Skip to main navigation Skip to content

Are you interested in moving intermodal freight and expanding your owner operator business? Download the free DrayNow app from the App Store or Google Play store, or click the button below.

Truck drivers interested in haul local freight can run intermodal loads, which are primarily 53’ intermodal containers coming off of the rails. Also referred to as drayage, the moves consist of the first and last mile of intermodal trips, so carriers running hauling this freight will start and end each load at a rail yard.

The Importance of Rail Registration

Since intermodal loads are originating from the rail, a truck driver running an intermodal load will need to be able to enter the rail yard. To enter the rail yard, the driver will need to be registered with that rail. The main rails where loads originate from on the DrayNow app are Norfolk Southern (NS), Union Pacific (UP), CSX and BNSF. Registering with the rail helps keep track of equipment and who ingated and outgated containers from that yard.

Note that a carrier will need to be registered with a particular rail company before beginning an intermodal load picked up from the DrayNow app. The app will show exactly which rail location where a carrier will need to go to pick up the equipment at the beginning of the trip and the rail location where they will drop off the equipment.

Once a carrier has registered with a particular rail company, they will be able to access any rail location for that particular railroad. For example, a carrier in Chicago that registers with Norfolk Southern will then have access to NS 47th, NS 63rd, NS Calumet and the NS Landers ramp. And a carrier in Los Angeles signed up with Union Pacific would then be able to go to UP City of Industry, UP Montebello, UP LATC and UP East Los Angeles.

How To Register for the Rail

The process for rail registration is simple yet important. Before running a trip, an intermodal truck driver can register with the rail by going directly to the rail yard and sign up in person or through their phone. They can download the app for each rail company and create an account right through the app. For CSX in particular, carriers are able to register with them through their mobile app, ShipCSX. The app for Norfolk Southern is ExpressNS+. For carriers trying to get access to Union Pacific, their app is UPGo.

We’d recommend heading over to the rail ramp to get registered as soon as you schedule a trip on the DrayNow app if you don’t have the app for that particular rail downloaded yet. And if you’re running a DrayNow trip for the first time but have already registered for the rail through prior experience, great! You’re all good to go.

Get Started

Ready for a new way to haul?

Download the app to get started with DrayNow.

Get the App:

App Store badge Google Play badge