Schneider National Bulk Carriers is offering a bulk intermodal service using 40-ft. tank containers. The containers can be used on rail and over-the-road to haul liquid bulk chemicals across the U.S. with future plans for expansion into Canada and Mexico.
“Shifting certain West Coast lanes from long-haul to intermodal allows us to consistently use a small group of local drivers for repeat customer deliveries which improves our delivery service,” said William Malak, vice president of North American Logistics at Nalco, an Ecolab company. “This service improves our efficiency and effectiveness to meet our industry delivery demands.”
Schneider said customers will see reliable service levels and a smaller environmental footprint by using the service.
“With concerns about driver capacity becoming more prominent for both carriers and shippers, we need to offer solutions for moving our customers’ products in innovative ways,” said George Grossardt, vice president and general manager of Schneider’s Bulk division. “It quickly became apparent that opportunity existed on the railroads, so we invested our time and energy into creating a solution that would allow for maximum payload and efficiency while still meeting our high safety standards.”
Schneider moves loads throughout the eastern U.S. on CSX and through the West on BNSF. The service is operating at rail ramps in 10 cities across the U.S. (Cleveland; Savannah, Ga.; North Bergen, N.J.; Atlanta; Chicago; Los Angeles; Portland, Ore.; New Orleans; Houston and North Kearney, N.J.), with plans to expand to other sites soon.
The 40-ft. container can haul 5,800 gals. Schneider has a fleet of nearly 100 such containers.
