Shared Transport Systems—A New Chance for Intermodal Freight Transport?

Abstract

The term intermodal transport subsumes transport processes in which the carried goods are packed/stored in loading units like containers or swap bodies or trucks or trailers and these loading units are moved by truck in the local area distribution and collection as well as by train (or barge) during the main-haul process phase. In this paper, we are going to investigate the hypothesis that the reformation of the management and administration of intermodal transport chains can contribute to the promotion of this environmental-friendly and highway-disburdening kind of long distance freight transport. We propose to change the administration, and to manage a combined transport chain as a so-called shared system. The primary goal of the here reported research is to analyze the general applicability of the sharing principle in intermodal freight transport.