Intermodal And Multimodal Transport: Examples and Types

Intermodal and multimodal transport offers several advantages when transporting goods and guaranteeing the supply chain. In this article we tell you what it consists of the different types that exist and its importance.

Definition of intermodal transport

Intermodal transport refers to the movement of goods using different means. In other words it is a transfer of products in which the supply chain uses different means to carry out the movement of goods from the point of production to the destination.

In this sense, intermodal transport combines different spaces (water land and air). This implies of course having to design the most efficient transport route that best suits the subsequent distribution of the transported goods.

Types of intermodal transport

The most common types of intermodal transport that we can find are the following:

Road transport with rail

This option can transport the boxes or containers using trucks on highways and freight trains on railways. It allows to reach any place regardless of the proximity or not to the water transport routes.

Road transport with sea

In this case the most common is that the trucks with the goods are transported directly inside the ships although the containers may also be unloaded from one means of transport to another if they are sent independently.

Railroad with maritime

The trains arrive at the ports and, there, they are unloaded. The containers with the goods are loaded onto the ships, which carry out the next part of the transport.

Multimodal transport

This type of intermodal transport is characterized by being carried out by a Multimodal Transport Operator (OTM). That is to say, a single transport company that deals with the entire displacement process .

In addition has the characteristic that said transfer will be carried out intermodally.

This intermodal transport contract is the one that guarantees that, although the movement is carried out with different means, the transfer is carried out by the same operator throughout the process and, therefore, is responsible for the merchandise.

Importance of intermodal transport

The importance of intermodal transport 海外集運 lies in the fact that currently road transport is less and less sustainable and efficient. On the contrary the combination of various means allows transport to be carried out in a more sustainable and responsible way as well as being more efficient in the entire transport logistics process.

We must also consider the economic advantage which means that the costs of intermodal transport are lower than other similar solutions.

Examples of intermodal transport

A good example of intermodal transport can be found at FedEx. This company has an intermodal transport service that makes use of ships to cover the maritime sections of the transfers, and that is completed with the use of land means.

This ability to move goods makes it possible to cover important areas with the same logistics operator. For this it uses LCL containers that cover the routes of Asia, North America, Latin America and Europe. Once the containers arrive at their destinations, they are unloaded and the road part of the journey begins.

This is an example of intermodal transport where thanks to the media infrastructure. The entire freight transport route can be covered from the point of production to the place of consumption. And, all this, regardless of the distances traveled and the different media that must be covered.

Intermodal transport is an example of the importance of optimizing freight transfer processes. This is important throughout the logistics process. However it becomes especially important in the last mile where the added value of delivery is crucial.

In this sense the use of tools such as Last Mile by Bee track play an essential role in optimizing logistics processes, as it allows the delivery process to be improved, providing added value to deliveries and monitoring all the information generated during the process.