SmartWay Transport | EPA-420-F09-039 | www.epa.gov/smartway | 734-214-4767 | smartway_transport@epa.gov

Intermodal Shipping

A Glance at Clean Freight Strategies

1 Shippers, logistics 

providers, and trucking 

companies can consider 

intermodal transportas a 

cost-saving and environmentally friendly option 

when arranging for long 

distance transport.

2 Companies can determine if intermodal 

transport is appropriate for parts of their 

company. Intermodal 

transport may not 

be suitable for all 

goods. Time-sensitive 

products may require 

speedier or more flexible delivery than some 

railroads offer. 

2 Continued...

Damage-sensitive 

commodities may call 

for a smoother ride 

than freight trains can 

provide. However, rail 

car manufacturers are 

introducing advanced 

suspension systems 

and car designs that 

better stabilize, cushion and protect railed 

cargo.

Next Steps

.

Intermodal freight transport combines the best attributes of both truck and 

rail shipping. For long distances, intermodal freight moves can cut fuel use and 

greenhouse gas emissions, compared to truck-only moves.

What is the challenge?

Moving freight long distances by rail rather than by truck can save fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is because a freight train with 20 to 50 railroad cars can carry 

much more cargo per gallon of diesel fuel than can a combination truck. However, trucks can 

usually offer more service and scheduling options than trains. Because of these distinctions, 

trucks move over four times as much freight as rail. 

Increased business competition and international trade is fueling the growth of intermodal 

freight transport. The total number of trailers and containers shipped by intermodal rail grew 

by nearly 33 percent between 1998 and 2008. 

What is the solution?

Railroad freight cars carry cargo over long distance, high volume corridors. Trucks or barges 

move the loads between the rail terminals and the cargo’s ultimate origin or destination. 

Types of Intermodal Shipping 

• Trailer on flat car, commonly called TOFC, or “piggyback.” In a TOFC move, reinforced 

truck trailers mount on railroad flat cars or spine cars (frame-like cars with a middle bar or 

spine) for the rail leg of the trip, and hook to combination trucks for the rest of the trip.

• Container on flat car or COFC uses metal shipping containers on a railroad flat car or 

spine car for the rail part of the trip. Containers are typically loaded onto a container 

chassis (a frame-like truck trailer) for the trucked leg of the trip. 

• Double stacking is the most efficient way to move containers long distances over land. 

Two stacked containers on a railroad well car (a rail car with a “well” into which the bottom container partly sits) is known as double stack service. Double stack railroad well 

cars may be permanently coupled together to decrease stress and cargo damage during 

train braking and acceleration.
Page 2

Intermodal Shipping

SmartWay Transport | EPA-420-F09-039 | www.epa.gov/smartway | 734-214-4767 | smartway_transport@epa.gov

Technological Advances of Intermodal Shipping

• Truck trailers can be configured to travel on railroad tracks. The trailer is backed onto the end of a railroad track, 

positioned over two sets of railroad axles and wheels (called bogeys), then lowered and attached, so it functions 

as a railroad car. 

• Rail car platforms can be configured into one longer articulated platform, onto which trucks can drive to load and 

unload trailers. Because the long, articulated platform has no slack action, it can handle standard, non-reinforced 

trailers that normally cannot be used in TOFC operation

Savings and Benefits 

Intermodal transport is an attractive option for shipments over 500 miles. A freight train emits two-thirds less greenhouse gas emissions for every ton mile than a typical truck. More than 1 billion gallons of fuel would be saved each 

year if 10 percent of the highway freight was moved by rail.