Chapter 5 - Intermodal Transport—Basics, Structure, and Planning Approaches

Abstract

Intermodal transport is an essential and sustainable way of transporting goods predominately on longer distances of over 300km. It defines the transport of goods within a loading unit (container, swap body, semitrailer) or vehicle (truck) by at least two different modes of transport (road, rail, inland waterways, shortsea shipping) without handling of the goods themselves when changing the mode of transport. Intermodal transport requires the collaboration of a multitude of actors. It is more complex than unimodal transport (truck only) and requires the division of tasks between the different actors. It is a combination of different transport sections including the first mile (prehaulage), the transshipment, the main run, another transshipment, and the last mile (end-haulage). It is more than the addition and combination of different transport modes; rather it is the division and allocation of tasks between the different operators and haulages, as well as the synchronization of the different schedules. Within the last 15years intermodal transport has emerged as an increasingly independent research field, focusing on complex processes with special characteristics that are different from other existing transport research fields. Intermodal transport has been complex in the past and is still complex today, but globalization and digitalization could be a tipping point to effectively mitigate its complexity in the future. Digitalization will have an important impact on smooth, efficient and competitive intermodal transport. The content of this chapter is based on the findings of Posset, Gronalt, and Häuslmayer in “COCKPIIT—clear, operable and comparable key performance indicators for intermodal transportation.”