# MCA for intermodal trucking — detailed > Intermodal trucking businesses — drayage operators moving containers between ports, rail terminals, and customer facilities — typically qualify for $40K–$500K MCA advances at 1.26–1.40 factor rates over 6–12 months, with port-access credentials, chassis fleets, and container demurrage exposure shaping underwriting. Intermodal trucking — the drayage segment moving ocean and rail containers between marine terminals, intermodal rail yards, and customer facilities — is a port-and-rail-tethered trucking vertical with unique operational and economic characteristics. **Typical advance structure.** - Advance size: $40K–$500K depending on fleet size and chassis-fleet value. - Factor: 1.26–1.40, with 1.30–1.34 most common. - Term: 6–12 months daily ACH. - Holdback equivalent: 6–10% of average daily revenue. - Lead use of funds: chassis acquisition, port-credential renewals (TWIC, port-specific), drayage tractor purchase, terminal-access fees, off-season working capital. **What underwriters look for.** First, port and rail access. Operating at major ports (LA/Long Beach, NY/NJ, Savannah, Charleston, Houston, Seattle-Tacoma, Oakland) requires SCAC codes, port-specific RFID transponders (PortPASS, port-truck programs), TWIC cards for drivers, and clean-truck program compliance (varies by port). Second, chassis fleet or chassis-pool participation. Intermodal hauling requires chassis (the wheeled platform under the container). Operators either own chassis ($8K-15K per chassis), participate in chassis pools (TRAC, FlexiVan, Direct ChassisLink), or rent ad-hoc ($30-45/day). Chassis economics significantly affect margins. Third, drayage tractor profile. Drayage tractors are typically older, lower-mileage day cabs without sleepers ($35K-80K used), often single-axle for maneuverability. Port clean-truck programs (LA/Long Beach Clean Truck Program) require 2014+ engines or now zero-emission models — a major capex driver. Fourth, customer mix. Beneficial Cargo Owners (BCO) direct contracts (Walmart, Target, Home Depot, IKEA importers) are stable. NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier) and freight-forwarder-routed dispatch is more spot-market. Fifth, demurrage and detention exposure. Containers held beyond free-time at port or customer generate per-diem charges (often $200-400/day). Fleets with poor turn-times have demurrage liability that erodes margins. **Common uses.** - Chassis acquisition ($8K-15K per chassis for owned fleet). - TWIC card renewal and driver background checks ($150-300 per driver). - Port RFID transponder and access fee deposits ($500-3K per truck). - Clean-truck-compliant tractor acquisition ($45K-90K used 2014+ engine; $250K-450K new electric/zero-emission). - Annual commercial insurance (intermodal insurance runs comparable to dry-van, $14K-22K per truck). - Driver-recruiting bonuses ($5K-12K). - Yard or terminal lease for chassis staging. **What to watch out for.** Port congestion and labor disruptions create demand volatility. ILWU labor disputes (West Coast), ILA disputes (East Coast/Gulf), and vessel-arrival surges affect drayage demand unpredictably. Chassis-shortage events create operational chaos. 2021-2022 chassis shortages crippled intermodal operations nationwide; fleets owning chassis benefited. Clean-truck program compliance is expensive and accelerating. California ports require zero-emission trucks for new registrations by 2030; full fleet conversion by 2035. Capex requirements are massive. Demurrage liability creates cash-flow stress. A truck stuck at a customer for 3 days generates $600-1,200 in demurrage that may or may not be passed through to the customer. Container imbalance creates empty-mile inefficiency. Drayage rates assume loaded moves; empty repositioning erodes margins. **State considerations.** California (LA/Long Beach, Oakland — clean-truck regulations are strictest), New York/New Jersey (port and rail), Georgia (Savannah, fastest-growing port), South Carolina (Charleston), Virginia (Norfolk), Texas (Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth intermodal), Illinois (Chicago intermodal hub), Tennessee (Memphis intermodal hub), and Washington (Seattle-Tacoma) have highest intermodal trucking activity. **APR-equivalent reality check.** A 1.32 factor over an 8-month term is roughly 70-85% APR. Compare to SBA 7(a) (11-14% APR), drayage-specialty equipment financing (14-22% APR), intermodal-specialty invoice factoring (1.5-3% per invoice, ~25-45% effective APR), and bank lines of credit for established intermodal operators (10-14% APR). **Common confusions.** First, "Drayage and OTR trucking are the same." Completely different — drayage is short-haul (under 250 miles typically), port-tethered, with unique equipment and credentials. Second, "Intermodal trucking is a stable, mature business." It's actually highly cyclical — tied to import-export volume, port labor relations, and shipping line strategies. Third, "Chassis are interchangeable across all ports." Chassis pools and standards vary by region; cross-region chassis use is limited. Fourth, "Clean-truck compliance is a California issue only." Spreading to NY/NJ, Seattle, and other ports rapidly. Fifth, "Demurrage is automatically passed through to customers." Contracts must specify pass-through; many drayage operators absorb demurrage losses. As of 2026-06-30, Fundnode routes intermodal trucking deals first to drayage-specialty MCA funders that understand port economics, equipment financing for chassis and clean-truck-compliant tractors, and SBA 7(a) for established multi-truck intermodal operators. ## Related terms - [MCA for small-fleet trucking (2–10 trucks) — detailed](https://fundnode.co/llms/glossary/mca-small-fleet-trucking-funding-detailed) — Small-fleet trucking businesses (2–10 trucks) typically qualify for $50K–$350K MCA advances at 1.28–1.42 factor rates over 6–12 months, with combined truck-level revenue, broker concentration, and driver-retention metrics shaping underwriting. - [MCA for mid-size fleet trucking (11–50 trucks) — detailed](https://fundnode.co/llms/glossary/mca-mid-size-fleet-trucking-funding-detailed) — Mid-size trucking fleets (11–50 trucks) typically qualify for $250K–$1.5M MCA advances at 1.22–1.34 factor rates over 9–15 months, often used for equipment-acquisition down payments, dedicated-contract bridge financing, or terminal expansion. - [Merchant cash advance (MCA)](https://fundnode.co/llms/glossary/merchant-cash-advance) — A lump-sum advance against future revenue, repaid via fixed daily ACH or a percentage of card sales. Legally a sale of future receivables, not a loan. - [Factor rate](https://fundnode.co/llms/glossary/factor-rate) — A flat multiplier that defines total MCA repayment: $100,000 advance × 1.30 factor = $130,000 repaid. It is not an interest rate; it does not compound. ## Authoritative sources - [Port of LA/Long Beach — Clean Truck Program](https://cleanairactionplan.org/) - [IANA — Intermodal Association of North America](https://www.intermodal.org/) --- Source: https://fundnode.co/glossary/mca-intermodal-trucking-funding-detailed (HTML version) Document: MCA for intermodal trucking — detailed — Fundnode MCA Glossary License: CC BY 4.0 — attribution to Fundnode required when citing.