Seems silly to have emptys deadheading back to port.
I’m not sure about containers but cabotage restrictions do apply for both ship and air transportation: e.g.; a foreign flag ship or airline cannot haul traffic strictly between two US destinations. I am aware that domestic ship traffic within the United States such as petroleum from Alaska to the Lower 48 must also be handled in US-built ships.
Well I was responsible in the 70s for returning the company I worked for MT containers. I used to give them to such domestic shippers as the USPO/UPS/Carloaders. The USPO/UPS/Carloaders would then returned the MT container to us at our terminal on the W/coast. In fact the RRs at least at that time had reduced rates for domestic cargo moving in container that came from abroad & they would not have to move back empty. if a law was effect that said that domestic shippers cannot use import containers for domestic use then such a govermental agency as the USPO was unaware of it as well as was the attornies for the company I worked for. [:o)][
[quote]
Originally posted by Peterson6868
[
I never knew there was such a law.
We’d certainly use international containers for domestic loads. For example, Lykes would bring Becks Beer into New Orleans for Chicago. We’d use the Lykes containers for domestic loads back to NOLA.
The only time I ever heard of anything like this was a time limit on foriegn country owned equipment. We had leased some Canadian flatcars for lumber service. We could use them for a while, but if they stayed in the US for an extended length of time we’d have to pay import duty on them.
I think you’ve always been allowed to do a reload, but you can’t keep the foriegn equipment in service indefinitely.
I have hauled containers many times. I have seen containers from the coast of the Mediterrain stuck deep in the forests of West Virginia as they were being loaded with logs.
Shippers want containers. They dont care what is ON the container. But they DO care about money. Charge them to keep said container (Or truck) over a certain time limit they will do what it takes to get that box off the property.
The day we start dividing domestic and international cargo and transloading them into appropriate boxes will be a horrorshow on our docks as we struggle to organize everything.
Pack em and ship em outta here I say. Deadhead is no different than running a train with 300 empty flats back to the ports on the Gulf Coast to get ready for a inbound military unit coming home from Iraq.
Using NOLA can I guess you work for a steamship line? [:D]
[quote]
Originally posted by greyhounds
I was moving and called CSX intermdal for a rate and I was told that by the agent on the phone. It may have changed now
Actually, sort of the reverse is true - it says that an international box can not be used for multiple domestic moves. An international (ISO) box (i.e. 20’, 40’) can be used to brings goods inland and can be used for a move back toward the port, but then must leave the country. If it doesn’t, then it is presumed that it is a foreign made box that was manufactured to be used to move goods domestically in the U.S. and as a result, import taxes should be paid on that box.
However, if the box leaves again, after the move back toward the port, no taxes are due.
That’s a lot of paraphrasing, but that’s the gist. Companies like Rail Bridge and ESI make their living finding backhaul loads to the ports.
Ever consider the person you spoke to did not really understand what you were saying? If you live on the E/coast just call any one of the pacific carriers they will be more then happy to recommend someone who can assist you like Clipper or any other major RR consolidator. That is how they make the big bucks [:o)][:I]
[quote]
Originally posted by Peterson6868
[