Blog

In today’s supply chain, every intermodal container counts. And throughout the past two years, there have been countless examples of container shortages and traffic imbalances that have put a spotlight on inefficiencies in properly utilizing intermodal containers.

Fixing Intermodal Inefficiencies

Part of the inefficiency is the process of intermodal transportation itself. On an intermodal pickup, a container needs to be outgated from the rail and brought to the shipper to get loaded. For a delivery, the container is ingated back at the rail after being unloaded at the consignee.

Here is where opportunity lies. Wouldn’t it be more efficient to maximize the use of an intermodal container and keep it out on the road for multiple trips instead of bringing it back to the rail over and over again? The answer is yes, and the way to maximize intermodal containers is through street turns. Street turns match an empty container from a delivery order to a pickup trip in need of a container. Instead of bringing a container back to the rail after unloading at the consignee, a carrier will use the container to head to a shipper and get loaded.

DrayNow's Street Turn Capabilities

Through our street turn algorithm, DrayNow is at the forefront of creating street turn opportunities through technology. For every order posted to the platform, our algorithm analyzes every available order on the marketplace to see if there is an opportunity to street turn. For every new pickup order without equipment, DrayNow technology searches for a delivery that can provide a container. And for each new delivery, the algorithm looks for pickups close by that need a container.

With our street turn capabilities, DrayNow is eliminating time-consuming processes, such as finding and reserving a domestic intermodal container. This is integral especially in the event of container shortages. Without a street turn, a customer may spend a countless amount of time searching for an empty and may have to keep rescheduling the load until they find something. With a street turn, an empty container on the DrayNow platform is instantly matched up with a trip in need of it.

On the DrayNow marketplace, every street turn reduces mileage for carriers and ensures capacity for customers. That’s the power of posting freight to a marketplace: Getting connected with potential equipment and opportunities to secure capacity, all through street turns.