Combined transport: benefits and advantages

Explaining and presenting the advantages and benefits of combined transport, 20 years after the Decree of the Ministry of Transport and almost 30 years after the European Directive that established common rules for certain combined goods transport between Member States, is never superfluous. This is for a number of reasons, which we will try to explore in more detail through a discussion of the salient aspects of combined transport.

Combined transport: definition

Combined transport is defined as the transport of goods between Member States of the European Union in which the lorry, trailer, semi-trailer with or without tractor vehicle, swap body or container carries out the initial or final part of the journey by road and the other part of the journey by rail, sea or other waterway, as long as the latter exceeds 100 km as the crow flies.

The initial or terminal part of the journey, i.e., by road, is between the point where the goods are loaded/unloaded and the nearest railway station suitable for loading/unloading operations.

In short, the prerequisite for carrying out this type of transport is the combination of land transport by road and rail or sea (over a distance of at least 100 km as the crow flies) with the land route being the initial or terminal part of the journey (as short as possible with the distances varying in the case of a railway station or port).

Advantages of combined transport: attention to climate and environment

By regulatory definition, therefore, one of the advantages of combined transport is to reduce road travel as much as possible, using roads only and exclusively for short (initial and final) journeys, i.e., to bring or collect goods from the rail or sea terminal. The positive impact on the climate and environment with a drastic reduction in CO2 emissions and also a reduction in energy consumption per unit load are evident in this respect.

Today, with the ever-increasing level of attention to green issues and the positive effects of environmentally-friendly attitudes, more and more companies have taken an interest in this type of transport, promoting a correct and respectful practice

All human activities have an “environmental impact”, a consideration that is particularly valid for the transport sector. Trains are considered one of the means of transport with the lowest environmental impact, perhaps of all the means of transport it is the one preferred by environmentalists and the most demanding ecologists. Undoubtedly, rail allows the transport of goods over long distances with minimal energy consumption, and therefore minimal pollution, while also respecting the towns and villages crossed by the railway line and affected by the shipping route. This combines the practical and economic interests of the sender with the interest of public opinion, which is obviously sensitive to these ecological issues. The effects on pollution of various kinds are considerable and the benefits for companies relying on combined transport are significant, above all in the area of end-customer awareness and appreciation.

Consistent with the major international players, our proposal has been based on changing transport habits, gradually combining traditional road transport with intermodal transport.

This is why the progressive achievement of this result constitutes a development in terms of rationalisation of general activities, as well as an appreciable beneficial effect in terms of environmental sustainability and quality of life in the area. Making a real contribution in this respect has always been our goal and is appreciated by the end consumer.

Advantages of combined transport: flexibility

By its very nature, combined transport is particularly ductile and flexible, can meet the demands of optimising shipping and is well suited to certain journeys that inevitably encounter obstacles on their way. In short, relying on combined transport also allows to best adapt to the characteristics of the territory to be crossed.

Studying the route and presenting an organised, optimised and cost-optimised shipping plan is one of the most high-impact skills of Rubino Rs. Specialising in the transport of liquid foodstuffs with our own road tankers and bi-modal tank containers, our company prefers this type of transport, which is more environmentally friendly and cost-effective. Modern combined transport optimally combines different transport systems, heavy goods vehicles, rail and sea freight.

This flexibility also impacts another aspect: transport time, which is already fundamental in the case of non-food liquids, becomes crucial in the case of food liquids. With combined transport, by connecting southern Italy to the remaining destinations in northern Italy as well as in Europe, we significantly reduce travel times compared to traditional road transport: 36 hours from Apulia to Northern Italy between collection and delivery, 72 or 96 hours from Southern Italy to all of Europe between collection and delivery.

All this with the guarantee of real-time satellite tracking with anti-jamming system, as well as with the possibility of customised insurance coverage.

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