Piggyback Plans

Summary of Piggyback Plans

Various service schemes offered by rail carriers to piggyback users. Some railroads do not offer piggyback service, or offer only some of the plans. Each plan has its own peculiar features and carries its own rates. Plan I: a joint rail carrier/motor carrier service wherein the motor carrier delivers its trailers to the railroad for haulage to the destination city. The motor carrier bills the shipper/consignee at the prevailing trucking rates and performs local pickup and delivery of the trailers.

Plan 2: the railroad provides the trailers and performs both pickup and delivery.

Plan 2lA: same as Plan 2, but the rail carrier provides pickup or delivery, not both.

Plan 2 Yu the railroad provides service only between TOFC [trailer on flatcar] ramps; pickup and delivery of trailer are performed by consignor/ consignee.

Plan 2%: same as plan 2LA, except one rail-owned and one shipper-owned trailer move together on a two-trailer rate. Pickup and delivery are performed by consignor/consignee.

Plan 3: the railroad provides ramp-to-ramp service; trailers are provided by the shipper. Pickup and delivery are performed by consignor/consignee. Ocean containers moving to or from interior points may employ this plan.

Plan 4: flatcars and trailers are provided by the shipper; the railroad provides rails and power. Pickup and delivery are provided by consignor/consignee. This plan is used primarily by freight forwarders and consolidators.

Plan 5: a joint motor/rail service with through rates and routings filed by either the rail or the motor carrier. Door-to-door service is provided under this arrangement, with either carrier supplying trailers.

Plan 5Vi'. same as Plan 5, except the rail carrier provides only pickup or delivery, not both.

Plan 7: so-called substitute service, wherein a rail carrier, at its convenience, substitutes two or more trailers in place of a boxcar. Door-to-door service is provided.

Plan 8: ramp-to-ramp mail service provided on a contract basis.

(Main Author: William J. Miller)