Freight Transport, Intermodal and Multimodal

Used since the establishment of the first trade routes between human settlements, the association of two or more modes of transport in a transport chain to convey freight is an established and regular practice. However, it was only in the second half of the 20th century that it gained wide visibility and recognition. The introduction of containers in the 1960s dramatically reduced the handling times (from weeks to days) and costs (by 5 to 10-fold) of the transshipment operations between modes of transport.

The globalization phenomenon in the 1970s demanded increasingly efficient transport chains to link the factories often located in different countries. The 1990s were characterized by a growing environmental awareness worldwide. Gradually, governments started to favor green transport solutions that could make use of sustainable modes of transport (such as, rail, sea, and fluvial transport) over others (notably, road and air transport). Finally, the 2000s were characterized by strong economic turmoil and severe recession. In times of economic austerity, transport agents look for increased value for their money, which may be obtained by combining several modes of transport.

The rationale for the utilization of transport chains depends on the combination of several factors, including but not limited to (1) demand factors, such as, transit times, prices, or reliability levels; (2) special transport requirements for goods, such as those contingent on fragility, dangerousness, perishability, or intrinsic value; (3) the natural geographical features of the route (such as rivers, mountains, or seas) or human-made features (such as, urban regions or location of ports or airports); and (4) a legal framework that may hinder or prevent the utilization of the mode in question. As an example, Switzerland has strict legislation concerning the amount of road traffic on designated routes.

Over the years, we have witnessed a progressive specialization of each mode of transport according to its operational characteristics. Air and deep sea transport are typically used in long-distance services, often on intercontinental routes, whereas road, rail, fluvial, and coastal sea transport are used in short-to-medium-distance services, commonly on continental routes. In an intermodal transport service the actual mix of transport services depends on the abovementioned four factors, using each one at its best scale and level of operations.

The United Nation distinguishes three concepts of freight transport chains:

• Multimodal transport. The carriage of goods by at least two different modes of transport.
• Intermodal transport. The movement of goods in one and the same loading unit or road vehicle, which uses successively two or more modes of transport in an integrated and door-to-door transport chain, without handling the goods themselves when changing modes.
• Combined transport. An intermodal transport where the major part of the journey is by rail, inland waterways, or sea, and where any initial and/or final legs carried out by road are as short as possible.

[Page 595]These three concepts are in real terms only two, because combined transport is a subset of intermodal transport with a strong sustainable perspective. The key difference between intermodal and multimodal transport lies in the notion of integration. Integration refers to the existence of an active role of coordination and management of the individual transport services. This role is designated as freight forwarding.

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