The bulk chemical trucking company Quality Carriers has launched a bulk rail intermodal service across North America.

The Florida-based company said the service is in response to current capacity issues facing the bulk trucking industry due to a shortage of drivers.

“We anticipate this capacity crunch to become even more severe with the dramatic chemical industry expansion underway due to low cost natural gas,” said Randy Strutz, president, Quality Carriers. “Our new intermodal offering allows us to provide our customers with greater shipping capacity while freeing up driver capacity to allow us to leverage our strongest asset, our drivers, in more efficient ways."

Quality said it completed testing of the service with its western rail partner earlier in the current quarter and has begun initial shipments with some of its largest customers.

“Our initial focus has been in major chemical corridors between the Gulf Coast and California and the Gulf Coast and greater Chicago,” said Strutz. “We expect to ramp up our market coverage to the East Coast, Canada, and Mexico over the next few quarters.”

Quality Carriers is a subsidiary of Quality Distribution, Inc. which operates one the largest chemical bulk logistics network in North America..