
Intermodal Houston Truck Accident Lawyer
CDL-Licensed Truck Accident Lawyer.
18 Wheeler Accident Lawyer Reshard Alexander is licensed to drive big trucksĀ and understands the cause when you are injured in a commercial motor vehicle wreck.
Intermodal Houston Truck Accident Lawyer Reshard Alexander
Seeking a Free Consultation with one of Texas’Ā Houston Truck Accident Lawyers? Call the Big Rig Bull Texas Truck Accident Lawyer Reshard Alexander today at 713.766.3322.
Intermodal freight transportĀ involves the transportation ofĀ freightĀ in anĀ intermodal containerĀ orĀ vehicle, using multiple modes ofĀ transportation(e.g.,Ā rail,Ā ship, andĀ truck), without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damage and loss, and allows freight to be transported faster. Reduced costs over road trucking is the key benefit for inter-continental use. This may be offset by reduced timings for road transport over shorter distances.
Origins
Intermodal transportation goes back to the 18th century and predates the railways. Some of the earliest containers were those used for shipping coal on theĀ Bridgewater CanalĀ inĀ EnglandĀ in the 1780s. Coal containers (called “loose boxes” or “tubs”) were soon deployed on the early canals and railways and were used for road/rail transfers (road at the time meaningĀ horseĀ drawn vehicles).
Wooden coal containers used on railways go back to the 1830s on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. In 1841,Ā Isambard Kingdom BrunelĀ introduced iron containers to move coal from the vale ofĀ NeathĀ toĀ Swansea Docks. By the outbreak of theĀ First World WarĀ theĀ Great Eastern RailwayĀ was using wooden containers to trans-ship passenger luggage between trains and sailings via the port ofĀ Harwich.
The early 1900s saw the first adoption of covered containers, primarily for the movement of furniture and intermodal freight between road and rail. A lack of standards limited the value of this service and this, in turn, drove standardization. In the U.S. such containers, known as “lift vans”, were in use from as early as 1911.
Seeking a Free Consultation with one of Texas’Ā Houston Truck Accident Lawyers? Call the Big Rig Bull Texas Truck Accident Lawyer Reshard Alexander today at 713.766.3322.
Intermodal container –Ā Early containers
In theĀ United KingdomĀ containers were first standardized by theĀ Railway Clearing HouseĀ (RCH) in the 1920s, allowing both railway owned and privately owned vehicles to be carried on standard container flats. By modern standards these containers were small, being 1.5 or 3.0 meters (4.9 or 9.8Ā ft) long, normally wooden and with a curved roof and insufficient strength for stacking. From 1928 theĀ London, Midland and Scottish RailwayĀ offered “door to door” intermodal road-rail services using these containers. This standard failed to become popular outside the United Kingdom.
PalletsĀ made their first major appearance duringĀ World War II, when theĀ United StatesĀ military assembled freight on pallets, allowing fast transfer betweenĀ warehouses, trucks, trains,Ā ships, andĀ aircraft. Because no freight handling was required, fewer personnel were needed and loading times were decreased.
TruckĀ trailersĀ were first carried by railway before World War II, an arrangement often called “piggyback”, by the smallĀ Class I railroad, theĀ Chicago Great WesternĀ in 1936. TheĀ Canadian Pacific RailwayĀ was a pioneer in piggyback transport, becoming the first majorĀ North AmericanĀ railway to introduce the service in 1952. In theĀ United Kingdom, the big four railway companies offered services using standard RCH containers that could be craned on and off the back of trucks. Moving companies such asĀ PickfordsĀ offered private services in the same way.
Containerization
HighwayĀ semi-trailersĀ in piggyback serviceĀ atĀ Albuquerque, New Mexico.
In the 1950s, a new standardized steelĀ Intermodal containerĀ based on specifications from theĀ United States Department of DefenseĀ began to revolutionize freight transportation. TheĀ International Organization for StandardizationĀ (ISO) then issued standards based upon the U.S. Department of Defense standards between 1968 and 1970.
TheĀ White Pass and Yukon RouteĀ railway acquired the world’s firstĀ container ship, the Clifford J. Rogers, built-in 1955, and introduced containers to its railway in 1956. In theĀ United Kingdom, the modernization plan and in turn theĀ Beeching ReportĀ strongly pushed containerization. TheĀ British RailwaysĀ Freightliner service was launched carrying 8-foot (2.4Ā m) high pre-ISO containers. The older wooden containers and the pre-ISO containers were rapidly replaced by 10-and-20-foot (3.0 and 6.1Ā m) ISO standard containers, and later by 40-foot (12Ā m) containers and larger.
In the U.S., starting in the 1960s, the use of containers increased steadily. Rail intermodal traffic tripled between 1980 and 2002, according to theĀ Association of American RailroadsĀ (AAR), from 3.1 million trailers and containers to 9.3 million. Large investments were made in intermodal freight projects. An example was the USD $740,000,000Ā Port of OaklandĀ intermodal rail facility begun in the late 1980s.[2][3]
Since 1984, a mechanism for intermodal shipping known asĀ double-stack rail transportĀ has become increasingly common. Rising to the rate of nearly 70% of the United States’ intermodal shipments, it transports more than one million containers per year. TheĀ double-stack rail carsĀ design significantly reduces damage in transit and provides greater cargo security by cradling the lower containers so their doors cannot be opened. A succession of large, new, domestic container sizes was introduced to increase shipping productivity. In Europe, the more restrictedĀ loading gaugeĀ has limited the adoption of double-stack cars. However, in 2007 theĀ BetuwerouteĀ was completed, a railway fromĀ RotterdamĀ to theĀ GermanĀ industrial heartland, which may accommodate double-stacked containers in the future. Other countries, likeĀ New Zealand, have numerous low tunnels and bridges that limit expansion for economic reasons.
Since electrification generally predated double-stacking, the overhead wiring was too low to accommodate it. However, India is building some freight-only corridors with the overhead wiring atĀ 7.45 mĀ above rail, which is high enough.[4]
Seeking a Free Consultation with one of Texas’Ā Houston Truck Accident Lawyers? Call the Big Rig Bull Texas Truck Accident Lawyer Reshard Alexander today at 713.766.3322.
Containers and container handling
Containers, also known as intermodal containers or ISO containers because the dimensions have been defined by ISO, are the main type of equipment used in intermodal transport, particularly when one of the modes of transportation is by ship. Containers are 8-foot (2.4Ā m) wide by 8-foot (2.4Ā m)Ā or 9-foot-6-inch (2.90Ā m) high. Since introduction, there have been moves to adopt other heights, such as 10-foot-6-inch (3.20Ā m). The most common lengths are 20 feet (6.1Ā m), 40 feet (12Ā m), 45 feet (14Ā m), 48 and 53 feet (15 and 16Ā m), although other lengths exist. The three common sizes are:
- oneĀ TEUĀ – 20-by-8-foot (6.1Ā m ĆĀ 2.4Ā m) x 8-foot-6-inch (2.59Ā m)
- two TEU – 40-by-8-foot (12.2Ā m ĆĀ 2.4Ā m) x 8-foot-6-inch (2.59Ā m)
- highcubeā40-by-8-foot (ā12.2Ā m ĆĀ 2.4Ā m) x 9-foot-6-inch (2.90Ā m).
In countries where the railwayĀ loading gaugeĀ is sufficient,Ā truckĀ trailers are often carried by rail. Variations exist, including open-topped versions covered by a fabric curtain are used to transport larger loads. A container called aĀ tanktainer, with a tank inside a standard container frame, carries liquids.Ā Refrigerated containersĀ (reefer) are used for perishables.Ā Swap bodyĀ units have the same bottom corners as intermodal containers but are not strong enough to be stacked. They have folding legs under their frame and can be moved between trucks without using a crane.
Handling equipment can be designed with intermodality in mind, assisting with transferring containers between rail, road and sea. These can include:
- container gantry craneĀ for transferring containers from seagoing vessels onto either trucks or rail wagons. A spreader beam moves in several directions allowing accurate positioning of the cargo. A container crane is mounted on rails moving parallel to the ship’s side, with a large boom spanning the distance between the ship’s cargo hold and the quay.[5]
- Straddle carriers, and the largerĀ rubber tyred gantry craneĀ are able to straddle container stacks as well as rail and road vehicles, allowing for quick transfer of containers.[5]
- Grappler lift, which is very similar to a straddle carrier except it grips the bottom of a container rather than the top.
- Reach stackersĀ are fitted with lifting arms as well as spreader beams for lifting containers to truck or rail and can stack containers on top of each other.[5]
- SideliftersĀ are a road-going truck or semi-trailer with cranes fitted at each end to hoist and transport containers in small yards or over longer distances.
- Forklift trucksĀ in larger sizes are often used to load containers to/from truck and rail.
- Flatbed trucksĀ with special chain assemblies such as QuickLoadz can pull containers onto or off of the bed using the corner castings.[6]
Seeking a Free Consultation with one of Texas’Ā Houston Truck Accident Lawyers? Call the Big Rig Bull Texas Truck Accident Lawyer Reshard Alexander today at 713.766.3322.
Load Securing in Intermodal Containers
According to theĀ European CommissionĀ Transportation Department, āit has been estimated that up to 25% of accidents involving trucks can be attributable to inadequate cargo securingā.[7]Ā CargoĀ that is improperly secured can cause severe accidents and lead to the loss of cargo, the loss of lives, the loss of vehicles, ships and airplanes; not to mention the environmental hazards it can cause. There are many different ways and materials available to stabilize and secure cargo in containers used in the various modes of transportation. ConventionalĀ Load SecuringĀ methods and materials such as steel banding and wood blocking & bracing have been around for decades and are still widely used. In the last few years the use of several, relatively new and unknownĀ Load SecuringĀ methods have become available through innovation and technological advancement including polyester strapping and -lashing, synthetic webbings andĀ Dunnage Bags, also known as air bags.
TruckingĀ is frequently used to connect the “linehaul” ocean and rail segments of a global intermodal freight movement. This specialized trucking that runs between ocean ports, rail terminals, and inland shipping docks, is often calledĀ drayage, and is typically provided by dedicated drayage companies or by the railroads.[15]
Intermodal Houston Truck Accident Lawyer
Seeking a Free Consultation with one of Texas’Ā Houston Truck Accident Lawyers? Call the Big Rig Bull Texas Truck Accident Lawyer Reshard Alexander today at 713.766.3322.
It is advisable to consultĀ Houston truck accident attorneyĀ Reshard Alexander whoĀ will help determine liability and the right compensation amount that you should get for your injuries. The insurance company of the at-fault driver may not be willing to pay forĀ damages and I can help you with the negotiation process. Call me today atĀ (713) 766-3322Ā for a free consultation.
Types of Truck
18 Wheeler
Ambulance
Agricultural Hauler
Auto Hauler
Box Truck
Bulk Hopper
Bus
Cattle Truck
Cement Mixer
Delivery Truck
Dry Van
Dump Truck
Flatbed Truck
Garbage Truck
Grain Hauler
Gravel Truck
Heavy Hauler
Hotshot Truck
Intermodal Truck
Logger Truck
LTL Truck
Milk Hauler
Mobile Crane
Oilfield Truck
Refrigerator Truck
Semi-Trailer Truck
Tanker Truck
Tow Truck
Tractor-Trailer
Attorney Reshard Alexander – Big Rig Bull Texas Truck Accident Lawyer represents clients in all Texas counties, including: Anderson, Andrews, Angelina, Aransas, Archer, Armstrong, Atascosa, Austin, Bailey, Bandera, Bastrop, Baylor, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Borden, Bosque, Bowie, Brazoria, Brazos, Brewster, Briscoe, Brooks, Brown, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Calhoun, Callahan, Cameron, Camp, Carson, Cass, Castro, Chambers, Cherokee,Childress, Clay, Cochran, Coke, Coleman, Collin, Collingsworth, Colorado, Comal, Comanche, Concho, Cooke, Coryell, Cottle, Crane, Crockett, Crosby, Culberson, Dallam, Dallas, Dawson, Deaf Smith, Delta, Denton, DeWitt, Dickens, Dimmit, Donley, Duval, Eastland, Ector, Edwards, El Paso, Ellis, Erath, Falls, Fannin, Fayette, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Fort Bend, Franklin, Freestone, Frio, Gaines, Galveston, Garza, Gillespie, Glasscock, Goliad, Gonzales, Gray, Grayson, Gregg, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hale, Hall, Hamilton, Hansford, Hardeman, Hardin, Harris County Truck Accident Lawyer, Harrison, Hartley, Haskell, Hays, Hemphill, Henderson, Hidalgo, Hill, Hockley, Hood, Hopkins, Houston, Howard, Hudspeth, Hunt, Hutchinson, Irion, Jack, Jackson, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Johnson, Jones, Karnes, Kaufman, Kendall, Kenedy, Kent, Kerr, Kimble, King, Kinney, Kleberg, Knox, La Salle, Lamar, Lamb, Lampasas, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Limestone, Lipscomb, Live Oak, Llano, Loving, Lubbock, Lynn, Madison, Marion, Martin, Mason, Matagorda, Maverick, McCulloch, McLennan, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Milam, Mills, Mitchell, Montague, Montgomery, Moore, Morris, Motley, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Newton, Nolan, Nueces, Ochiltree, Oldham, Orange, Palo Pinto, Panola, Parker, Parmer, Pecos, Polk, Potter, Presidio, Rains, Randall, Reagan, Real, Red River, Reeves, Refugio, Roberts, Robertson, Rockwall, Runnels, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, San Patricio, San Saba, Schleicher, Scurry, Shackelford, Shelby, Sherman, Smith, Somervell, Starr, Stephens, Sterling, Stonewall, Sutton, Swisher, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Terry, Throckmorton, Titus, Tom Green, Travis, Trinity, Tyler, Upshur, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Van Zandt, Victoria, Walker, Waller, Ward, Washington, Webb, Wharton, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, Willacy, Williamson, Wilson, Winkler, Wise, Wood, Yoakum, Young, Zapata, and Zavala counties; and all Texas cities, including: Houston Truck Accident Lawyer, Aldine Truck Accident Lawyer , Algoa Truck Accident Lawyer, Alief Truck Accident Lawyer, Alvin Truck Accident Lawyer, Anahuac Truck Accident Lawyer, Angleton Truck Accident Lawyer, Atascocita Truck Accident Lawyer, Bay City Truck Accident Lawyer, Bayou Vista Truck Accident Lawyer, Baytown Truck Accident Lawyer, Bellaire Truck Accident Lawyer, Bellville TX Truck Accident Lawyer, Beaumont Truck Accident Lawyer, Brazoria Truck Accident Lawyer, Brenham Truck Accident Lawyer, Brookshire Truck Accident Lawyer, Bryan Truck Accident Lawyer, Cedar Creek Truck Accident Lawyer, Channelview Truck Accident Lawyer, China TX Truck Accident Lawyer, Clear Lake City Truck Accident Lawyer, Cleveland TX Truck Accident Lawyer, Clute Truck Accident Lawyer, Columbus TX Truck Accident Lawyer, College Station Truck Accident Lawyer, Conroe Truck Accident Lawyer, Crosby Truck Accident Lawyer, Cypress Truck Accident Lawyer, Dayton Truck Accident Lawyer, Deer Park Truck Accident Lawyer, Dickinson Truck Accident Lawyer, Eagle Lake Truck Accident Lawyer, East Bernard Truck Accident Lawyer, Edna Truck Accident Lawyer, El Campo Truck Accident Lawyer, Elmgrove Truck Accident Lawyer, Flatonia Truck Accident Lawyer, Freeport Truck Accident Lawyer, Fresno Truck Accident Lawyer, Friendswood Truck Accident Lawyer, Fulshear TX Truck Accident Lawyer, Galena Park Truck Accident Lawyer, Galveston Truck Accident Lawyer, Ganado TX Truck Accident Lawyer, Garden Villas Truck Accident Lawyer, Hardin Truck Accident Lawyer, Hearne Truck Accident Lawyer, Hempstead Truck Accident Lawyer, Hillcrest Truck Accident Lawyer, Hitchcock Truck Accident Lawyer, Hockley TX Truck Accident Lawyer, Humble Truck Accident Lawyer, Huntsville Truck Accident Lawyer, Inez Truck Accident Lawyer, Jacinto City Truck Accident Lawyer, Jamaica Beach Truck Accident Lawyer, Jersey Village Truck Accident Lawyer, Katy Truck Accident Lawyer, Kemah Truck Accident Lawyer, Kingwood TX Truck Accident Lawyer, La Marque Truck Accident Lawyer, La Porte Truck Accident Lawyer, Lake Jackson Truck Accident Lawyer, League City Truck Accident Lawyer, Liberty TX Truck Accident Lawyer, Liverpool TX Truck Accident Lawyer, Livingston TX Truck Accident Lawyer, Long Point TX Truck Accident Lawyer, Louise TX Truck Accident Lawyer, Lufkin Truck Accident Lawyer, Madisonville Truck Accident Lawyer, Magnolia Truck Accident Lawyer, Meadows Place Truck Accident Lawyer, Missouri City Truck Accident Lawyer, Montgomery Truck Accident Lawyer, Morgan’s Point Truck Accident Lawyer, Moss Hill Truck Accident Lawyer, Mount Belvieu Truck Accident Lawyer, Nacogdoches Truck Accident Lawyer, Navasota Truck Accident Lawyer, Nassau Bay Truck Accident Lawyer, Needville Truck Accident Lawyer, Pasadena TX Truck Accident Lawyer, Pearland Truck Accident Lawyer, Port Bolivar Truck Accident Lawyer, Porter Truck Accident Lawyer, Prairie View Truck Accident Lawyer, Richmond Truck Accident Lawyer, Rosenberg Truck Accident Lawyer, Rosharon Truck Accident Lawyer, San Leon Truck Accident Lawyer, Seabrook Truck Accident Lawyer, Schulenburg Truck Accident Lawyer, Sealy Truck Accident Lawyer, Shenandoah Truck Accident Lawyer, Shoreacres Truck Accident Lawyer, Southside Place Truck Accident Lawyer, Spring Truck Accident Lawyer, Spring Branch Truck Accident Lawyer, Stafford Truck Accident Lawyer, Sugar Land Truck Accident Lawyer, Texas City Truck Accident Lawyer, Todd Mission Truck Accident Lawyer, Tomball Truck Accident Lawyer, Van Vleck Truck Accident Lawyer, Waller TX Truck Accident Lawyer, Webster Truck Accident Lawyer, West Columbia TX Truck Accident Lawyer, Wharton Truck Accident Lawyer, Willis TX Truck Accident Lawyer, Winnie Truck Accident Lawyer, and The Woodlands Truck Accident Lawyer.