The potential merger partners plan to replace drayage trucking legs with direct rail service as Class I railroads join to redraw North America’s intermodal map.
Knight-Swift already partners with both UP and NS, so a combined transcontinental railroad would fit nicely into its existing service for shippers.
Ocean carriers are seeking to curb the sharp decline in spot rates in the run-up to next month’s Golden Week holiday.
The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) is expected later this fall to announce the winning bid to run the Contrecoeur terminal.