Intermodal Rail Freight & Rail Spurs
Intermodal rail freight moves shipping containers and trailers across long-haul corridors on Class-1 railroads, combining rail's fuel efficiency with trucking's door-to-door flexibility. The U.S. intermodal market moves roughly 18 million containers annually and offers shippers 3-4x fuel efficiency versus over-the-road trucking, plus significant cost savings on long-haul lanes. AFL's West Michigan and Dallas facilities feature direct rail spurs connecting to Norfolk Southern and CSX, enabling boxcar and centerbeam unloading directly into our warehouses for heavy industrial freight.
The Market Behind the Service
Understanding the forces shaping this segment is the first step to engineering a better supply chain.
U.S. freight railroads move approximately 28% of the nation's freight by ton-miles and generate over $80 billion in revenue. Intermodal — containers and trailers on flatcars (COFC/TOFC) — is the fastest-growing rail segment, driven by long-haul cost savings and sustainability goals.
Rail intermodal offers 3-4x fuel efficiency versus trucking, reducing both cost and carbon emissions on lanes over 700 miles. A single intermodal train can replace 280+ trucks, easing highway congestion and reducing the carbon footprint of long-haul freight.
Class-1 railroads (BNSF, Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, CSX, Canadian National, Kansas City Southern) operate the long-haul intermodal network, while short-line railroads and drayage carriers handle first/last-mile truck connections to rail-served warehouses.
Core Capabilities
What AFL Delivers
Direct Rail-Served Warehouses
Our West Michigan and Dallas hubs feature direct rail spurs connecting to Norfolk Southern and CSX, enabling boxcar and centerbeam unloading directly into our warehouses.
53' Domestic Intermodal Containers
Long-haul domestic containers ride the rail network for cost-efficient cross-country transit, with truck drayage at origin and destination.
Port Drayage & First/Last Mile
Drayage trucks connect ocean ports (Long Beach, Savannah, Chicago) to rail ramps and AFL warehouses, completing the intermodal chain.
Boxcar & Centerbeam Unloading
Heavy industrial freight arrives by boxcar or centerbeam railcar and is unloaded directly into our rail-served warehouses for staging and distribution.
Heavy Freight Capacity
Rail siding accommodates freight up to 100,000+ lbs per piece — loads that exceed legal highway weight limits and require rail for economical long-haul.
Operational Specifications
- Direct Rail-Served Warehouses (Norfolk Southern & CSX Connections)
- Boxcar and Centerbeam Unloading Capabilities
- 53' Domestic Intermodal Containers for Long-Haul Corridors
- Port Drayage to/from Chicago, Long Beach, and Savannah
- Heavy Freight Capacity up to 100,000+ lbs via Rail Siding
- Intermodal Ramp Drayage at Origin and Destination
- EDI 214/317 Rail Status & In-Transit Visibility
- Carbon-Reducing Long-Haul Alternative to Trucking
Equipment & Assets
How It Works
The AFL Service Process
Origin Drayage
A drayage truck moves the loaded container from the shipper or port to the origin intermodal ramp, where it's loaded onto a rail car.
Rail Linehaul
The container rides the Class-1 railroad across the long-haul corridor, with EDI 317 rail status updates providing in-transit visibility.
Destination Drayage
At the destination ramp, a drayage truck moves the container to the AFL warehouse or final receiver, completing the intermodal chain.
Rail-Side Unloading
For rail-served warehouses, boxcar/centerbeam freight is unloaded directly from the rail siding into the AFL warehouse for staging and distribution.
Why AFL Stands Out
Direct rail spurs at West Michigan and Dallas — freight unloads from railcar directly into our warehouses, eliminating a drayage move and its cost.
3-4x fuel efficiency versus trucking on long-haul lanes reduces both your cost and your carbon footprint, supporting sustainability goals.
Heavy freight capacity up to 100,000+ lbs per piece via rail siding — loads that exceed legal highway weight limits move economically by rail.
Port-to-warehouse intermodal chain — AFL handles drayage from Long Beach, Savannah, and Chicago ports through rail to our warehouses under one contract.
Compliance & Certifications
Frequently Asked Questions
Intermodal Rail FAQs
When does intermodal rail make sense versus trucking?
Which AFL hubs have direct rail access?
How is intermodal transit time compared to truckload?
Can you handle port-to-warehouse intermodal?
What about heavy or oversized freight?
Related Services & Solutions
Explore More AFL Capabilities
Pair Intermodal Rail with complementary freight, storage, and fulfillment services to build a unified, end-to-end supply chain under a single master services agreement.
Full Truckload (FTL) & Dedicated Fleet
High-capacity point-to-point transit across all 48 states, Canada, and Mexico corridors.
Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) & Volume LTL
Optimized pallet shipping with consolidated pricing and zero re-handling.
Warehousing, High-Bay & Inventory Staging
3.2M+ sq. ft. of secure, food-grade, and industrial pallet storage.
Cross-Docking & Transloading Hubs
Eliminate warehouse holding costs with direct dock-to-dock sorting.
Cold Chain & Refrigerated Logistics
Continuous -20°F to 65°F climate maintenance for food & perishables.
Ready to Engineer Your Intermodal Rail?
Talk directly with our senior freight engineers in West Michigan.