The collaboration paves the way for Pacer to enter the Caribbean market, and allows Trailer Bridge to draw freight from a broader US market using Pacer's intermodal network.

The alignment of the two transportation providers will result in a fully integrated wholesale intermodal service that Pacer describes as an expansion of its recently launched PacerDirect door-to-door service in the US.

The PacerDirect Puerto Rico service will focus on West Coast origin freight and provide customers with a single point of contact to manage all intermodal and vessel details, an all-inclusive rate quote, and one invoice consolidating all land and ocean activities. The service is aimed specifically at freight intermediaries such as intermodal marketing companies, freight brokers, and trucking lines.

The freight will move in Pacer Stacktrain's 53-ft containers over Pacer's double-stack rail network, and will be turned over to Trailer Bridge in Jacksonville. Trailer Bridge will provide the marine freight service between the US and Puerto Rico, using its existing Triplestack Box Carriers®, the first vessels in the world built exclusively for 53-ft containers, and its triple-deck ro/ro vessels, the largest such vessels in the world.

Pacer chairman & CEO Mike Uremovich commented that the arrangement will enable Pacer to offer integrated moves to Puerto Rico, not only for shipments of US origin, but also for imported ocean freight that Pacer has transloaded into domestic containers at its own West Coast cross-docking operations.

Trailer Bridge is expected to benefit significantly from the jointly provided service, since shipments inbound from the Far East can now be forwarded to Puerto Rico in the same 53-ft container.