As specially developed by members of TIA`s intermodal marketing company and its customers (in collaboration with the National Industrial Transportation League, NITL, www.nitl.org), the Shipper broker represents both the Intermodal Transportation Agreement and 3PLs, the first type of intermodal contract of its kind. It sets an industry standard that makes it easier and more efficient for both parties to do business together. This while it effectively manages liability that protects all parties and thus saves time and money with each transaction. Intermodal rail transport offers the advantage of moving long freight distances with less work and greater savings than by truck. A modern rail service minimizes load transfer and transit transparency allows shippers and logistics companies to always know where the cargo is at every stage of the process. However, to take full advantage of the benefits of modern intermodal freight transport, both shippers and logistics companies must start with an inter-trade contract that is mutually beneficial. by Robert A. Voltmann Over the past two decades, the intermodal freight transport sector has experienced an explosion. According to Rail, intermodal service is an essential part of the transfer of goods to the market.

As our motorways become more and more saturated, rail freight will become more important. The Shipper Broker Intermodal Transportation Agreement was designed to increase the use of Intermodal Rail by shippers and 3PLs more rapidly. Since the mid-2000s, UP GRS has used the management of intermodal terminal ramps on the West Coast. GRS assigns reservations to customers, creating connectivity to the actual capacity of the train. In August, UP will introduce its new Intermodal Terminal Reservation System (ITR), which will replace its Gate Reservation System (GRS) and allow for better planning of Drays and In-Gates. ITR was developed with an improved user interface and visible “selection” for the week`s daily capacity per service product, which UP hopes to “offer a more accurate supply chain process for accessing its intermodal terminals.” On the basis of the success of these treaties, the new agreement promotes uniformity of the provisions of the treaty while improving the effectiveness of the negotiations. Simply put, it offers a balanced model for both parties entering into an intermodal agreement for rail freight transport. In addition, the treaty includes the legs of typical intermodal freight transport by rail: motor transport from the shipper to the rail ramp; rail transport from the original railway ramp to the destination railway ramp; and carriage of engines from the ramp of the lane of destination to the consignee of the cargo. . . .