Schneider completes container conversion

The intermodal division of truckload carrier Schneider National has wrapped up a three-year effort to convert its mixed trailer/container fleet to an all-container fleet of 53-ft units. The trailer-to-container conversion included more than 12,000 units and amounted to a multi-million-dollar investment in its Intermodal business-- making it the largest such intermodal equipment investment in Schneider’s nearly 20-year history of operating an intermodal fleet.

“Current economic realities require that shippers scrutinize every aspect of their supply chain in search of energy efficiencies and cost savings,” said Bill Matheson, president of Schneider’s Intermodal Services division. He noted that in 2008, approximately 11.5-million trailers and containers moved by rail.

“The benefits of moving freight via intermodal containers are so significant that there’s no doubt containers will become the intermodal standard in the very near future,” Matheson said.

“Shippers want to stack containers and move more freight – in an energy-efficient manner – at one time,” he added. “They also want a simplified process for trailer/container management, both for their shipping department and the truck drivers moving their freight. Our new containerization approach delivers on both fronts.”