Intermodal transport as an answer to sustainable transport policy.
Wielokrotnie już pisaliśmy na naszym blogu o transporcie intermodalnym oraz jego rosnącej roli w transporcie ogółem, jak również o nowoczesnych rozwiązaniach z tego segmentu, które oferujemy klientom jako alternatywę do klasycznych rozwiązań transportowych.
Today we would like to focus on intermodal transport as one of the significant solutions leading to the achievement of a more sustainable transport policy.
As a reminder, intermodal transport is a supply chain that makes the best use of the advantages of different modes of transport (road, rail, water, or air) as carriers of the same loading unit (e.g., container, swap body, semi-trailer). Because there are no separate reloading operations, the costs and handling time are significantly lower than in the case of multimodal transport.
This month, the European Court of Auditors published a special report in which it defined the level of shifting freight transport from roads to intermodal solutions.
Citing this report, road transport still prevails over other types of transport, such as rail or inland waterway transport, in terms of delivery speed and flexibility. They require specific infrastructure that cannot be replicated at every point of shipment. Therefore, for intermodality to continuously grow and develop, the European Commission should strive to remove regulatory and infrastructural barriers.
At the same time, it should be noted that these types of transport offer better results in terms of safety and environmental efficiency and can reduce road congestion.
The premise for developing this branch of transport is significant because greenhouse gas emissions are one of the main causes of climate change. A full quarter of CO2 emissions in Europe comes from transport, and unfortunately, as much as 72% of that figure stems from heavy transport; therefore, a shift in supply chains toward intermodal transport would be a major change in environmental protection as a whole.
Given that intermodality utilizes the advantages of various means of transport and taking into account the environmental efficiency of each, one can conclude for themselves that developing this sector is the right response to the decarbonization of transport.
Beyond the environmental impact, we cannot forget the other undeniable advantages of this solution. In recent years, the transport industry has been struggling with a constant staffing problem. It is estimated that there is a shortage of 100,000 to even 150,000 drivers. This is a problem that leads to increased costs and delivery delays. Intermodal transport is an excellent answer to this challenge by shifting part of the transport to rail, among other things.
Another advantage of this solution is the globalization of trade, as well as a more flexible and efficient method of delivering and storing goods. Many companies are also choosing to store goods directly in containers. Thanks to this solution, it is possible to even better adapt transport routes and delivery times to customer needs, while simultaneously saving warehouse space and time on transshipments.
To sum up, intermodal transport is the future of transport in general, because thanks to well-designed supply chains, using road transport for the first and last mile, it can be not only cheaper, but also more predictable in determining delivery times, as well as significantly more environmentally friendly.
We are watching the development of this branch of transport with great interest, while simultaneously adapting our products so that they facilitate the work of drivers and warehouse staff during loading and unloading, while also saving time and streamlining the entire logistics process.
If you would like to learn more about our solutions in Intermodal Transport, please contact us.
Source:
Special report 08/2023: Intermodal freight transport (europa.eu)
