The Role of Transport Operators in the Organization of Multimodal Transportation

Abstract

The article is aimed at defining the key difference between multimodal and intermodal transportations, as well as studying the role of transport operators in the organization of multimodal transportations. In the course of the study, it was identified that both in the scientific field and in practice, mixed transportation is often understood as synonymous with the concept of «multimodal transportation», but it is determined that all integrated (multimodal, intermodal, combined) and separate (segment) transportations are part of mixed ones, which complement each other. It is noted that multimodal and intermodal transportations have a certain difference between themselves, which consists in the presence of the number of contracts and the responsibility borne by the transportation operator. It is proposed to take into account all the conditions that cause influence on the result of the decision on the implementation of multimodal transportation. In the study of theoretical and practical aspects it was possible to allocate the operators of multimodal transportation as follows: operators who operate with sea vessels; operators who do not operate with sea vessels, but may own other rolling stock, warehouses, etc.; forwarders who are not always multimodal operators and can be agents of some part of a transportation and cooperate with the main operator. Their special role in the organization of multimodal transportation is substantiated, taking into account all the factors and elements that must closely interact with each other in the delivery process. Prospects for further research in this direction are the construction of an algorithm for choosing a multimodal operator, taking into account various conditions.

Keywords

• multimodal transportations
• intermodal transportations
• transport operator
• forwarder