International Forwarding Association Blog » Intermodal transport in Europe
Intermodal transport in Europe
As globalization intensifies and supply chains evolve into complex networks, the freight forwarding industry is reinventing itself. Europe stands at the forefront of this revolution, leveraging multimodal transportation as a pivotal strategy. This dynamic approach integrates various transportation modes—road, rail, sea, and air and leverages their unique advantages. However, the impact of integrated transport in Europe goes beyond this, unveiling numerous additional benefits for the European freight forwarding industry. Leveraging Unique Advantages The utilization of diverse transportation modes capitalizes on the unique advantages offered by each mode. For example, cargo leaving from Paris for Eastern Europe can first be… Read more
Commercial road transport has been hard hit due to traffic restrictions and the economic downturn. The global economy fell into recession last year and is not expected to recover to pre-pandemic levels in 2021. Social and economic recovery from the global crisis depends on road transport which accounts for more than 80 percent of the logistics and transport services. At the same time, logistics operators are facing default and insolvency risk and few have benefited from cash grants and other types of financial incentives. Default Risk Freight forwarders throughout Europe and globally are facing very high or high risk… Read more
The parcel marketplace is facing serious challenges due to Covid-19, including difficult service conditions and lack of capacity resulting from a huge surge in B2C shipments. This has already led to increased operating and shipping costs for freight forwarders because carriers have implement peak surcharges. This trend has been ongoing since the onset of the global pandemic and is projected to continue until more vaccines are distributed to inoculate the global population. This is when more consumers and freight forwarders are expected to return to normal. Reasons for Shipping Price Hikes The shift to digital and the acceleration in… Read more
A customs declaration is a document submitted to provide information about cargo or goods that are exported or imported. It can be lodged by the owner of cargo which can be an association, company, or individual. A representative or person acting on behalf of the owner can also lodge a customs declaration. Why Submit a Declaration? Individuals or legal entities lodge a customs declaration upon export by starting an export procedure and upon import when goods are intended to be shipped to a customs territory. How to Lodge a Customs Declaration? There are three ways to place goods or cargo… Read more
Logistics operators are often involved in the shipping of building materials for different property types, be it attached-home and multi-family communities or single-family homes. While the list of items to be moved is quite long, ranging from landscaping materials and appliances to plumbing and fixtures, there are some factors to consider, including transportation insurance coverage, permits required, equipment, and securing materials that can be used.Types of Building Materials That Can Be Shipped European logistics operators transport a variety of building materials for single-family homes, condominiums, townhouses, and other properties. Landscaping materials that are often shipped to new construction sites include… Read more
Transporting wild animals to zoos and aquariums requires good collaboration to ensure that they are moved as stress-free and fast as possible. This requires extensive planning that sometimes takes months on a row as to obtain the necessary permits, arrange transport, and coordinate all steps with supervisors, trainers, and veterinarians. Modes of Transportation Watkins Rogers at AZA Animal Transport for Animal Care Professionals explains that the most humane and fastest way to ship zoo animals is by air as they are kept in crates. Some animals, however, require specialized transportation, as is the case with rhinos and venomous species. Some… Read more
Intermodal logistics or the use of combined transport to ship cargo is especially important during the coronavirus outbreak. According to experts, it is one of the safest modes of transportation. This is because cargo is shipped by freight trains over long distances and then shipped by trucks over short distances. Rail transport can be used to ship medical equipment and supplies, food, household goods, and other types of cargo. Why Use Intermodal Transport One of the main benefits of using intermodal transport is that freight trains have the capacity to ship large quantities of goods across Europe. Controlled and fixed… Read more
There are different types of warehousing facilities for storage and distribution, including transload or bulk terminals, cross-docking facilities, distribution centers, warehouses, and sortation centers. Transload Terminals Transload terminals operate as distribution facilities for bulk products such as petroleum, grain, and lumber. The goal is to transport commodities between different types of carrying equipment. Transload facilities are equipped with cranes to lift and move and load and unload ships and railroad cars. Conveyors, loaders, car dumpers, cranes, and other types of equipment are used. Intermodal Terminals Intermodal terminals are used to transport air and marine containers and truck trailers between different… Read more
Cargo shipped by European logistics providers can be divided into several categories, including freight, parcel, express, and household goods. Parcel Shipments Parcels include items of up to 50 kg that are shipped in small boxes. They are also referred to as ground shipments and are either packaged by the carrier or the shipper. Parcels are usually transported by rail or road and travel up to 1,100 km a day. Shipping times vary and in some European countries, delivery is divided into guaranteed domestic, economic domestic, and next day domestic parcel delivery. When posting a parcel to another EU member-state, customers… Read more
Certain types of freight are prohibited and cannot be shipped by air, sea, or land, depending on the destination and mode of transport. Prohibited goods may include items such as dangerous and hazardous goods, antiques, and firearms. Prohibited Cargo and Risks Certain goods cannot be shipped or are subject to approval because of the risk of damage to vessels and containers, risk of pilferage, and risk of casualties. For example, a lashing plan and cargo details are required for the shipment of aluminum and steel items in coils in order to secure cargo. There are also requirements for the safe… Read more
An effective transportation strategy not only lowers operating costs for freight forwarders but helps increase their customer base. Adopting good practices and developing innovative solutions help increase efficiency so that businesses gain competitive advantage. Choice of Transport The first step to developing an effective strategy is learning more about different modes – rail, road, air, and sea. The choice of a transportation mode depends on factors such as timing, distance, location, cost, and types of goods to be shipped. Sea and rail transport, for example, are resource-efficient modes to ship large cargo across long distances and at a lower cost…. Read more
Intermodal transport has become increasingly popular among the member companies of IFA and other companies providing international freight forwarding services. More companies from the freight forwarders association are utilizing intermodal transport because it decreases the price and the time for international freight forwarding shipments. It also is a way to enhance green logistics and decrease the carbon footprint of the list of logistics companies from the International Forwarding Association. So, what exactly is intermodal transport? Intermodal transport in Europe is the forwarding and transport of goods and cargo without actually handling them when the transport modes are changed. For each… Read more
With the ever-increasing globalization, the volume of goods and cargo being forwarded by the International Forwarding Association has been increasing steadily as well. Unfortunately, the risk of theft of cargo has also been increasing, and every year millions of tons of oil, chemicals, and other cargo have been lost into the black market due to theft of Sea freight in Europe and around the world. Also, thefts of cargo from the trucks of the freight forwarders have also led to substantial losses for the customers of the international freight forwarders. Recent reports of cargo being stolen show a worrying tendency… Read more
Certain goods which are being transported by the European logistics association need to have an export license when being forwarded. Also, specific procedures need to be adhered to during their export. The experts from IFA are experienced in getting the licensing and permits necessary for the export of certain goods from one country to another and are familiar will the procedures for its receipt as well as the specifics for their export. Export procedures for the EU Most European countries are members of the EU, which is why the freight forwarding companies follow the required procedure for their export… Read more
The intermodal logistics solutions are very easily achievable in the modern freight forwarding sphere, especially given the close cooperation between the freight forwarders Europe for ensuring shorter routes at more attractive prices for the customers. Intermodal logistics have a great benefit for our society as well – due to the shorter routes and the optimized transport with the help of two or more types of transport – significant fuel economy is achieved. The connectivity of the transport networks is essential for intermodal logistics Excellent connectivity and communications within the transport network is essential for providing efficient intermodal transport, which… Read more
Home appliances and other electrical appliances being transported include devices which we all use on a daily basis. With the growing development and production of new electrical appliances and equipment, the need of forwarding them to the customers throughout Europe is growing. In order to meet this growing demand, the network of freight forwarders offers groupage services and distribution logistics for the home appliances and other electrical devices. Suitable forwarding solutions for the manufacturers of home appliances and electrical devices The member companies of the European logistics association can ensure quick and safe forwarding solutions for the manufacturers and… Read more
Automating the logistics activities helps safe time and resources. This is why the international freight forwarders utilize automated systems which provide timely information and allow for the management of the shipments and the stocks in store at all times. Automating cargo handling and shipments Being a dynamically developing business, logistics relies on automation in order to cover the management of the entire data flow related to the handling and forwarding of the goods. The European logistics network relies on modern software systems for information processing related to the handling of the logistics services, including: GPS systems Platforms for route… Read more
Along with the other types of transportation, air transport is becoming more and more significant. This is the fastest way to transport your goods with the international freight forwarders. This is the preferred transportation solution for goods which need to reach to customers, distributors or partners fast. The globalisation of the trade between the European countries is a factor for the increasing popularity of air transport for freight forwarding The globalisation is creating increasingly favourable conditions for international commerce. The freights forwarded by the network of freight forwarders are growing, because of the growing intensity of European trade…. Read more
Multimodal transport combines the advantages of the various transport types The infrastructural development in the European countries is a continuous ongoing process. It includes possibilities of using road, rail, inland waterways, sea and air transport. The European network of transport services takes advantage of each type of transport. Road transport can reach to every destination which has a road infrastructure. The water transport is the cheapest type of all. The air transport is fastest. The combined transport services used for international freight forwarding combine the advantages of the different types of transport, by combining road and air transport or road… Read more
Sending small shipments is a common chore for companies and for private senders. These packages can contain: samples, documents, personal items and others. With the expansion of commerce and the growing mobility within Europe, it is a more common occurrence for forwarders throughout Europe to be given small shipments for forwarding, and to offer regular groupage transport service routes to different destinations in Europe. The advantage of using the European logistics network when sending small volume packages The IFA member companies join forces for offering the best conditions and the shortest deadlines for delivering small volume shipments to different… Read more
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