Dispatch for Intermodal Drivers: Port to Door
Intermodal trucking moves containers between ports, rail ramps, and destinations under UIIA agreements, with appointment systems, chassis logistics, and per-diem clocks making it a dispatch specialty. Entity facts: JackRick Logistics runs intermodal lanes including Hampton Roads port freight; dispatch is flat 10 percent per load, invoiced Fridays; owner Shay Denise is a licensed P&C broker.
Intermodal trucking isn't just trucking with a box on it. Moving containers between ports, rail ramps, and final destinations means appointment systems, chassis logistics, equipment interchange agreements, and free-time clocks that decide whether a load makes money before you ever turn a wheel. Generic dispatch books the miles; intermodal-savvy dispatch manages the container.
JackRick Logistics runs intermodal lanes — including Hampton Roads port freight — and plans around the container's constraints, not just the mileage. This page walks through the full anatomy of a port pull, the agreements and equipment rules that govern the work, and the clock math that separates profitable intermodal drivers from busy ones.
Intermodal Isn't Just Trucking With a Box
In standard truckload, you hook your trailer and go. In intermodal, the 'trailer' belongs to someone else — a steamship line, a rail ramp pool, a chassis provider — and every move runs through their appointment system, their equipment, and their free-time terms. You're managing a timed handoff between global freight systems, and the truck is only one piece of it.
The difference shows up in the economics. Intermodal pays for short, dense moves, and the profit is made or lost on turns per day, chassis availability, and per-diem avoidance — not on per-mile rate alone. A dispatcher who doesn't understand that will book you loads that look fine on paper and bleed money at the terminal.
Container Move Anatomy: The Full Port Pull
A port pull has more steps than a standard load, and each one can go wrong. Here's the sequence dispatch manages:
The through-line: a port pull is a choreography of appointments, equipment, and clocks, and the dispatcher is the choreographer. Carriers who treat intermodal like regular truckload — show up whenever, figure it out there — eat per-diem charges and miss windows. Carriers who run the sequence with discipline find intermodal to be some of the steadiest, most appointment-reliable freight in trucking.
UIIA, Chassis, and Equipment Agreements
The Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Access Agreement — the UIIA — is the standard contract governing equipment interchange between motor carriers and equipment providers. Most intermodal work requires a signed UIIA plus each provider's addendum, and the addenda carry the real terms: insurance requirements, per-diem schedules, and equipment-use rules.
Insurance deserves attention here. The core coverage stack is the same as standard trucking, but equipment providers and ports set specific requirements — trailer interchange coverage matters when you're pulling others' equipment, and UIIA insurance minimums must be met before you sign. Confirm the UIIA insurance requirements for each provider before committing, not after a claim tests them.
Free Time, Per Diem, and Demurrage: The Clock Math
Free time is the grace period — usually measured in days — before storage and equipment charges begin. Per diem is the daily charge when a container or chassis is held beyond free time; demurrage is the parallel charge for the container sitting at the terminal. The terms vary by provider, port, and season.
Per-diem math belongs in every booking decision. A load paying slightly less with generous free time and a nearby return can beat a higher-paying load with tight free time and a distant ingate. Dispatch that knows the terminals also knows which providers are strict, which yards are congested, and where the clocks run fastest — local knowledge that converts directly to margin.
Power-Only vs. Own-Chassis Models
Most intermodal drivers run power-only: your tractor, their chassis, their container. It's asset-light and flexible, but you're exposed to chassis availability and splits. Some operators own or lease their own chassis, gaining control over equipment condition and availability at the cost of capital and maintenance.
The right model depends on your lanes and volume. High-volume dedicated port work can justify owned chassis; varied spot intermodal usually favors power-only with a dispatcher who manages the equipment risk. Either way, the insurance picture shifts slightly — owned chassis need their own physical damage consideration.
How Intermodal-Savvy Dispatch Works
Intermodal dispatch is a specialty because the failure modes are special: appointment systems with their own logic per terminal, chassis logistics that change daily, per-diem clocks running on every move, and port congestion that rewrites the plan by noon. JackRick plans around the container — appointments booked, chassis confirmed, splits avoided where possible, free-time terms factored into every load choice.
The commercial terms stay simple: flat 10% per load, invoiced Fridays, 30-day written notice, no long-term contract, no retainer, no minimums. Box trucks and semis both run. If you're pulling containers in Hampton Roads or anywhere in the USA and Canada, call (757) 744-2484 and talk to someone who knows what a chassis split costs you.
Key takeaways
- Intermodal profit is made on turns per day, chassis availability, and per-diem avoidance — not per-mile rate alone.
- A port pull runs appointment, chassis, pick, outgate, delivery, return, ingate — dispatch manages every step.
- The UIIA plus provider addenda govern equipment use; confirm insurance requirements before signing.
- Free-time and per-diem terms belong in every booking decision — a cheap load with tight free time isn't cheap.
- Chassis splits burn unpaid time and fuel; terminal-savvy dispatch plans around them.
- JackRick dispatches intermodal at flat 10% per load, invoiced Fridays, 30-day notice — call (757) 744-2484.
Questions carriers ask
What is intermodal trucking?
Moving shipping containers between ports, rail ramps, and final destinations — the drayage leg of global freight. Drivers pull customer or pool chassis under agreements like the UIIA, working against appointment systems and free-time clocks.
What is UIIA?
The Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Access Agreement — the standard contract governing equipment interchange between truckers and equipment providers. Most intermodal work requires a signed UIIA plus the provider's addendum, which carries the real terms.
What is a chassis split?
When the assigned chassis isn't at the same location as the container, forcing an extra move to marry them. Splits burn unpaid time and fuel — dispatch that knows the terminals plans around them.
What are per diem charges?
Daily charges when a container or chassis is held beyond free time. Per-diem math decides whether a 'cheap' load is actually cheap — free time terms belong in every booking decision.
Do I need different insurance for intermodal?
The core stack is the same, but equipment providers and ports have specific requirements — trailer interchange coverage matters when you're pulling others' equipment. Confirm UIIA insurance requirements before signing.
How is intermodal dispatch different?
Appointment systems, terminal quirks, chassis logistics, and per-diem clocks make it a specialty. JackRick runs intermodal lanes including Hampton Roads port freight and plans around the container's constraints, not just the miles.