“What is multimodal transport?
Multimodal transport is the combination of different modes of transport to facilitate the movement of goods, even if it is faster and more efficient.
When it comes to this mode of transportation, more than one vehicle is required to deliver the goods to their final destination by using trucks, trains, ships, planes or other modes of transportation.
The advantage of intermodal transportation is to combine multiple modes of transportation most efficiently, while optimizing lead times, reducing inventory costs, and thus controlling commodity costs. The combination of these factors also results in a high degree of environmental sustainability, as intermodal transport reduces the environmental impact of transport.
Although supported by environmentalists and freight transport experts, multimodal transport may incur certain costs through the use of modal interfaces such as transshipment, loading and unloading, etc. However, you can hire a freight forwarding company to provide the interface between the various shipping types, without involving the importer or exporter in this exchange.
For more complex shipments, or a more thorough exploration of the quality/price ratio of each part of the shipment, multimodal shipping is a good and often the only option, especially to and from countries that are not close to the sea.
The advantages of multimodal transport are:
a) Ability to monitor the efficiency of cargo tracking for door-to-door deliveries through a single shipping carrier;
b) a transport carrier under the responsibility and obligation of transport into remote areas of the world;
c) delivery time efficiency; d) maximum
Reduced logistics coordination costs for shippers
All in all, in terms of transportation, multimodal transport is related to an operation in which goods are transported from origin to destination by multiple means, with a different contract per segment (meaning that each transport provider part of the responsibility).
Intermodal (by MacAndrews) is a transportation business where one supplier (and one contract) takes full responsibility from the origin of the goods to its final destination, although multiple modes are used.
The advantages of intermodal and multimodal transport lie in the most efficient combination of multiple modes of transport, optimizing delivery times, reducing inventory costs and controlling freight cost levels. This combination increases environmental sustainability and reduces transportation carbon footprint.
Intermodal challenges and solutions
Now that we’ve seen the benefits of multimodal shipping, let’s take a look at what challenges multimodal and multimodal shipping can present, and what solutions shippers and carriers will employ.
excessive paperwork
Although multimodal and multimodal differ in the number of contracts you have to deal with, multimodal can still be cumbersome when it comes to paperwork. For example, you have selected a carrier that handles multimodal shipments for you. Your job as a shipper is already done here, right?
Band news is that the company can still invoice you for different services, i.e. each shipment. As you spend more and more time processing each paper invoice, the overall shipping cost keeps growing. This is the hallmark of the paperless transport and logistics industry.
Challenge: Separate paper invoices for different services.
Solution: A paperless delivery management system that supports electronic signatures and photo proof of delivery.
Poor tracking and coordination
In long-haul freight, tracking a single shipment can require multiple resources, even when shipping boils down to one shipper and one carrier. Even inland shipments are difficult to monitor, let alone air and port-to-port sea freight.
Challenges: poor tracking and the need for constant updates.
The solution: track and trace and automated shipping notifications.
supply chain disruption
The year is 2021, and no shipper is immune to supply chain disruptions. The pandemic has presented many challenges to both intermodal and intermodal systems, and the logistics industry is still suffering to this day.
Especially when it comes to different modes of transport, shippers need to have security, which actually means being prepared for supply chain disruptions and having different intermodal and intermodal solutions as alternatives.
Challenges: Safety concerns, service disruptions, and rising transportation costs.
Solution: Increase safety measures such as contactless delivery.”
