What is Intermodal Shipping?

Intermodal transportation is one of the main organizational activities for reasonable transportation. Organically link different transportation methods, several transportation companies, or production, supply, transportation, and sales departments, and coordinate the entire transportation process, so that the goods can be quickly, easily, and economically processed from the place of origin or origin at one time Reach the place of receipt safely; passengers can reach their destination with one vote. The combined transportation emerged in the world in the 1950s, and China was one of the earliest countries to develop it. With the development of combined transportation, its scope and form have been continuously expanded and increased. At present, the forms of combined transportation can be divided into two categories: One type is organized by different transportation companies to organize the combined transportation between different modes of transportation. ^[1]

Land-water trunk transportation

2. Haijiang River Intermodal Transport

3. Local dry and branch transport

4. Waterway and Highway Intermodal Transport

5. Short-distance combined transportation in the city

6.International intermodal transportation ^[3]

(1) Joint transportation or relay transportation refers to the transportation continuation (including return stowage) of more than two modes of transportation or more than two steps of one mode of transportation. Cargo intermodal transportation can be divided into bulk cargo trunk transportation and scattered cargo trunk and branch transportation and interline transportation according to different transportation organization methods.

Bulk trunk transportation, which is customarily referred to as "Big Transportation" b This large transportation in China is generally carried out by the transportation, goods, and commerce departments under the organization and leadership of the economic comprehensive departments at all levels.

The intermodal transportation of scattered cargo lines and branch lines is an agreement and contract signed between the local intermodal company and the intermodal company, and between the intermodal company and the transportation company, and they act as intermediary agents or transfer agents in different places to complete the whole process. Intermodal business is customarily called "small intermodal transport". According to different loading methods, cargo intermodal transportation can be divided into vehicle (or batch) cargo intermodal transportation, scattered cargo intermodal transportation, and container intermodal transportation. According to the transportation combination between different modes of transportation, it can be divided into iron and water combined transportation, iron and public combined transportation, iron, public and water multimodal transportation, public and air combined transportation, and water and water combined transportation. According to the regional division, it can be divided into domestic and international transport.

(2) Transport agency services As a socio-economic activity, transportation must be carried out by the shipper and carrier together. With the increasing development of the market economy, the increasing scale of socialized production and the continuous change in the division of production, supply, transportation, and sales, this directly integrated economic activity in transportation has increasingly shown limitations. Therefore, a carrier The indirect combination of transportation operations between the shipper and the shipper resulted in this mode of transportation. During the entire transportation process, there is no direct relationship between the owner and the transportation company. Instead, the agent carries out business activities and acts as such an agent. The human role is the various intermodal enterprises that result from this.

There are various forms of specific operation methods of transportation agency services. There are two types of agency services: agent for the consignor and agency for the transportation company. E is the agent for the consignor, including agency consignment procedures; agency packaging and inventory; container cargo. Assembly and disassembly, transit warehousing, custody, customs declaration and insurance, pick-up, door-to-door loading, shipping, tabloid shipping, etc .; after the goods arrive at the destination, the owner picks up the goods, delivers them to home, and some also handles financial settlement, The consignor urges and accepts the goods; after the goods are delivered, they provide various services such as disassembly, handling and proper placement. Intermodal companies

Further business such as the combination of transportation and sales, the sale of products by the owner, the purchase of raw materials, the introduction of cooperation, and joint ventures. Acting as a transportation company agent, mainly organizes and provides transportation sources, handles shipping procedures, organizes port, station collection, drainage, and transportation tasks, helps transportation companies stack cargo and find cargo owners to urge delivery, and provides transit warehouses and venues to ease the port Stations and factories and mines have insufficient facilities and other services.

The transportation agency is the basic task of the joint venture. Its basic requirement is to strive for "one consignment, one charge, one settlement, one ticket to the end, and full responsibility". It saves manpower and time for handling transportation, facilitates cargo owners and transportation enterprises, speeds up the turnover of goods, and improves comprehensive social and economic benefits.

(3) Transport cooperation

Transportation cooperation refers to the production and supply of goods during the entire process of transportation of goods. The various links of transportation, sales and other departments form an organic whole, mainly through the cooperation between transportation enterprises, transportation enterprises and factories and mining enterprises, and intermodal enterprises are an important part of this collaboration.

Combined transportation is a new branch of transportation that has emerged with the increasing scale of production and the specialization of specialized labor in modern society. It is used in various modes of transportation and production, supply, transportation, marketing, as well as "combination" and "Pivot" plays the role of coordinating and cooperating services. Carry out agency business through intermodal transport companies, organize intermodal transport between various transports, develop horizontal joints and transport collaborations * More conditions are available to optimize the most economical methods and transport routes for employees, and promote reasonable iron, bus, water and air transportation Diversions and various transportation facilities are fully utilized, thereby accelerating the turnover of goods and funds and shortening the residence time of transportation vehicles. Intermodal companies serve both the cargo owner and the transportation company. This two-way service of "holding two in one hand" can better play the overall function of the integrated transportation system and achieve better economic and social benefits. ^[2]