Every intermodal planner knows the scenario. Two containers. Two trucks. Two drivers. Two runs – both heading in the same direction. One is empty on the way out, the other on the way back. The maths is obvious. Finding the right combinations in time to act is not.

In a busy traffic office, planners are managing hundreds of jobs (trunks) across multiple days, ports, and customers. The opportunities to:

• Twin containers
• Reload intelligently
• Reduce empty miles

…are already there in the plan.

But identifying them manually, quickly enough to make a difference, is unrealistic at scale. So they’re missed. 

Every missed opportunity means:

• Unnecessary empty running
• Underutilised vehicles
• Lost margin before the job even starts

What twinning and reloading mean in practice

A ‘twin’ is recognised as two containers on one truck – both heading in the same direction. A reload (or tip-and-reload) is a smarter use of a single truck: the driver tips an import container, then immediately collects an export load from the same or a nearby location before heading back to the port. An ‘indirect reload’ extends that logic when the unload and reload points aren’t identical but are close enough, either geographically or in time, to make the round trip worthwhile.

In each case, there are substantial resource and cost savings to be achieved. Fewer trucks on the road – less empty running. Better asset utilisation. Lower cost per container. Winner!

Why doesn’t it happen consistently?

Because it requires cross-referencing locations, timing, container type, SCAC codes, and weight against a live plan, it is not practical at scale.

How Fargo TOPS solves it

The Twin & Reload Wizard works directly within the traffic sheet. It analyses the day’s (or week’s) workload based on your criteria, identifies and ranks viable combinations and surfaces the highest-value opportunities. You review and confirm, and the system automatically builds the job and routing. Not just insight, but action is built into the plan.

Planners maintain control; they can either accept all suggested combinations in one action or review them individually.

What does this change

The commercial impact is direct: less empty mileage, lower fuel costs, better asset utilisation, and smarter planning. There is no change to workflow, no separate tool to open, no switching between screens, and no data to export because the wizard is built directly into the traffic sheet, the same screen planners already use.

This isn’t just a feature. It’s part of how Fargo TOPS helps operators move from planning transport to actively optimising in real-time.

Most Fargo TOPS users already have the Twin & Reload Wizard capability. Many don’t use it daily.

What to do next

If you’re an existing Fargo TOPS user, we’ll help you get more from it. We’d be happy to give you a quick refresher.

If you’re not using Fargo TOPS, we’ll show you how it works in your operation.

Book a quick walk through and see where you’re losing miles, and how to recover them.