Shipping Modes
Intermodal Transport
Movement of goods using two or more transport modes in the same loading unit, with the unit itself transferred rather than the cargo inside it.
In depth
Intermodal transport is what containerisation made possible: the box moves from ship to rail to truck without the cargo ever being handled. That cuts handling cost, damage, and theft, and it is why a container can travel from an inland factory to an inland warehouse across the world with the seal unbroken. In contract terms, intermodal traditionally means separate contracts for each leg, in contrast to multimodal transport where one operator issues a single through document and takes responsibility for the whole journey.
Key points
- Two or more modes using the same loading unit
- Cargo is never rehandled, only the unit is transferred
- Reduces handling cost, damage, and pilferage
- Traditionally separate contracts per leg, unlike multimodal