Intermodal Pricing | Cost-Effective Rail & Truck Solutions

How does InTek determine intermodal pricing?

As intermodal shipping combines the efficiency of long-haul rail with the flexibility of dray trucking at the origin and destination - intermodal pricing includes costs for each of those legs. At InTek, we use a data-driven approach along with our industry connections to get you the best combination of service and cost savings. Intermodal pricing is affected by factors including:

Length of haul (for rail and dray)

Available capacity

Overall lane volume

Fuel and accessorial charges

How much does intermodal shipping cost?

With the primary factors out of the way, it's worth reminding that intermodal offers consistent savings of at least 10% over truckload with reliable capacity and a lower environmental impact to boot. To get more specific, let's get to some examples among the top intermodal lanes of 2026:

Intermodal Lane	Spot Rate Range
Los Angeles - Georgia (Savannah)	$4,200 to $4,800
Chicago - New York/New Jersey	$1,600 to $2,500
Texas/Mexico Border (El Paso) - Chicago	$2,700 to $3,500
Miami - Seattle	$3,700 to $4,200
Kansas City - Portland	$3,300 to $4,600

Keep in mind, these are all example ranges not accounting for each specific scenario (and there are literally hundreds of those). More to note:

There are countless origin-destination pairs not listed here
These are ramp to ramp rates - door-to-door includes origin and destination drayage services as well
Each of these lanes (and most lanes) save versus truck, with some offering savings of 30% or more

To get clarity on your specific shipping needs, simply reach out to InTek Intermodal Logistics with details, and we'll get you a tailored intermodal quote before you know it.

Why intermodal pricing matters

The savings intermodal transportation offers is the cherry on top of the many benefits this freight mode provides, including:

Predictable long-term pricing

Lower fuel impact

Reduced carbon footprint

Access to nationwide rail capacity

Intermodal vs. Truckload

While no rule is hard and fast - and market conditions can change - knowing when to use intermodal vs. truckload is key to maximizing cost savings and efficiency.

Intermodal

Cost: Lowest for 700+ mile lanes and less variable - with average long-haul freight savings of 10-15% (or more) vs. over the road

Transit: Slightly longer (truck plus 1-2 days typically)

Capacity: Greater, and more stable

Sustainability: 3-4x more fuel efficient than truckload

Ideal intermodal corridors include: Midwest ↔ West Coast, Midwest ↔ Southeast, Mid-Atlantic ↔ Midwest, and more

Truckload

Cost: Higher long-haul cost per mile, more competitive with intermodal on shorter routes

Transit: Faster than intermodal in most cases

Capacity: Market sensitive

Sustainability: Higher emissions than intermodal

Ideal truckload corridors include: I-90 (cross-country), I-95 (East Coast), I-5 (West Coast, I-10 (cross-country), I-35 (Texas/Mexico border - Minnesota), I-44 corridor (Texas ↔ St. Louis)