Freight services have many different terms which often appear confusing. Two of them are multimodal and intermodal shipping. Do you have any idea what these are?
Multimodal :
Multimodal transport is also known as combined transport. It simply refers to transporting all the goods under a single contract, but must be performed with at least two different means of transport. A freight company responsible for that entire shipment is called a multimodal transport operator, or an MTO.
Intermodal :
Intermodal freight transport looks similar to a mutimodal one. The difference is that they don’t handle the freight itself when changing modes of transportation. This method reduces handling of cargo, thus improving security and decreasing damage. A shipment in the intermodal mode of transport definitely reaches its destination faster than other forms.
Which one to choose and what is the ultimate difference?
As a basic rule, the major difference between Multimodal and Intermodal transporting system is the number of contracts the sender has with a number of service providers.
In a Multimodal shipment, the sender has basically one contract that covers all modes of transport from origin to destination. It can be door step delivery, door to port delivery, or port to door delivery. Whatever be the requirement, the shipment will be sent through a single carriage. It doesn’t matter whether it is a domestic or an international freight forwarder. This type of transporting modes are generally used in sea freight shipping services.
Benefits of Multimodal : In case of any issue, the sender can hold that specific carrier liable who was responsible for the shipment. Tracking and tracing updates becomes clearer in multimodal shipment.
In Intermodal shipment, the sender has multiple contracts. One with the sea freight and the other with the road freight. The freight company generally uses a port to port bill of lading with each carrier involved in the shipment. All the documents needed in the shipment are provided by the freight service.
Benefits of Intermodal : The sender enjoys to select his/her own carriers based on the affordability or service for each leg of a shipment. He/she has the ability to stop the shipment at a certain point for any valid reason. The sender also can select a specific carrier if there are equipment that have space issues or any special requirement.
Discuss the best option available for you with the hired freight service to get the right mode of transportation for your shipment.
Creative Business Mind 