From piggyback to double-stack intermodalism

Intermodal transportation has been growing at a fast pace thanks to the development of double-stack trains, deregulation of US domestic transportation and intensified competition in the liner trade. Its growth has been supported by import traffic in the recent past but will have to rely much more on domestic cargo in the future. Effective marketing rather than hardware development will pose the primary challenge to intermodal transportation. To meet this challenge, rail, highway and ocean carriers will have to rethink their business philosophy and realign themselves for more efficient provision of intermodal services. The traditional division between international and domestic intermodal operation has become obsolete.