Legal Definitions - intermodal transport

Intermodal transport refers to the movement of goods using two or more different modes of transportation (such as road, rail, sea, or air) where the cargo remains in the same loading unit throughout the entire journey.

The defining characteristic of intermodal transport is that the goods themselves are not handled when switching between transport modes. Instead, only the container, trailer, or other standardized loading unit is transferred from one vehicle or vessel to another. This method is designed to enhance efficiency, reduce the risk of damage, and often lower overall shipping costs by streamlining the transfer process.

• Example 1: International Electronics Shipment

  A manufacturer in Malaysia produces electronic components destined for an assembly plant in Mexico City. The components are loaded into a standard shipping container at the factory. This container is then transported by truck to a port, loaded onto a cargo ship for ocean transit across the Pacific, unloaded at a port in California, transferred onto a freight train for cross-country rail transport to a rail hub near the Mexican border, and finally, moved by truck from the rail yard to the assembly plant in Mexico City.

  How it illustrates the term: This is intermodal transport because the electronic components remain sealed within the same container from Malaysia to Mexico City, despite utilizing trucks, a ship, and a train. The goods themselves are never unpacked or re-packed during the transfers between these different modes of transport.

• Example 2: Domestic Raw Material Delivery

  A textile factory in North Carolina requires a large shipment of raw cotton from a farm in Texas. The cotton is compressed and loaded into specialized intermodal containers directly at the farm. These containers are then transported by truck to a nearby rail yard. From there, they are loaded onto a freight train for the long-haul journey across several states. Upon reaching a rail terminal close to the factory in North Carolina, the containers are transferred onto flatbed trucks for the final leg of delivery directly to the textile factory's receiving dock.

  How it illustrates the term: This scenario demonstrates intermodal transport because the raw cotton remains secured within its original containers throughout the journey, even as it transitions from truck to train and then back to a truck, without being individually handled at any transfer point.

• Example 3: Construction Equipment Relocation

  A construction company needs to move several pieces of heavy machinery, such as excavators and bulldozers, from a completed project site in Florida to a new project in Ohio. The machinery is loaded onto specialized flat rack containers (open-sided platforms designed for oversized cargo). These containers are then transported by heavy-haul trucks to a port, loaded onto a barge for river transport up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, and upon reaching a river port in Ohio, transferred back onto heavy-haul trucks for the final delivery to the new construction site.

  How it illustrates the term: This is an example of intermodal transport because the heavy machinery remains secured to its specialized flat rack containers as it moves from truck to barge and back to truck. The integrity of the cargo within its loading unit is maintained across different transportation modes.