Why does intermodal transportation matter in logistics?
1 Intermodality enhances the economic performance of a transport chain by using modes in the most productive manner. Thus, the line-haul economies of rail may be exploited for long distances, with the efficiencies of trucks providing flexible local pick up and delivery. The key is that the entire trip is seen as a whole, rather than as a series of legs, each marked by an individual operation with separate sets of documentation and rates. 2 intermodal containers that are standardised by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 3 For example, the Alameda Corridor project in the Los Angeles area created a 20-mile railroad express line that eliminated grade crossings—rail and road intersections—for freight railroads leaving the port of Los Angeles/Long Beach, resulting in reduced congestion for both freight and passenger travel through the corridor. Also, a project that extended an existing transit line to the airport at Portland, Oregon, improved the connection between avi