Definition

Overall view of LDCT platformThe Combined Transport or Multimodal Transport refers to the transport of goods, generally packed in containers  wich uses successively several modes of transport. Transshipping from a mode to another one is performed in a multimodal platforms.

The Roadway is generally used for the first and last miles. The other segments can be Railway, Airway, Seaway and Waterway.

Opposed to the Piggy-back Transport which consists  in shipping the trucks themselves on a train,  the Multimodal transport is mostly based upon Containers ( also known as ITU - Intermodal Transport Unit - )  which will be transhipped from a transport mode to another one. 

As such, a Multimodal Platform is the location where transshipping (and involved UTU management and temporary storage) occurs.

 Benefits

Transportation of goods is today  a key factor in the areas of speed, cost efficiency and environmental impact.

The multimodal transport, with the use of ITU is able to use each transport mode for a given ITU in the most effective way, taking benefit of each mode for a given segment of the goods's travel.

The Roadway segment is used to connect the first and/or last mile from/to the final destination to the nearest multimodal transport node.

Other modes will then provide the overall travel with the lowest cost and environmental impact while keeping a competitive travel time. The Railway has a well balanced cost/time/environmental criteria while the Waterway has a top cost/environmental criteria. 

Finally, the use of ITU (containers) can extend to sea transport,  ITU are then transshipped onto boats

 Requirements

A barge along the dockThe multimodal transport requires a high quality logistic to efficiently manage end to end transportation.

It has to rely on a booking technique which will allow to prepare, then commit and manage an efficient and planned arrangement of transport segments.

The multimodal transport must be based upon a  number of multimodal nodes soundly located across the countires so their locations allow for an optimized number of segments and transshipping from the first to the last mile. In addition, a multimodal platform may influence customers in choosing their warehouse locations to benefit from the multimodal efficiency.

Last, a multimodal end to end transport (known as a travel) requires a global organization which allows for a contract betwwen a customer and a supplier which cares about the end to end transportation. The supplier will in turn ensure a proper coordination between all partners involved in the travel (transports companies as well as multimodal platform operators) so the customer does'nt care about and only see both ends of the travel..

 Evolution

Transshipping a container

The multimodal  transport is still expanding too slowly while the logistical components become more and more efficient.

It must be stressed that the growing environmental awareness (e.g. :Grenelle of the environment,  CO2 ...) is pushing for a mind  change in the transport organization so anyone benefit from a multimodal transport oriented organization both in terms of environmental impact (energy saving and environment impact) and of  customer profitability.