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In a world where consumers demand faster and faster delivery times, shippers will be demanding better service and excellent on-time performance from their freight transportation providers. If shippers choose to move their freight via intermodal transportation, they will be relying on intermodal marketing companies (IMCs) to provide high quality service.

The Impact of Intermodal Drayage

In providing service, IMCs will be tasked with securing rail space and finding trucking carriers to complete intermodal drayage moves once the freight is off the rail. Container drayage covers the first and last mile movements for intermodal transportation, so the on-time performance of trucks is essential to the success of the entire freight move from to start to finish.

An intermodal drayage delivery being on time is more than a preference that a shipping customer may have: a series of late arrivals down the line could disrupt the entire supply chain. If the container cannot get on the train in a timely fashion, it will affect every arrival time afterwards for every other mode of transport.

Historically, IMCs seek out traditional drayage carriers to complete these loads, but manually calling out to these carriers looking for capacity is time consuming, as is the process of getting updates along the way to ensure that the carrier is on time. If the carrier is late or ends up not running the load, you’re not going to know until it’s way too late, and trying to get someone to recover the dray will further extend these delays.

The Way to Ensure On-Time Deliveries

IMCs: if you’re trying to find alternatives to your current drayage carrier, sign up with DrayNow to service all of your first and last mile intermodal drayage. We have capacity available nationwide that use our mobile app to find local freight to haul. Because we connect with capacity through technology, we’re able to inject technology into the entire drayage service experience.

Our on-time rate for intermodal drayage deliveries across all markets is above 90%, exemplifying our commitment to best-in-class service that will satisfy your customer. We keep track of on-time deliveries through geo-tracking, which shows the freight’s location in real-time on the road. ETAs are included so that every load has accountable and actionable data behind it. DrayNow operators are available 24/7 to act on whatever the geo-tracking is showing to ensure an on-time delivery.

Intermodal relies on so many external factors that are out of your control: container groundings, equipment availability, equipment durability etc. Because of this, it’s very much worth it to act on what you do have control over: making sure that you are getting connected with drayage capacity that will deliver quality service for you and your customer.