Contemporary Role of Intermodal Transport

Practically all existing transportation modes can be part of the intermodal system. In other words, it is possible to combine air, waterways, road, rail, pipeline, etc.

In recent years, freight traffic has been transformed through increasing globalization and the stimulus of innovative tools, which have evolved into increasingly complex and integrated systems in terms of logistics. By combining different modes, intermodal transport offers a number of advantages.

First of all, it optimizes the delivery time, since it allows the choice of the fastest mode of transport for each leg of the journey. For example, cargo can be transported by truck to a railway terminal, where it will be transferred to trains that will travel longer distances more economically and sustainably. In addition, intermodal transport contributes to the reduction of congestion on the roads, minimizing the environmental impact due to the reduction of carbon gas emissions and improving road safety. Such transportation also offers greater flexibility and geographic reach, making it possible for companies to reach distant markets more efficiently.

However, the success of intermodal transport depends on a solid infrastructure, including well-equipped transfer terminals, efficient management systems, and partnerships between different transport service providers. Coordination between the modes is also essential to ensure that the transition between them is smooth and uninterrupted, as the person responsible for the integrity of the cargo will not depend exclusively on the company acquiring the goods, but on the various specialized companies that usually operate in each of the modes.

“Intermodal transport plays a key role in contemporary logistics, offering a versatile and effective solution to the challenges of moving goods and passengers on a global scale”

In addition, because of the complexity of the operation, intermodal transport is a transport solution that requires its own administrative procedure, with specific authorizations and licenses for each type of modal that the carrier needs to keep up to date in each of the countries that have service activities, as it implies the risk that the transported cargo will be stopped by problems related to documentation, directly affecting the destination customer.

Talking a little about Brazil, approximately 60 percent of the transport carried out is concentrated in the road mode. With highways in irregular conditions, which have high costs of supply and maintenance and which use high amounts charged as tolls, the modal–vital and indispensable for the country—ends up having its capacity under-exploited. The high concentration of trailers, trucks, bi-trains and the like on the country's highways ends up considerably increasing vehicle traffic. This directly reflects on logistics costs, making cargo handling more expensive and slower. This scenario implies an increase in the price of the commodity that reaches the final consumer.

Despite this, there are some alternatives to mitigate this consequence, including stimulating rail and waterway transport in the country, since these modes have great potential to be explored. This stimulus depends directly on infrastructure-related investments.

In this sense, it is relevant to highlight that coordination between different modes of transport can be complex and requires efficient communication between the parties involved.

That said, it is concluded that intermodal transport plays a key role in contemporary logistics, offering a versatile and effective solution to the challenges of moving goods and passengers on a global scale. Its adoption continues to grow as companies look for ways to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs in their supply chains and transportation systems.