This richly illustrated history chronicles one of the most revolutionary developments in freight railroads during the twentieth century: intermodal shipping, the use of containers to move cargo between trains, trucks, and oceangoing vessels. It was a development that transformed the movement of freight around the world, with an almost incalculable impact on industry. Intermodal railroading began tentatively with attempts at "piggybacking" in the 1930's, before moving on to more serious developments in the period from World War II through 1960's, most notably by Canadian Pacific and the New Haven and Southern Pacific railroads. After looking at early intermodal technology and traffic, particularly the formation of pioneering equipment manufacturer and provider TTX, author Brian Soloman turns to the contemporary period. His account of mighty changes to North American shipping ranges form the implications of the Staggers Act of 1980 and various railroad mergers, to the emergence of partnerships between various railroads and trucking and shipping firms. In addition to railroads like Conrail, BNSF, and CSX, this comprehensive history features trucking, freight delivery, and forwarding firms such as J.B. Hunt, UPS, Maersk, and K-line. it also considers the importance of specialized modern rolling stock, motive power, loading equipment, and internal hubs, including Boston, Baltimore, Seattle, Long Beach, and Kansas City.