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May 11, 2006 8:00 AM, EDT

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or one major parcel courier an important technique for moving packages is truck-rail intermodal, the placement of truck trailers or cargo containers on flatcars for the linehaul segment of transportation.

Also known as “container on flatcar/trailer on flatcar,” intermodal has been around more than 60 years, but didn’t really come into its own until the second half of the 20th century.

The two largest corporations in North American trucking differ on the value of intermodal. While UPS Inc. spends about $750 million a year on railroad transportation, FedEx Corp. doesn’t use it at all.

UPS is actually the largest single intermodal customer of the rail industry. But the relationship isn’t always blissful, the company said.

For the full story, see the May 8 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.