Transport process

August 11, 2008

Transport process refers to overcoming  distances between supplier and receiver. The main criteria for the choice of transport mode are:

• Geographical characteristics of  transport route,
• Amount of goods to be transported,
• Transport cost,
• Transport time,
• Safety of transported goods

Approach to the problem leads through the freight transport chain analyses. Sequences of technical and organizational interconnected events, by which goods are moved from supplier to reception point, represent the whole transport chain.
Transport chain is a part of a goods flow and refers only to the logistical function of transport.

Organizational structure of transport chain can be built up in the following way:

Two basic processes exist in freight transport:

• “Door-to-door” transport (direct transport with unique loading and unloading facilities)
• “Node-to-node” transport, where nodes have the purpose of collecting all kind of freight (general, bulk, wagon load consignments,…) and make it ready for further distribution. Such nodes are rationally used for logistic tasks as deconsolidation and warehousing.

We can equalize "door-to-door" transport with a single-step system. Only one mode of transport is needed and we need no interruption during the transportation process.

On the other hand "node-to-node" transport has all the characteristics of multi-step system. In a multi-step transport chain a change of transport means takes place between supplier and receiver at least at one point. This kind of transport process is called interrupted or combined (intermodal) transport.