Nestable container for hauling materials

Abstract

The present invention provides a nestable intermodal container for hauling materials. In one embodiment, this container includes a bottom wall; a plurality of sidewalls sloped generally outwardly from the bottom wall, the sidewalls and bottom wall defining an interior of the container, and the sidewalls having an upper perimeter defining an opening that is larger that the bottom wall; lifting members attached to at least two opposing sidewalls, each of the lifting members being adapted to engage a crane and a vertical wall of a rail car. The bottom wall, sidewalls and lifting members are desirably configured so that the container may be substantially received in another substantially similar container. In a method of the invention, a number of such containers can be used. These containers are filled at a collection site, transported to a processing site located remotely from the collection site for at least a distance on the back haul leg of a rail route and emptied at the processing site. The empty containers are nested together at the processing site so that several containers may be carried on a single rail car, and the nested containers are hauled on a minority of rail cars of a train and non-waste material is hauled on a majority of rail cars of the train back to the collection site.