The 'Intermodal Terminal' represents the terminal areas corresponding to modal change points. This includes interfaces between roadway freight transportation and air, rail, and/or water shipping modes. The basic unit of cargo handled by the Intermodal Terminal physical object is the container; less–than–container load handling is typically handled at a different facility (i.e., Freight Consolidation Station). The Intermodal Terminal can include electronic gate control for entrance and exit from the facility, automated guidance of vehicles within the facility, alerting appropriate parties of container arrivals and departures, and inventory and location of temporarily stored containers.
'Terminal Management' supports the operation of the roadway aspects of an intermodal terminal. The key capabilities include the ability to identify and control vehicle traffic entering and departing the facility, guide vehicles to loading and unloading points, maintain site security and monitor container integrity, provide an interface to Customs as appropriate, and acknowledge container pickup and drop–off. Other capabilities include the ability to track container locations within the facility, manage any other required assets, like truck chassis, and provide reservation services to manage congestion at busy terminals. This application also provides information to support load matching services for drayage operators.