Schneider, CSX expand intermodal alliance

Schneider National Inc., a provider of truckload, intermodal, and logistics services, said today that it has expanded its alliance with Eastern rail giant CSX Transportation to broaden Schneider's services in the increasingly important intermodal node of Northwestern Ohio.

Under the agreement, Green Bay, Wis.-based Schneider will expand its intermodal service to include CSX's rail ramps in Marion, Ohio, and North Baltimore, Ohio, near Toledo.

Opened in early 2011, CSX's North Baltimore facility handles container traffic moving from East Coast ports into Midwest markets. It also serves as a transfer point for trains moving from West Coast ports to East Coast and Midwest destinations without having to be routed through the congested Chicago region.

By using the facility, shippers can reduce transit times by up to two days between West Coast ports and distribution centers in the Ohio Valley, officials of Jacksonville, Fla.-based CSX have said.

Schneider said the expanded agreement will broaden its intermodal service and improve transit times to the Northeast, Southeast, and Pacific Northwest.

CSX became Schneider's primary Eastern rail provider in 2008. In January 2012, Schneider and CSX announced a multiyear agreement under which the railroad will continue to serve as one of Schneider's primary rail providers.