Increasing the intermodal mix

摘要

In 2012, the prudent shipper has to be looking for options to traditional long-haul trucking in an attempt to control costs and ensure that capacity is available to sustain operations. Fuel prices continue to trend up, while large numbers of professional truck drivers are retiring or leaving the business according to the research firm Global Insight. In fact, their projection in 2005 of an ongoing shortage of over 50,000 drivers per year was only temporarily delayed by the recession and the extension of some careers by older drivers. The pain of a trucking equipment shortage has been avoided due to the growth in intermodal rail capacity, government tax incentives to buy new trucks, and a sluggish economy.