This article outlines why intermodal is not such a good option for US distribution. Though the trucking market is ‘maxed-out’, meaning it is hard to get a trucking firm to move a container, rail is having its own congestion and shortage difficulties.
And chassis remain a problem area. Most leasing companies, who own the chassis, prefer large long-term deals with ocean carreirs rather than shorter term deals for local movements in the US. The article refers to the trucker-owned chassis pool in the Midwest, which seems to be shunned by the leasing companies, creating a shortage of chassis for containers.
Today, we can’t find any area of logistics that isn’t suffering over something. A far cry from a year or two ago.
By Ian Putzger, Americas correspondent 02/09/2021
Grim outlook for intermodal as an alternative to ‘maxed-out’ US truck market – The Loadstar
Supply Chain and Logistics 