What is the best mode of transportation?
High speed and efficiency; adapted to goods that are perishable, packaged, of a size and quantity unsuited to other modes; high route flexibility; access to areas otherwise inaccessible
Airways
Medium- and long-haul of high-value, low-bulk cargo where delivery speed is important
Airways
Very expensive; high milage costs; some weather-related unreliability; inconvenient terminal locations; no intervening opportunities between airports
Airways
Highly flexible in routes, origins, and destinations; individualized service; maximum accessibility; unlimited intervening opportunity; high speed and low terminal costs
Highway carrier
Local and intercity movement of general cargo and merchandise; pickup and delivery fees; feeder to other carrier
Highway carrier
Low energy efficiency; contributes to air pollution; adds congestion to public roads; high maintenance costs; inefficient for large-volume freight
Highway carruer
High terminal costs; low route flexibility; not suited for short haul; possible delays from ice or low water levels
Inland waterway
Low-speed haulage of bulk nonperishable commodities
Inland waterway
High energy efficiency; low per mile costs; largo cargo capacity
Inland waterways
Employs standardized closed containers to move a shipment by and combination of water, rail, and truck without unpacking between origin and final destination
Intermodal containerization
Requires special terminals and handling machinery to load, offload, and transfer containers
Intermodal containerization
Speed and efficiency of transit and lower shipping costs when multiple carriers are needed; reduced labor charges and pilferage losses
Intermodal containerization
Continuous flows of liquids, gases, or suspended solids where volumes are high and continuity is required
Pipeline
Fast, efficient, dependable; low per mile costs over long distances; maximum safety
Pipeline
Highly inflexible in route and cargo type; high development costs
Pipeline
Fast, reliable service on separate rights-of-way; essentially nonpulluting; energy efficient; adapted to steady flow of single commodities between two points; routes and nodes provide intervening development opportunities
Railroad
High construction and operating costs; inflexibility of routes; underutilized lines cause economic drain
Railroad
Intercity medium- to long-haul bulk and general cargo transport
Railroad
