Intermodal Logistics Processes Supported by Electronic Freight and Warehouse Exchanges

Abstract

Nowadays, modern companies operate in a common logistics network. In a modern approach, these networks of companies are called virtual enterprises, whose main purpose is the maximal fulfillment of customer needs and process optimization. The electronic freight and warehouse exchange is a good basis for building virtual enterprises, and that may be a new way to support the reorganization of the supply chains, and to rethink the connections within the intermodal network. Firstly, the paper presents the need of intermodality. On the other hand, it details the benefits and the critical evaluation of intermodality. It presents the general transshipment processes and techniques then evaluates the containers based on their main features. On this basis, the paper describes the electronic freight and warehouse exchange as a member of cloud supply chain. Moreover, the paper contains the new challenges and opportunities of electronic freight and warehouse exchanges as complex logistics providers.