POTENTIAL INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION OF PERISHABLES FROM THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY OF TEXAS TO THE MIDWEST

Although motor carriers predominate in movement of fresh produce from the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas to the midwest, there are certain characteristics of the highway and rail modes which are of interest to shippers. Railroads suffer from excessive transit time; motor carrier rates fluctuate widely and both modes have occassional equipment shortages. An intermodal system is described which incorporates characteristics of both truck and rail that should be superior to the current modes in terms of reliability and cost.