Why to Choose Intermodal Logistics
January 18, 2016
What is Intermodal logistics?
Intermodal logistics combines the advantages of different transport modes in order to overcome their disadvantages, which could lead to delay in transport or would unnecessarily raise the cost of transport services.
Advantages of the main transport modes
- Road transport can make deliveries door to door
- Railway transport is reliable and fast for long distances
- Water transport can carry large amounts of cargo
Disadvantages of the main transport modes
- Road transport can deliver cargo according to the capacity of each truck
- Railway transport is limited by the existing railway lines
- Water transport is relatively slow
How to deliver cargo and goods through Intermodal logistics
Cargo and goods are delivered in containers, using a combination of transport modes. Packaging in containers allows an easy loading and unloading when transferring from one transport mode to another.
Advantages of Intermodal logistics
- Reducing costs: it is achieved by the use of different transport modes for individual sections of the route, based on the need for speed of transportation and a short route to your destination.
- Protecting the environment: it is achieved by the use of more environmentally friendly modes of transport, such as merchant ships and trains. These vehicles offer much greater energy efficiency, which can reach up to six times greater savings compared to trucks.
Logistics – a source of a significant part of greenhouse gas emissions
The performance of logistics services using road transport, which is the predominant mode of transport in Europe, contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions. How can we achieve reduction in gas emissions?
Since the purpose of transportation, besides the supply of goods and cargo to the destination, is to achieve minimum damage to the environment, the combination of transport modes contributes to reducing the ecological damage. The use of more energy-efficient modes of transport for some parts of the route will reduce the global CO2 emissions.
It is time for the Intermodal logistics to contribute to the fight with the climate change
Changes in climate that affect many aspects of modern life are perhaps one of the most important challenge for the world nowadays. Global carbon dioxide emissions must be reduced in order to prevent the harmful consequences for the future generations. All companies worldwide should contribute to the solving of the problem. Logistics and transport services generate about 5% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. It is time to decrease the percentage and the way to reduce it is the use of environmentally friendly transport modes, as a part of Intermodal logistics.
