Intermodal transportation is the movement of goods in standard intermodal containers or vehicles, using two or more modes of transportation like trucks, trains, and ships, without handling the cargo itself when changing modes. This ISO container-based system reduces costs, handling, damage, and loss, while also decreasing transit times and carbon emissions compared to traditional methods.

How Intermodal Transport Works

• Loading: Products are loaded into an intermodal container or trailer.

• Trucking: A truck transports the container to an intermodal terminal or ramp.

• Rail or Ship: The container is transferred (without opening it) to a train or cargo ship.

• Intermodal Terminal: At the destination, the container is moved from the train or ship back onto a truck chassis.

• Final Delivery: Another truck then delivers the container to its final destination.
  
  Benefits of Intermodal Transport
   

• Cost-Effectiveness: It is a cost-effective alternative for long-distance shipping. 

• Reduced Cargo Handling: Minimizes handling, which reduces damage, theft, and loss of goods.

• Improved Efficiency: Streamlines the global supply chain by allowing seamless movement between different modes of transport. 

• Sustainability: Intermodal shipping is more fuel-efficient and produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions than over-the-road trucking. 

• Increased Capacity: Provides access to greater capacity, ensuring freight can be moved reliably. 
  
  Key Components
   

• Intermodal Container: A standardized, large metal crate designed to be moved between trucks, trains, and ships without unloading its contents.

• Intermodal Terminal/Ramp: Facilities where containers are transferred between different modes of transportation. 

Drayage: The short-haul trucking of a container to or from a port or rail terminal. 

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