How Does Rail Facilitate 53ft Intermodal Container Transportation in the USA?

How Rail Facilitate 53ft Intermodal Container Transportation

The 53ft intermodal container transportation in the U.S. is eased by the railroads that facilitate intermodal transport over long distances. The U.S. is a leading stakeholder in the trade industry and a significant contributor to the global economy. It has a well-built network of railroads equipped with technology to provide a secure and reliable logistics experience. The 53ft shipping containers are comparatively large compared to their counterparts and therefore require proper handling and more prominent space to accommodate long-distance transit. Let us explore how the U.S. rail eases container transit.

International and transcontinental transportation of cargo containers in the U.S

The intermodal transportation modes are selected depending on the destination’s geography and the client’s demands. Most shippers choose freight transportation via sea for international shipments, followed by road or rail to complete logistics. Transcontinental shipping, however, is mainly conducted via roads and rails, depending on the distance travelled within the country. The U.S.’s robust rail network allows smooth intermodal transport across places. The freight trains are long enough to accommodate shipping containers of all sizes to transport them securely and sustainably.

How much of the U.S. goods are transported by rail?

The American economy is the world’s largest national economy. The trade industry blooms and flourishes immensely in the U.S., making it the world’s prime importer and second-largest exporter of goods. The trade of automobiles, refined petroleum and medical equipment accounts for a significant portion of the import-export business. The U.S. market flows in capital and consumer goods, followed by industrial supplies.

All of these need to be intermodal shipped internationally to maintain the dynamic flow of the supply chain. To accommodate the variety of goods being shipped, the U.S. has the largest diverse rail network in the world, transporting a significant percentage of bulk commodities over long distances. Rail networks are widely used transportation infrastructure as they are cost-effective and efficient modes of transporting cargo internationally and transcontinentally. The primary goods transported in the U.S. via rail include agricultural and forest products, automobiles, chemicals and coal.

Advantages of shipping goods via rail in the U.S

  • It is an affordable transportation mode with an efficient labour force to deliver productivity and enhanced efficiency, offering reliable and secure shipping.
  • Railroads in the U.S. are well-maintained, with a vast network accounting for about ⅓ of the total U.S. exports.
  • Rail transport consumes less energy and causes minimised pollution levels, contributing to the shipping industry’s green revolution.
  • It is an environmentally friendly shipping mode, emitting very low GHG emissions and other pollutants.
  • A significant amount of railroads in the U.S. are private infrastructures that save the taxpayers a lot of money and are an economical form of shipping compared to sea or air transport.
  • The digitisation trends in freight forwarding have led shipping companies to utilise and offer visibility and transparency to consumers by tracking their shipments on rails.

Transporting 53ft intermodal containers via rail in the U.S

The 53ft intermodal containers are high cube boxes with an additional height of 1ft, making them efficient for carrying high-volume cargo. Due to their 53ft length, these containers are preferred to be taken over railroads for long-distance shipping in the U.S. Rail transportation of 53ft containers has its advantages.

  1. Bulk cargo delivery – The U.S. rail expands throughout the country, reaching out to give access to transporting goods all over the country. Shipping companies can easily accommodate the 53ft shipping containers on rails; it becomes easier to transport large and multiple shipments in one trip to different parts of the country.
  2. 53ft container management – The railroad networks are mainly private, duly maintained, and occasionally repaired. Investments are made to update the track, terminal and overall rail infrastructure, including the availability of equipment required in container handling and transportation, ensuring secure transit of 53 ft containers.
  3. Intermodal transport of 53ft containers – Rails are a secure and sustainable way of transporting cargo over large distances. The 53 ft containers can be adjusted on trucks and then towed to rail terminals to be loaded for intermodal transport.
  4. Cost-effective – 53 ft containers accommodate a significant amount of cargo, reducing the cost invested in buying or leasing multiple shipping containers to ship the same amount of goods. A cherry on top is shipping thousands of containers by railroads, a cost-effective mode of transportation since thousands of containers can be sent in a single trip.
  5. Allows tracking – Digitalisation has led to real-time tracking of cargo containers. The 53ft containers are fixed with GPS tracking devices to regulate, monitor and track their location during transit. Unlike other modes of transit, the rail network is well built and allows lesser delays and on-time arrival of shipment.
  6. Sustainability – The 53ft shipping containers are sustainable, recyclable, and can be repurposed as various storage and commercial spaces. The trains also consume less fuel than other modes of transport, making the logistics process more sustainable.

Advantages of 53ft intermodal containers

The demand for 53ft shipping containers is increasing in the U.S. trade market because of its many advantages over its counterparts.

  1. Capacity – The 53ft high cube containers are 6’9″ tall, 8’6″ wide, and 53′ long, with a volume of 3,884 cu ft giving it an added storage capacity compared to general purpose containers or high cube containers of 40′ and 45′. It makes the container ideal for transporting large amounts of cargo.
  2. Cost-effective – 53ft containers are a boon for companies transporting ample cargo annually. They may be costly, but since they have a greater storage capacity, a single 53ft container is sufficient instead of investing in multiple containers.
  3. Flexibility – 53ft shipping containers are ideal solutions for shipping different types of cargo and can be further retired and repurposed for other commercial and storage uses.

The 53ft container transportation in the U.S. has been made easier by the robust rail network stretching across all corners of the country. 53ft containers are secure, sustainable and reliable shipping means, and so is rail shipping.

LOTUS Containers are top marketers of durable, sustainable and cost-effective shipping containers. We sell all types of containers, including 53ft shipping containers globally. Connect with us for more details.

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