Glossar

Intermodal transport involves the movement of goods using several different modes of transportation within a single transport chain, with the loading unit—such as a container, swap body, or trailer—remaining unchanged. This allows different modes of transport to be combined without having to transship the goods themselves.

In intermodal transport, for example, road, rail, sea, and air transport are combined. Digital transport management systems, standardized load carriers, and transparent freight data support the planning and control of these complex transport chains. An efficient combination of different modes of transport enables flexible logistics planning and can contribute to better utilization of existing transport capacities.

Practical example:

A container is transported by truck from the manufacturer to a terminal, then forwarded by rail, and finally delivered by truck to the recipient at the destination.

See also: Container, Flow of goods, Supply chain, Supply Chain Management (SCM), Supply chain visibility, Transportation Management System (TMS), Transportation optimization, Transportation routes