Intermodal transport represents a strategic and integrated approach to logistics management, aiming to combine the strengths of different transport modes to enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and flexibility of freight movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To describe and define the market and sub-markets covered by the rather broad and generic terms of \u201cmultimodality\u201d, \u201cintermodality\u201d, \u201ccombined transport\u201d, etc., and to identify who the key players in these markets actually are, let us start with several official definitions from the UN\/ECE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMultimodal\u201d transport is simply the carriage of goods using two or more \u201cmodes\u201d of transport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIntermodal\u201d transport is the movement of goods in one and the same \u201cloading unit\u201d (or road vehicle) using two or more modes of transport without handling the goods themselves when changing modes (without transhipment or break of bulk). By extension, the term intermodality is used to describe the transport system where two or more modes of transport are utilized to carry the same loading unit (or truck) in an integrated approach, without loading and unloading, throughout the door-to-door transport chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCombined\u201d transport is a sub-type of intermodal transport: specifically, one where the major part of the journey is conducted by rail, sea, or inland waterways. In this case, any initial and final legs carried out by road must be as short as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All these definitions, as seen, refer to the concept of \u201cmode\u201d of transport. A transport mode is a classification of transport based on the pathway used (sea, road, rail, air, etc.). We therefore have the maritime mode; the road mode or road haulage; the rail mode; the air mode, etc.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Intermodal transport represents a strategic and integrated approach to logistics management, aiming to combine the strengths of different transport modes to enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and flexibility of freight movement. To describe and define the market and sub-markets covered by the rather broad and generic terms of \u201cmultimodality\u201d, \u201cintermodality\u201d, \u201ccombined transport\u201d, etc., and to identify […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3789,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7079","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insight"],"acf":{"image-2":3791,"image-2_copy":null,"titolo_paragrafo_1":"","titolo_paragrafo_2":"","image-3":"","testo-2":"
In essence, multimodality and intermodality are broad terms, and the former encompasses the latter, which should be used to clearly indicate that the goods inside the loading unit are not handled.<\/p>\r\n
Nonetheless, the generic term \u201cmultimodal\u201d has also become widespread in place of the specific term \u201cintermodal\u201d. Finally, it should be added that the term \u201cmultimodal\u201d and its variants tend to be predominantly used in political and academic contexts, whereas in purely operational settings, the adjectives \u201ccombined\u201d or \u201cintermodal\u201d are more commonly used.<\/p>\r\n
With specific reference to \u201cloading units\u201d, intermodality involves the use of so-called ITUs, Intermodal Transport Units. Focusing exclusively on the three modes\u2014maritime, road, and rail\u2014the primary ITUs used for freight transport are of three types:<\/p>\r\n\r\n
ISO containers;<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t
trailers or semi-trailers (with or without a tractor unit depending on whether the transport is \u201caccompanied\u201d or \u201cunaccompanied\u201d by the driver \u2013 in the former case, the entire articulated lorry is boarded);<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t
swap bodies.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
Containers originate from maritime transport. Trailers and swap bodies have terrestrial origins. As a result, combined transport markets are generally differentiated into \u201cmaritime combined\u201d (when referring to containers) and \u201ccontinental combined\u201d (when referring to trailers and swap bodies). This obviously does not mean that these units do not also travel extensive portions of the journey by land or sea, but it is precisely the origin of the ITU that differentiates the markets in this way.<\/p>\r\n
Ultimately, given all the premises above, it is evident that the generically defined intermodal market is extremely diverse and segmented, and each segment has its own specific characteristics.<\/p>\r\n
At GRUBER Logistics, we firmly believe in multimodal transport. Rail intermodal transport currently accounts for 32% of full truckloads handled by the Company. In addition to the advantages this mode offers for shipments\u2014such as the ability to load up to 44 tonnes instead of 40\u2014there are also significant environmental benefits: CO2 emissions are estimated to decrease by up to 70%.<\/p>","video":null},"yoast_head":"\n