Raising efficiency with combinations

Benefiting from clever combinations

Road transport has its strengths and weaknesses. Rail transport has them as well. The strengths of various types of transport can be efficiently combined to create an optimal shipment. Still, the costs of transshipment from one means of transport to another should be kept to a minimum. Two fundamental forms of combined transport are: piggyback transport and container transport.

Piggyback transport – a means of transport transports another means of transport

Container transport – one means of transport transports a container

This article contains additional information and interactive features.
Open the Flash version of this article here.

Configuration of combined transport

The goal of combined transport is to sensibly link the strengths of various means of transport and to simplify the loading of goods to be transported. In this way, large quantities are shipped in an efficient, environmentally friendly way using long-distance transport in the main leg Main leg - mostly by train or ship. In the first leg and subsequent leg First leg and subsequent leg in local shipping, the freight is transported very flexibly by truck.
A requirement of combined transport is an efficient transfer of shipped goods from one means of transport to another using the fewest possible transshipment operations. This need results in the creation of a system of hubs designed to reduce transport times.
Hubs are transshipment locations such as terminals that have the technical capacities, e.g., a portal gantry crane, needed to quickly transship cargo. They are found in centers with high cargo handling volumes and are connected with other hubs as part of the main leg involving fast direct transport [1].

PDF view