FedEx Freight | What is FedEx Multimodal?

Guardrail

TB Legend
Credits
12
There have been several posts alluding to FedEx starting or buying a train company, shipping more on the rail etc. Several pictures of the new gray Multimodal trailers have been displayed, including this one I took at the KCM National facility.

702718173_photobucket_8984_.jpg


It struck me as odd that the name is Multimodal instead of Intermodal. Most intermodal companies use a chassis and rail box combo instead of the standard 53' trailer like the one in the picture. Here's what I found after a few Google searches.

FedEx launches new international freight service

Jan 29, 2010 10:22 AM

A new international supply chain service from FedEx Corp. called FedEx International DirectDistribution, seeks to replace multiple distribution channels with a single, fast-moving and flexible end-to-end solution to increase speed to market and reduces costs for a variety of shippers.

This new service combines the forwarding and customs compliance expertise of FedEx Trade Networks with FedEx’s global multimodal transportation network...

Read the rest of the article at Fleetowner.com

What is FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution®?
FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution® (IPD) is a contractual service that allows a shipper to send multiple pieces from a single location in an origin country to multiple recipients in a single-destination country.
FedEx IPD is the electronic consolidation of multiple shipments from one shipper to multiple recipients in another country.

Here's the rest from the FedEx site.
 
Hey we've got planes and trucks, why not buy a train too? Then all the bases are covered.
That would explain the term "Multi" I think. But I'm just guessing, who really knows. But that would be one heck of a supply chain for sure.
Lower risk of service interruptions.

It'd be cool to know how much fuel a train will save by having a bunch of those side skirt trailers on it.


Good info by the way guardrail, thanks for digging it up.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
They have said in the future as rail times get better and become more dependable that we would use them. My guess multimodal is just a word chosen to be different. My guess the reason we wouldn't use the chassis is the are not the safest our most unsafe trailer is safer than those. Also it quicker and easier to just sit the trailer in the train and go.
 
There have been several posts alluding to FedEx starting or buying a train company, shipping more on the rail etc. Several pictures of the new gray Multimodal trailers have been displayed, including this one I took at the KCM National facility.

702718173_photobucket_8984_.jpg


It struck me as odd that the name is Multimodal instead of Intermodal. Most intermodal companies use a chassis and rail box combo instead of the standard 53' trailer like the one in the picture. Here's what I found after a few Google searches.

Guardrail :clapping:

I was afraid that they would go with regular trailers instead of Intermodal container type trailers that can be double stacked on the rail and loaded onto a chassis at both ends to get to the customers and shippers.
I can't see how they are going to save money using the rail if they can only ship one trailer or load instead of 2 53 ft. container boxes.
Looks like whoever set this up did not think this through and is not a truck driver or a train person.

:nono_h4h::nono_h4h:
 
Maybe the freight rates on LTL are good enough to single stack the 53's instead of double stacking the containers like JB does with solid loads?
Then factor in the equipment safety issue that Hillbilly spoke of on top of that, then maybe that's why using our 53's is the better bottom line than chassis setup?
 
Wikipedia describes multimodal transport as:
Multimodal transport (also referred to as combined transport) is the transportation of goods under a single contract but performed with at least two different means of transport. I.e. the carrier (in a legal sense) is liable for the entire carriage even though it is performed with several different means of transport (e.g. rail, sea and road). The carrier, however, does not have to be in the possession of all of the means of transport and in practice usually is not. The carriage is often performed by using sub-carriers, in legal language often referred to as actual carriers. The carrier that is responsible for the entire carriage is referred to as a multimodal transport operator (MTO).

I guess it's another combination of services combining different opco's given to one customer. Just another package to give the customer the complete service they desire.
 
Guardrail :clapping:

I was afraid that they would go with regular trailers instead of Intermodal container type trailers that can be double stacked on the rail and loaded onto a chassis at both ends to get to the customers and shippers.
I can't see how they are going to save money using the rail if they can only ship one trailer or load instead of 2 53 ft. container boxes.
Looks like whoever set this up did not think this through and is not a truck driver or a train person.

:nono_h4h::nono_h4h:

I've come out of summit and seen car after car of ups trailers single stacked. I run i65 and have seen so many unsafe chassis that hate getting near them. Wheels come off them all the time.
 
I was just told by a friend of mine that they were all emailed a few weeks ago regarding these trailers if customers asked questions. They are FedEx Freight owned assets and FedEx Freight will be putting linehaul freight in them that will be going by rail. The color is unique to keep the trailers separate from the road linehaul and city vans. Will this eventually be a blended trailer (i.e., FedEx Freight and FedEx Ground going from CA to OH or whatever) ... could be. Again, the writing is on the trailer (literally) since the trailer shows no "exact" ownership they could very easily consolidate OPCO freight in them. This is similar to all of the FedEx Custom Critical trailers that I am sure you guys now see in your yards. FedEx Freight used their purchasing power for FDCC to acquire them (since FDCC is a FedEx Freight company) and that allowed for FDCC to get out from under XTRA leased trailers and provide uniformed, standard trailers to all of the drivers.

Rob
 
I can't think of any reason why they couldn't run Ground and Freight blended loads in these boxes.
It'd make sense to me that they would if they needed to.
 
This certainly seems to be the wave of the future for logistics.I wonder if Fedex has sorted out the possibility labor issues regarding the unionized train crews?Oh well I guess the got everything figured out...never mind.
 
This certainly seems to be the wave of the future for logistics.I wonder if Fedex has sorted out the possibility labor issues regarding the unionized train crews?Oh well I guess the got everything figured out...never mind.

Hmmmm that would prove interesting. I suppose it would be the same kind of situation we have now with the pilots.
 
Wonder how soon till I'm hauling one of those?

Shortly after you start driving choo-choos.
I'm thinking there will be a new owner operator division or they'll just use PT for all of it. After all, isn't outsourcing your job a cheaper solution?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I've come out of summit and seen car after car of ups trailers single stacked. I run i65 and have seen so many unsafe chassis that hate getting near them. Wheels come off them all the time.

I'd rather see the occasional loose wheel than watching the entire axle come out from under an old P trailer.
 
This certainly seems to be the wave of the future for logistics.I wonder if Fedex has sorted out the possibility labor issues regarding the unionized train crews?Oh well I guess the got everything figured out...never mind.

Have you not already seen the pups and the long boxes on the rails? They have been riding them for years. We would count them as we drove out the pass in SBR and the train was below us.
 
Top