EXCLUSIVE: Norfolk Southern, CMA CGM launch new ‘truck-like’ intermodal service
Norfolk Southern and ocean carrier CMA CGM have launched a new intermodal service they describe as “truck-like,” aiming to make rail intermodal freight move with the speed and consistency drivers typically associate with over-the-road service.
Details beyond the launch and the “truck-like” positioning were not provided in the information shared. Without specifics on lanes, schedules, pricing, equipment requirements, or terminal procedures, the announcement amounts to a statement of intent: a rail-and-container option designed to compete more directly with highway service on reliability and transit time.
For working drivers, the significance of any new intermodal product usually comes down to two things: how much freight it pulls off the road and what kind of drayage work it creates around terminals. When railroads and carriers push faster, more predictable intermodal, it can shift some long-haul moves to the rails while increasing demand for short-haul pickup and delivery on both ends.
In broader context, intermodal has long tried to win freight from trucking by promising lower cost and improved sustainability, but it often runs into real-world challenges such as terminal congestion, chassis availability, inconsistent cutoffs, and schedule variability. Calling a new product “truck-like” signals a focus on service performance—an area where shippers and drivers notice problems quickly.
As more concrete information becomes available—origin/destination markets, service frequency, appointment and cutoff rules, equipment/ chassis arrangements, and how exceptions will be handled—drivers and fleets will be better able to judge whether this is a meaningful change or a rebrand of existing intermodal offerings.