Blog

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.

Carriers running intermodal loads will start by arriving at the rail yard to pick up a container. After getting the container, they will need to bring it to a secondary location so that the container can be loaded with cargo or unloaded. The carrier will either have a strict appointment time or they will have an appointment window to get to the secondary location.

On a live load, the carrier will receive a bill of lading (BOL) from the shipper, signaling what cargo is in the container and that the carrier has indeed picked up the load. On loads picked up through the DrayNow app, the carrier will then upload the BOL right into the app.

On a live unload, the carrier will receive a BOL before running the trip, available through the DrayNow app. Sometimes the carrier may need to print out the BOL and present it at the consignee. The consignee will then give them a proof of delivery (POD), signaling that they have received the cargo that was in the container. The carrier will then upload the POD into the DrayNow app.

It is very important for carriers to include their in and out times on the BOL/POD so that it is known that they were on time for the appointment. They can do this by simply writing down the time that they arrived and the time that they departed on the document. If there are any miscommunications as to whether they were on time or not, having the times in writing is going to clear everything up.

Not only that, the in and out times come into play when detention goes into effect on an intermodal load. Detention is defined as the payment to a carrier if they’re left waiting at the shipper or consignee longer than expected. For a live load or a live unload, detention starts to go into effect two hours after a carrier has arrived at the shipper/consignee and is still there.

The task of writing down the in and out times may seem tedious, since the carrier would know that they were on time. However, documenting arrivals and departures is always going to ensure that a carrier is getting the proper identification of their timely arrival, as well as getting compensated for any detention time that is incurred.