking about hauling shipping containers to and from the shipyards and railyards.

Dry Van:

A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Old School's Comment
member avatar

Charles, welcome to the forum! Since the focus of this site is helping new drivers understand and break into this industry we usually focus on over the road jobs because that is the industry accepted form of driving that qualifies as "experience ". It's usually a little difficult to land an intermodal job as a newly licensed driver. All that maneuvering around in tight spots in drop yards, and dealing with city traffic makes those insurance companies anxious about being liable for an inexperienced driver. I had a friend who did some intermodal work and quickly got bored with it, but he did develop some great backing skills.

Over The Road:

Over The Road

OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.

Intermodal:

Transporting freight using two or more transportation modes. An example would be freight that is moved by truck from the shipper's dock to the rail yard, then placed on a train to the next rail yard, and finally returned to a truck for delivery to the receiving customer.

In trucking when you hear someone refer to an intermodal job they're normally talking about hauling shipping containers to and from the shipyards and railyards.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Charles S.'s Comment
member avatar

Charles, welcome to the forum! Since the focus of this site is helping new drivers understand and break into this industry we usually focus on over the road jobs because that is the industry accepted form of driving that qualifies as "experience ". It's usually a little difficult to land an intermodal job as a newly licensed driver. All that maneuvering around in tight spots in drop yards, and dealing with city traffic makes those insurance companies anxious about being liable for an inexperienced driver. I had a friend who did some intermodal work and quickly got bored with it, but he did develop some great backing skills.

Okay, didn't know that doing intermodal was more difficult than doing standard OTR , figured that navigating around a yard full of containers would be easier than having to back into a dock at a warehouse. Thats why I come here, to come here and find out about things I don't know. Thx!

OTR:

Over The Road

OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.

Over The Road:

Over The Road

OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.

Intermodal:

Transporting freight using two or more transportation modes. An example would be freight that is moved by truck from the shipper's dock to the rail yard, then placed on a train to the next rail yard, and finally returned to a truck for delivery to the receiving customer.

In trucking when you hear someone refer to an intermodal job they're normally talking about hauling shipping containers to and from the shipyards and railyards.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Old School's Comment
member avatar

Believe it or not, most big truck accidents happen in yards and truck stops. People are usually tired when they get there and they may be backing in the dark, which makes it even trickier. In just the last few months I've witnessed several accidents in truck stops and I really don't spend a lot of time in them.

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