MercuryGate and CSX announce intermodal technology partnership

Earlier this month, cloud-based transportation management systems (TMS) provider MercuryGate International Inc. and Class I railroad carrier CSX Transportation Intermodal’s announced a partnership centering around RailPlus, CSX’s intermodal door-to-door offering.

MercuryGate said that through this partnership shippers can now access the CSX online booking tool, ShipCSX, which enables shippers to plan, ship, and pay for intermodal shipments, through MercuryGate’s TMS.

“MercuryGate is committed to meeting the evolving needs of the transportation industry. By providing a seamless connection to ShipCSX, we are making it easier for our customers to access intermodal rail capacity,” said Monica B. Wooden, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, MercuryGate International Inc., in a statement. “Our technology solutions are designed to add value to our clients, though increased visibility and improved productivity. We are pleased to partner with CSX and extend those attributes to intermodal shipments.”

CSX officials explained that this partnership provides its customers with additional options to quickly and efficiently manage intermodal freight through MercuryGate’s TMS offerings, adding that the objective of the RailPlus product is to provide customers with a seamless and effortless experience through better technology, tools, and service, coupled with being able to quickly access intermodal rates and cover loads within MercuryGate’s TMS, which, in turn, will help customers expand profits.

“MercuryGate is committed to providing its customers the most comprehensive solution on the market today for locating capacity across any mode,” said Vikram Balasubramanian, Senior Vice President of Strategic Product Marketing, MercuryGate, in an interview. “Door to door services provide yet another alternative for shippers and brokers to execute multi leg-multi modal shipments. Increasingly, we are hearing that all shipments are becoming just-in-time or time-sensitive. That means that it is critical that intermodal shippers have the ability to view all modes in one platform so they can quickly make decisions, selecting the optimal mode or combination of modes to meet their needs, both budgetary and from a service perspective.”

Balasubramanian cited various benefits of this partnership, including how MercuryGate customers are saying that the increased visibility across the entire intermodal process and the speed of access to capacity are benefits of MercuryGate’s transportation management solution for intermodal.

Other benefits include how yy providing direct connectivity to major rail providers, users can quickly obtain rate information and reserve capacity directly from MercuryGate TMS to cover loads, as well as the MercuryGate system being able to automate reports and notifications that keep the user updated throughout the door-to-door move.