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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.

The DrayNow app offers a variety of order types, but there are some differences from one order to another. We’ll be explaining some of the more common order types in this post.

Live load: This involves taking an empty from the rail, and then having the container loaded with product upon arrival at the shipper. After the shipper is finished loading, the container is then ingated back to the rail.

Drop and hook: This could involve either an empty or loaded container from the rail. Upon arrival at the shipper, this initial container is dropped, and then the driver hooks up to another container that is already set at the shipper and brings it back to the rail.

Multi-stop loads: These could be for either pickups or deliveries. As the name suggests, there will be an additional stop or warehouse to get loaded or unloaded at. This may also involve a partial unload of a container at the first stop, while the remainder of the product is taken off at the following stop(s).

Empty Repo: This is when a driver moves an empty container from one location to another. Empty repos are usually shorter than a regular load and do not require as many steps since there is no freight in the container.

Crosstowns: Similar to an empty repo, these involve moving a loaded container from one location to another. The important difference here is the driver needs to know the pieces, weight, and seal of the container, because it is not empty and there is liability when it comes out of the rail.

1-Way Pickup: This is when a driver bobtails into a warehouse (with no container on their back), picks up a loaded container, and then ingates it to the rail.

1-Way Delivery: This is when a driver gets a loaded container from the rail and brings it to a warehouse. There is no need to return the empty container, because the driver will not be leaving with an empty.

Although intermodal orders as a whole use most of the same basic principles from railyard to shipper, recognizing these variations should help to clarify and avoid confusion when running loads other than basic deliveries and pickups.