Schneider Intermodal introduces CN, KCS interchange for 'Mexico Direct' service

Schneider Intermodal has launched a new interchange for its Mexico Direct service to provide shippers a faster and more efficient option for moving freight across the U.S./Mexico border.

Last month, the Schneider National Inc. subsidiary began managing intermodal loads through a new steel-wheel interchange in Jackson, Miss. Mexico Direct loads now move between Chicago and Jackson on CN, and between Jackson and Mexico on Kansas City Southern.

"Until recently, a Mexico Direct shipment interchanged in Houston, [where] it traveled 55 miles by truck, through a congested area, to get to the ramp that brought it to the next leg of the journey," said Jim Filter, Schneider National's senior vice president of intermodal commercial management, in a press release. "The new interchange in Jackson eliminates all that. The load stays on the train and keeps moving, which saves customers at least one full day of transit time.

CN's close collaboration with Schneider Intermodal and KCS can make the complex border-crossing process smoother and more seamless for shippers, helping to improve supply-chain efficiencies and reduce transit times, said Jean-Jacques Ruest, CN's executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

Schneider Intermodal has offered the Mexico Direct service since 2006. The company maintains an operation in Mexico City and operates ramps in Laredo, Texas, and Monterrey, San Luis Potosi and Toluca, Mexico.