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The content below is for brokers interested in utilizing the DrayNow spot market. For brokers interested in securing intermodal drayage service for their contracted lanes, please feel free to reach out to us via contact form.

The first and last mile of an intermodal container move are essential in getting freight where it needs to go. This is where trucks get involved, and a drayage trucking carrier is either dropping off or picking up a container to start or finish the trip. When it comes to pricing a full intermodal trip with multiple modes of transportation, it can greatly differ with each leg of the trip. The price for a rail shipment is typically decided by the rail company that offers standard rates. When it comes to pricing for the drayage portion of an intermodal trip, it’s up to the customer and will vary with each intermodal load.

Intermodal pricing tips

The key for intermodal marketing companies (IMCs) when pricing the first and last mile of an intermodal trip is to figure out what intermodal drayage carriers would consider a competitive rate. Intermodal drayage carriers are looking at the relationship between the price of the freight and the total mileage, so any pricing decision should reflect that. As diesel prices remain very high, intermodal trucking carriers are looking for rates that are acknowledging the current situation and allow them to continue making money on the road.

Time and the type of load are also factors in how a price should be calculated for a trip. Carriers will generally accept lower prices for drop & hooks since those come with wider appointment windows and less time spent at the warehouse. On the other hand, a live load or unload will call for higher prices since the carrier needs to show up at harder appointment times and spend time waiting for freight to get loaded or unloaded.

Here at DrayNow, we offer many data sets that can help IMC customers follow trends in freight pricing. Our monthly spot rate updates, found on the blog, break down the trends seen with average drayage spot rates in our core markets. The Intermodal Spot Rate Tracker and the Drayage Volatility Index show average spot rates across the platform plus the year-over-year changes in the cost to move freight.

How to get intermodal capacity

To get capacity for intermodal freight outside of their traditional drayage carrier network, IMCs utilize DrayNow for intermodal drayage service. We offer best-in-class drayage service, as well as multiple methods of obtaining transparent pricing for your freight. By pricing with us, IMCs will be able to secure capacity for their freight.

There are many intricacies to an intermodal freight move that can make pricing a complex process. Once you consider what drayage carriers are looking at when deciding on a load, and use technology solutions like DrayNow in domestic intermodal drayage markets nationwide, that process becomes a lot easier.