Intermodal transportation is the transportation of freight by more than one carrier (rail, ship, and truck) over the course of a single journey.
Not all LTL shipments travel by truck only. An Intermodal freight transport shipment employs several methods of transporting goods from start to finish. For instance one shipment will start out on the railroad, then be transferred to an ocean carrier, and end up on a truck before delivery.
An intermodal container is a standardized reusable steel box used for the safe, efficient and secure storage and transportation of freight within a global containerized intermodal freight transport system. Intermodal freight transportation is considered advantageous by some freight transporters because there is no handling of the freight when it changes from one carrier to the next. "Intermodal" implies that the container can be moved from one mode of transport to another without unloading and reloading. Because handling is reduced, the risk of damage and loss is considerabley less, and freight can be transported more quickly and efficiently.