INTERMODAL

Back-office operations for intermodal and IMCs

Every intermodal move has at least two billing legs: rail and drayage. Each carries its own invoices, accessorials, and documentation. We run the billing and audit across both legs so nothing falls between them.

THE INTERMODAL BACK OFFICE

Built for rail and dray coordination

Intermodal billing sits at the intersection of rail tariffs and drayage accessorials. The rail leg has its own rate structure, fuel surcharges, and container charges. The drayage legs at origin and destination carry chassis fees, per diem, terminal charges, and delivery accessorials. An intermodal marketing company or broker has to reconcile all of these against a single customer rate.

We handle the full billing workflow across both legs: rail tariff verification, drayage carrier invoice audit, customer invoicing with all costs reconciled, per diem and chassis fee passthrough, and AR follow-up.

DSO Reduction

30 %+

Reporting

99 Weekly

POD Chase

< 48 h

Where intermodal margin leaks

Rail and dray costs not reconciled

The rail invoice and the drayage invoice often arrive at different times and are processed separately. When nobody reconciles both legs against the customer rate, margin discrepancies go unnoticed until they show up in the P&L.

Per diem falls between legs

Container per diem can accrue during the rail transit, at the ramp, and during drayage. Tracking which party is responsible for which days and passing through the correct charges requires matching timestamps across rail and dray records.

Chassis fees missed on dray legs

Drayage carriers charge chassis fees that vary by provider and location. On intermodal moves, the chassis charge on each dray leg needs to be captured and either included in the customer rate or billed as a passthrough.

Documentation spread across systems

Rail tracking, drayage POD, container events, and customer billing often live in different systems. When documents for a single shipment are scattered, the billing file is incomplete and the invoice gets delayed or disputed.

How we run your intermodal back office

1

Discovery

We audit your rail carrier tariffs, drayage provider rate structures, ramp relationships, and the per diem and chassis fee schedules that apply to your lanes.

2

Onboarding

Your team learns the rail tariff structures, drayage accessorial schedules, and per diem rules specific to your ramps and lanes. Two to three weeks to full speed.

3

Ongoing operations

Rail and drayage invoice audit, customer invoicing with multi-leg reconciliation, per diem tracking, and AR follow-up on every shipment.

4

You scale

New ramps, new lanes, more containers. The billing operation absorbs the growth.

What intermodal operations get back

The result is a back office that handles the complexity your freight demands:

Works inside the systems you already run

We work inside the TMS platforms you already use for intermodal dispatch, container tracking, and billing, with no migration and no new software to learn.

Frequently asked questions

Can ClearLane reconcile rail and drayage billing on intermodal moves?

Yes. We audit the rail carrier invoice against the tariff or contract and audit each drayage carrier invoice separately. Both legs are reconciled against the customer rate before the invoice goes out, so margin on each move is accurate.

Yes. We track container per diem from the steamship line across rail transit, ramp time, and drayage. The charges are matched to the correct leg and party, and passthroughs are billed to the customer with the supporting documentation.

Intermodal back-office support covers rail carrier invoice audit, drayage carrier invoice audit, customer invoicing with multi-leg cost reconciliation, per diem and chassis fee management, and AR follow-up.

Pricing is based on your monthly container count and the number of legs per move. A 20-minute call covers the details.

Yes. Profit Tools, CompCare, and other intermodal-specific platforms are all systems we work in daily. Rail tariff verification, drayage billing, and per diem tracking all happen inside your existing setup.

We track empty return deadlines and per diem exposure on every container. When a street turn opportunity exists, we coordinate the documentation so the billing reflects the actual container movement. Empty return confirmation is documented and matched to the per diem record to close out the charge.

Related services

Rail tariff and drayage accessorial verification.

Catch per diem and chassis fees before invoicing.

Follow-up across intermodal customers.

Settlement and books kept current as you scale.

Get Started

See how we can help your intermodal operation

Most intermodal clients start with carrier invoice audit and per diem tracking across legs, then grow into full back-office management.