Chapter 10: Modes of Transportation
Types of Air Carriers:
-Combination Carriers -Air Cargo Carriers
Types of Rail Carriers:
-Linehaul -Shortline
Types of Rail Services:
-Manifest Trains -Unit Trains -Intermodal Trains
Primary modes of Transportation:
-Motor Carrier -Rail -Air -Water -Pipeline -Intermodal
Types of Motor Carriers:
-Private fleets -For-hire trucking
Motor Carrier's Operating Characteristics:
-Truckload (TL) -Less-than-truckload (LTL) -Small package carriers
Mode's ability to reach the origin and destination facilities and provide efficient direct routing.
Accessibility
Exclusively mail, packages and freight. This provides either scheduled or on-demand service.
Air Cargo Carriers
Fastest transit times and poor accessibility that affects door-to-door speed.
Air Carriers
Good reliability but can be affected by accessibility and poor capability.
Air Carriers
Most expensive of all modes.
Air Carriers
Transport small quantities of high value density ($/lb) freight.
Air Carriers
The mode can physically perform the transport service required.
Capability
Moves freight and passengers. The freight is loaded in the hold and is termed as belly freight.
Combination Carriers
Freight is loaded into a container and the container is moved between modes.
Containerized Freight
Poor handling, poor ride quality, accidents, improper packaging.
Damage
Their primary business is transportation and they transport freight of other firms.
For-hire Trucking
Door-to-Door service with expedited services and consistent schedule of pick-up and delivery, usually truck or van (FedEx, UPS)
Integrated Air Cargo Carriers
Linehaul movement of intermodal containers and trailers.
Intermodal Trains
A Necessity in global trade.
Intermodal Transport
Very good accessibility and has a very low cost.
Intermodal Transport
Multiple shipments carried on each trailer (150-15,000 lbs). Hub and spoke network.
Less-Than-Truckload (LTL)
Provides services between major markets.
Linehaul
Mixture of freight and equipment from many customers, time for classification.
Manifest Trains
Has short transit times and is used for high value, time sensitive goods.
Motor Carrier
Has the flexibility to carry wide range of loads, from small vans to large multi-trailer trucks. It transports bulk freight and manufactured goods.
Motor Carrier
This is the most widely used transportation mode. It has the highest freight spend among all modes and highest tons lifted among all modes.
Motor Carrier
Provides only air transportation.
Non-integrated Air Cargo Carriers
Lowest cost land mode and very slow.
Pipelines
There are private and for-hire carriers and have a good safety record. Security is Paramount.
Pipelines
Very reliable and act as warehouses.
Pipelines
Moves freight that is owned by the firm operating the trucks. The primary business of the firm is not transportation.
Private Fleets
Fair reliability but long transit times and low speed.
Railroad
Good capability, has flexibility to carry wide range of loads.
Railroad
Low cost and Poor accessibility.
Railroad
Most throughput of all the modes.
Railroad
Used for long distance transportation of low value density ($/lb) products such as commodities, grains, oil and coal.
Railroad
Consistency of transit times.
Reliability
Protection from theft, loss, vandalism, and misappropriation for terrorism.
Security
Local and regional links between individual customers and Class I railroads.
Shortline
Similar to LTL but each shipment < 150 lbs.
Small package carriers
Total elapsed time to move goods from origin to destination.
Transit Time
The freight itself is handled when transferring between modes.
Transload Freight
Single shipment uses up the entire weight and/or volume capacity of the truck/trailer. Picks up from origin and delivers directly to the destination.
Truckload(TL)
Single type of rail car with the same freight usually for a single customer.
Unit Trains
Domestic use is limited by accessibility and is restricted to mainly bulk commodities.
Water Carriers
Globally dominates all modes.
Water Carriers
Very large carrying capacity and has a very low cost.
Water Carriers
Very slow and has very poor accessibility.
Water Carriers