Rail Freight: The Green Alternative to Trucking

Transportation via modern rail freight first appeared in England in the 1820's.  The steam locomotive became the first mechanized land transport and remained this way for the next 100 years.  Rail freight has  become less popular over the past few decades due to it's lack of flexibility, with  a switch to road transportation.

As our population becomes more aware of our carbon foot print, rail freight seems like an environmentally-friendly option over road transportation.  It can also be a very economical option for shippers.

Rail produces 70% less carbon dioxide emissions than the equivalent road journey and a gallon of diesel will carry a tonne of freight 246 miles by rail as opposed to 88 miles by road.  Additionally a standard freight train can remove 50 long distance HGVs from the roads, making rail a very green shipping alternative.  Government planning and incentives can lead the way in increasing the amount of freight transported by rail.  

Combing both rail freight shipping and LTL and truckload shipping can offer both the flexibility and economical efficiency that shippers are looking for.  This combination of freight services is referred to as intermodal freight shipping.  Special containers are used during intermodal shipping that allow goods to be moved from one mode of transportation to another without having to be repackaged or reloaded.  Shipping via rail can be used to transport freight long distances to major hubs in the United States.  From there trucking services can take over to transport freight to distribution centers, local commercial sites or residential locations.  

To learn more about shipping your freight via rail or intermodal shipping visit FrightCenter.com.  Specialized freight agents can work with you one on one to find the most economical and environmentally friendly shipping options for you.