At Mark-It Express we are intermodal drayage specialists
One of our specialties is international intermodal drayage. Mark-It Express is an asset-based drayage carrier with specialized chassis in both of our Kansas City and Chicago locations. We service all the major rail roads and steamship lines.
Why Mark-It Express?
Mark-It Express professionals work to accommodate all your drayage needs:
- Advanced GPS and container tracking technology that enables visibility (4 days sooner than traditional drayage carrier)
- Interchange agreements with the railroads and the steamship lines
- Extensive industry experience
- Asset-based drayage provider with specialized chassis in both Chicago and Kansas City
- Capable of transporting overweight and oversized shipments
- Tri-axle chassis and “any-sizer” chassis
- Able to transport two 20’ TEU with one chassis
- Hazmat certified
- CTPAT compliant
- Live unload and drop and hook programs
What is intermodal and drayage anyway?
Intermodal is the preferred mode of transportation for internationally traded goods. The containerized units that hold these goods allow for a seamless intermodal transportation between land, air, and sea. Navigating this transportation network requires extensive knowledge of compliance, time-efficiency, and professional service.
Intermodal is the transportation of goods utilizing multiple modes of transportation – these modes include rail lines, steamships, and trucks. This type of shipping can be optimal due to its ability to be cost-efficient, reduce damage, and increase the speed of delivery.
Drayage, on the other hand, is the process of transporting containers over short distances, typically less than 300 miles. These are usually distances that can be covered in less than a full day of driving. Drayage is also the process of moving shipments between rail lines and ships, from ships to warehouses, or from rail lines to trucks.
Types of containers
There are over a dozen different types of containers, most of them are for shipping dry items. However, some container are temperature controlled, and are used specifically for fresh foods. Containers come in all different styles (e.g. flat rack, open top, etc.). The majority of intermodal shipments utilize the following containers: dry containers, temperature controlled, and insulated containers.
TEU stands for Twenty-Foot Equivalent unit. This size is the most common and provides standardization for the shipping. When looking at ships, the boat capacity is measured in TEUs.
Other commonly used container sizes
- 20’ Standard
- 20’ Open Top
- 20’ Refrigerated
- 20’ Flat Rack
- 20’ Tank
- 20’ Standard
- 40’ Standard
- 40’ High Cube
- 40’ Flat Rack
- 40’ Refrigerated
- 40’ Open Top
- 53’ Containers