Chicago & Joliet Ramps
Intermodal Drayage for 53' Domestic Containers and Rail Trailers.
Cushing picks up 53 foot domestic containers and rail trailers at the Chicago and Joliet rail ramps, delivers them to your dock or yard, and brings the empty back. Dispatch answers 24 hours a day.
- 53 Foot Domestic Containers
- Rail Trailers
- 15 Ramps on Six Railroads
- 24/7 Dispatch
Two Kinds of Domestic Equipment.
Domestic freight comes off the Chicago and Joliet ramps in two kinds of equipment. Cushing pulls both.
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53 Foot Domestic Containers
Built for freight that stays in North America. They ride doublestack trains between the ramps and hold about what a 53 foot dry van holds. At the ramp the box comes off the train onto a chassis, and Cushing pulls it to your door.
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Rail Trailers
A highway trailer built to ride a railroad flatcar: trailer on flatcar, which the trade calls piggyback. The trailer is lifted off the flatcar and hooks straight to the tractor, with no chassis.
What the Move Covers.
- Pickup at the ramp on the pickup or release number
- Delivery to your dock with the appointment held
- The empty back to the ramp
- Outbound too: an empty to your dock for loading, and the load back to the ramp for the train
- The last free day watched by dispatch
- Status by EDI, API, text or a call
Who Tenders These Loads.
Intermodal marketing companies, LTL and truckload carriers and shippers tender domestic containers and rail trailers to Cushing by EDI, API, email or phone.
Drayage for IMCsThe Ramps.
15 rail ramps on six railroads around Chicago and Joliet. They are the railroads' terminals, not Cushing's; each one has its own page.
- Norfolk Southern NS 47th Street, NS Calumet, NS 63rd Street, NS 79th Street
- BNSF Railway BNSF Corwith, BNSF Cicero, BNSF Willow Springs, BNSF Logistics Park Chicago
- CSX CSX Bedford Park, CSX 59th Street
- Union Pacific UP Global 2, UP Global 4, UP Yard Center
- Canadian National CN Harvey
- Canadian Pacific Kansas City CPKC Bensenville
What to Send Dispatch.
- The container or trailer number
- The railroad and the ramp
- The pickup or release number
- The delivery address and the appointment
- The weight
- Whether it is hazmat
Hazardous materials: Cushing is registered with PHMSA, and the registration is on the documents page; say so when you send the load.
Domestic Container and Rail Trailer Questions.
What is a 53 foot domestic container?
A 53 foot box built for freight that stays in North America. Domestic containers ride doublestack trains between rail ramps and hold about what a 53 foot dry van trailer holds. Ocean containers are 20, 40 or 45 feet and belong to steamship lines.
What is a rail trailer?
A highway trailer built to ride a railroad flatcar, called trailer on flatcar (TOFC) or piggyback. At the ramp it is lifted off the train and hooked straight to a tractor, with no chassis.
Does Cushing pull rail trailers as well as containers?
Yes. Cushing pulls 53 foot domestic containers and rail trailers at the Chicago and Joliet ramps, along with 20, 40 and 45 foot ocean containers.
Which ramps does Cushing work?
15 rail ramps on six railroads around Chicago and Joliet: Norfolk Southern, BNSF Railway, CSX, Union Pacific, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City. Name the ramp when you send the load.
What should I send to move a domestic container or rail trailer?
The container or trailer number, the railroad and the ramp, the pickup or release number, the delivery address and the appointment, the weight, and whether it is hazmat. Email workorders@cushingtrans.com or call 708.656.5050; dispatch answers 24/7.
Explore More Cushing Services.
- Intermodal Drayage Container transportation connecting marine terminals, rail ramps, inland yards, and customer destinations. See the page
- Crosstown Services Container transportation between Chicago rail facilities and intermodal locations. See the page
- Drayage for IMCs How intermodal marketing companies tender, what comes back, and the carrier packet. See the page
Have a Domestic Box or Rail Trailer to Move?
Send the container or trailer number, the ramp, the delivery address and the dates. Cushing dispatch will help coordinate the next step.