Freight Transport and Logistics

Supply chain

Network of people, companies, and activities involved in making a product and delivering it to the customer

Key Players of Supply chain

Suppliers (Provide raw materials or components needed to create products)
Manufacturers (Transform raw materials into finished goods)
Distributors (Move and store goods/cargo from manufacturers to retailers)
Retailers (Sell products directly to the final customers)
Customers (Buy and use the final products)

Difference between logistics and supply chain manegement

Logistics focuses on the execution of transporting and storing goods, while supply chain management strategically oversees and optimizes the entire flow from supplier to customer

Pysical network of the infrastructure

Guideways (Air, rivers, ocean, rail, pipelines)
Terminals
Controls

Key Transport Agents

Shipper → sends goods
Freight forwarder → organizes transport (no vehicles)
Carrier → physically transports goods
Freight integrator → full door-to-door logistics solution

Modal Choice in Freight Transport

Price
Transit time
Reliability
Flexibility

Freight Transport Chain Concepts

Multimodal → ≥2 modes
Intermodal → same loading unit, no handling
Combined → mainly rail/sea + short road
Co-modal → optimal mix of modes
Synchromodal → real-time switching between modes

Freight Demand Model (4-step model)

Trip generation
Trip distribution
Mode choice
Route assignment

Information Systems in Transport

Goal: right info, right time, right place
Greates: Visibility, Reliability, Real-time decisions

Modal Choice in Freight Transport

Price
Transit time
Reliability
Flexibility