Multimodal Transportation
According to the United Nations Convention on International Multimodal Transport of Goods, Multimodal Transport is defined as follows: “The transport of goods using at least two different modes of transport, covered by a multimodal transport contract, from a site in a country where the multimodal transport operator takes care of them, up to a designated delivery site, located in a different country »
What is a Multimodal Transport Operator?
Any person who, on his own behalf or through intermediary, makes a multimodal transport contract. and that it acts as the principal, not as an agent or on behalf of the consignee or the carriers that participate in multimodal transport operations, and that it assumes responsibility for the development of the contract.
Classification of Multimodal Transport Operators, OTM
- Vessel Operating MTO: They are the largest OTMs if the assets involved in the business are taken as a basis and the number of transactions are basically Shipowners, who are involved in the purchase or contracting of additional services in other modes of transport, air, road by railway, in order to offer its customers the advantages of the «door to door» service - replacing the previous system where they only dealt with the «port to port» section Non - Vessel Operating Multimodal MTO: Contrary to the previous ones, in this case the operator is not a Shipowner - owner of the vessel - but is the owner of another mode of transport and contracts the Services of the shipping companies. The very purpose of offering "door to door" service to replace the previous "door to port" service is the motivation that drives these companies to join the Multimodal system.
Intermodal Transportation
It uses different means of transport, but one of the transporters organizes the whole process, according to the distribution of responsibility, the transport documents are used.
Unimodal Transport
It is carried out using a mode of transport, by one or more carriers, which can use a single B / L (bill of lading) for the entire process, which is called through B / L, or they can use a B / L for each tranche according to the contract.
Segmented Transport
Each carrier is responsible for its segment, using appropriate and different documents in each case.
Combined Transport
In this case, the same transport vehicle uses a combination of modes, road, rail and river for example.
