Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Intermodal?
- What is the NS golden triangle?
- NS offers Intermodal service to what ports?
- Where can I get a list of commodities NS will/will not accept for Intermodal shipment, as well as other guidelines for shipping containers on NS?
- What computer systems does NS utilize for assisting with the movement of containers?
- Where can I call?
What is Intermodal?
Intermodal is the transportation of goods by more than one form of carrier during a single journey. These carriers can utilize a combination of truck, rail and/or water, which are all coordinated and packaged by a third party and sold to the shipper or received as a simple door-to-door move.
If you have a shipment that you would like to move Intermodal, we suggest contacting an Intermodal Marketing Company (IMC) or one of our truckload partners. These companies know our services, have pricing agreements with us, and will coordinate our rail move with local railhead-to-customer door delivery. If you do not know how to get in contact with one of these companies, please contact your local Norfolk Southern representative and they can provide you with additional details.
Click here for a range of Intermodal Industry Topics and Information.
What is the NS golden triangle?
Our Chicago, IL, Harrisburg, PA, and Atlanta, GA facilities make up the core "triangle" of our network allowing fast, efficient, and consistent service throughout the twenty-two states we directly serve east of the Mississippi River.
NS offers Intermodal service to which ports?
NS offers an extensive array of on-dock and near-dock rail services for marine containers moving to/from vessels at the US East Coast ports.
- New York/New Jersey - On-dock through the Expressrail facility at Port Elizabeth
- Baltimore, MD - Offers on-dock sub-service (via truck), and near-dock service via the Baltimore terminal
- Norfolk, VA - On-dock at Norfolk International Terminals, Newport News Marine Terminal, and Portsmouth Marine Terminal
- Charleston, SC - On-dock rail service to South Port and North Port via the belt line railroad, and near-dock via the NS Charleston terminal
- Savannah, GA - On-dock via the new state of the art Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF)
- Jacksonville, FL - On-dock via the belt line railroad, and near-dock via the NS Jacksonville terminal
- Miami, FL - Offers near-dock rail service to/from the FEC rail terminal in Miami
Where can I get a list of commodities NS will/will not accept for Intermodal shipment, as well as other guidelines for shipping containers on NS?
The Intermodal Rules Circular #2 sets forth terms and conditions when making an intermodal shipment with NS. The current version of the Rules Circular is easily accessible from the NS website under "Doing Business". The Rules Circular is a living document, so changes occur from time to time. NS will make every attempt to announce these changes with as much advance notice as possible. However, you are encouraged to check back on a regular basis to ensure you have the most up-to-date version available.
Please read this document carefully and contact your Intermodal Marketing Representative if you have any questions.
What computer systems does NS utilize for assisting with the movement of containers?
NS offers several web-based and non-web-based applications for every step of the Intermodal process, including:
- EDI and Internet Bill of Lading (IBOL) for billing containers;
- accessNS for quick container tracing;
- Personalized accessNS reports for managing terminal and on-rail inventories;
- eFreight Bill for Accounts Receivable;
- Traffic Delivery Group for tracing and problem resolution.
Learn more about the electronic applications by selecting the "accessNS" option under the "Doing Business" menu of this web site. Contact Information for the Traffic Delivery group can be found under the "Contact Us" menu of this web site.
Where can I call for questions regarding:
- Freight Claims: (800) 742-6315
- Container Storage at NS terminals: phone (678) 945-3558 or fax (678) 945-3563
- EDI problems hotline: (800) 854-2780
- ECommerce (800) 235-5551 or echelp@nscorp.com
- Credit Services: phone (540) 981-4043, 4662, 4665 fax (540) 981-4661
- Rates: phone (757) 533-4936, fax (800) 342-6788, email imprice@nscorp.com
- Customer Service: (800) 497-2919