Freight Transportation and Modes

Let’s learn more about Freight Transportation. Transportation is the most important part of Logistics and Supply Chain Management. All costs associated with movement of products from one location to another constitute of transportation cost. The average transport costs ranges from 5 to 6 percent of the recommended retail price of the product. Inbound and outbound Transportation is the movement of products, materials and services from one area to another. It can also be termed as movement from one node of the supply chain to the other.

The Indian Army has an efficient transportation system with a motto, ‘wherever you are we reach you, in time, and in the best and cheapest mode available’. Indian Army uses the aerial, land, sea and rail routes to maintain its forces strewn all over the country and abroad. The logistics is enormous and the various modes of transport are used such as, aircraft, train, trucks, animals, and human beings. It transports supplies, ration, fuel, oil lubricants, arms, ammunition, clothing and personal loads over vast distances and over varied terrain and climatic conditions.

Modes of Transport

We find that basically transport is possible through land, air or water, which are called the different modes of transport. On land we use trucks, tractors, etc., to carry goods; train, bus, cars etc. to carry passengers. In air, we find airplanes, helicopters to carry passengers as well as goods. Similarly in water we find ships, steamers, etc., to carry goods and passengers. All these are known as various means of transport. Let us discuss about various modes of transport. The modes of transport can be broadly divided into three categories: Land transport, Water transport and Air transport. It is an important part of Freight Transportation.

Land Transport

Land transport refers to activities of physical movement of goods and passengers on land. This movement takes place on road, rail, rope or pipe. So land transport may further be divided into Road transport, Rail transport, Ropeway transport, pipeline transport. Ropeway transport is used less with comparison to others and generally for higher latitudes only. Let us know the details about rest of them. It is an important part of Freight Transportation.

Road Transport – Roads are the means that connect one place to another on the surface of the land. There are roads in villages, in towns and cities. Not all of them look alike. Some of them are made of sand and some may be of chips and cement or coal tar. One may find different vehicles plying on roads like bullock carts, cycles, motorcycles, cars, truck, buses, etc. All of these constitute different means of road transport.

The means of road transport may be divided into three types

Man driven
Animal driven
Motor driven

One might have seen individuals carrying goods on their head or back, in bicycles or on thelas, moving from one place to other. People also ride a bicycle or use rickshaw to travel short distances. We also find animal driven vehicles like carts (drawn by bullocks, camels, horses, donkeys, etc.) used in rural areas to carry crops, straw, fodder and sometimes even people. Sometimes even animals are directly used to carry goods from one place to another. In areas, which are normally covered with snow throughout the year, we find sledges pulled by dogs used to carry both passengers and goods. Compared with man driven and animal-driven means of road transport, motor driven means of transport have become more important over the years. This is due to their speedy movement and larger carrying capacity. Extension of roads to every corner of the country has also enhanced the use of motor driven transport. The types of motor vehicles used to carry goods and passengers include auto-rickshaws, scooters, vans, buses, tempos and trucks, etc. In Kolkata, tramway also forms part of road transport for carrying passengers.

Advantages of Road transport

It is a relatively cheaper mode of transport as compared to other modes.
Perishable goods can be transported at a faster speed by road carriers over a short distance.
It is a flexible mode of transport as loading and unloading is possible at any destination. It provides door-to-door service.
It helps people to travel and carry goods from one place to another, in places which are not connected by other means of transport like hilly areas.

Limitations of Road transport

Due to limited carrying capacity road transport is not economical for long distance transportation of goods.
Transportation of heavy goods or goods in bulk by road involves high cost.
It is affected by adverse weather conditions. Floods, rain, landslide, etc., sometimes create obstructions to road transport.

Rail Transport – Transportation of goods and passengers on rail lines through trains is called rail transport. It occupies an important place in land transport system of our country and is the most dependable mode of transport to carry goods and passengers over a long distance. Besides long distance, local transport of passengers is also provided by local trains or metro-rail in some metropolitan cities. Rail transport is available throughout the country except some hilly or mountainous regions. In India two types of trains are found. One is passenger train and other is goods train. While passenger trains carry both human beings and a limited quantity of goods, the goods trains are exclusively used for carrying goods from one place to another. These trains are driven by rail engines and they use steam, diesel or electric power to move. Let us now discuss the advantages and limitations of rail transport. It is an important part of Freight Transportation.

Advantages of Rail transport

It is a convenient mode of transport for traveling long distances.
It is relatively faster than road transport.
It is suitable for carrying heavy goods in large quantities over long distances.
Its operation is less affected by adverse weathers conditions like rain, floods, fog, etc.

Limitations of Railway transport

It is relatively expensive for carrying goods and passengers over short distances.
It is not available in remote parts of the country.
It provides service according to fixed time schedule and is not flexible for loading or unloading of goods at any place.
It involves heavy losses of life as well as goods in case of accident.

Pipelines Transport – In modern times, pipelines are used for various purposes. Water supply to residential and commercial areas is carried on with the help of pipeline. Petroleum and natural gas are also transported from one place to another through pipelines. This is the most convenient as well as economical mode of transport for petroleum as well as natural gas in comparison to road and rail transport, provided the volume to be transported is large. But the cost of installation and maintenance requires large capital investment. Pipelines can be the target of vandalism, sabotage, or even terrorist attacks. In war, pipelines are often the target of military attacks, as destruction of pipelines can seriously disrupt enemy logistics. It is an important part of Freight Transportation.

Water Transport

Water transport refers to movement of goods and passengers on waterways by using various means like boats, steamers, launches, ships, etc. With the help of these means goods and passengers are carried to different places, both within as well as outside the country. Within the country, rivers and canals facilitate the movement of boats, launches, etc. Since the goods and passengers move inside the country, this type of transport is called inland water transport. When the different means of transport are used to carry goods and passengers on the sea route it is termed as ocean transport. Let us know further about these two types of water transport. It is an important part of Freight Transportation.

Inland water transport: Inland water transport use boats, launches, barges, streamers, etc., to carry goods and passengers on river and canal routes. These routes are called inland waterways and are used in domestic or home trade to carry bulky goods. Passenger transport through waterways is not so popular in our country. Inland water transport system exists only in few states like West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Tamil Nadu, etc.

Ocean transport: Ocean transport refers to movement of goods and passengers with the help of ships through sea or ocean waterways. It plays an important role in the development of international trade. It is also used for transporting goods and passengers in the coastal areas. Ocean transport has its fixed route, which links almost all the countries of the world. Sea transport may be of the following two types.

Coastal Shipping – In this transport, ships ply between the main ports of a country. This helps in home trade, and also in carrying passengers within the country.

Overseas Shipping – In this transport, ships ply between different countries separated by sea or ocean. It is mainly used for promotion and development of international trade. It is economical means of transport to carry heavy machines and goods in bulk. Overseas transport is carried out on fixed routes, which connect almost all the countries. In ocean transport, different types of ships are used to carry passengers and goods. These may be classified as under.

Liners – A liner is a passenger or cargo vessel, which belongs to a regular shipping company. These ships ply over a fixed route according to a prescribed schedule or timetable.

Tramps: A tramp is a cargo ship, which does not make regular trips but plies whenever cargo is offered to it. It does not follow a fixed route or a prescribed timetable like that of liners. It is an important part of Freight Transportation.

Advantages of water transport

It is a relatively economical mode of transport for bulky and heavy goods.
It is a safe mode of transport with respect to occurrence of accidents.
The cost of maintaining and constructing routes is very low as most of them are naturally made.
It promotes international trade.

Limitations of water transport

The depth and navigability of rivers and canals vary and thus, affect operations of different transport vessels.
It is a slow moving mode of transport and therefore not suitable for transport of perishable goods.
It is adversely affected by weather conditions.
Sea transport requires large investment on ships and their maintenance.

Air Transport

This is the fastest mode of transport. It carries goods and passengers through airways by using different aircrafts like passenger aircraft, cargo aircraft, helicopters, etc. Besides passengers it generally carries goods that are less bulky or of high value. In hilly and mountainous areas where other mode of transport is not accessible, air transport is an important as well as convenient mode. It is mostly used for transporting goods and passengers during natural calamities like earthquake and floods, etc. During war, air transport plays an important role in carrying soldiers as well as supplies to the required areas. It is an important part of Freight Transportation.

Air transport may be classified as domestic and international air transport. While domestic air transport mainly facilitates movement within the country, international air transport is used for carrying goods and passengers between different countries. Air transport is carried out in fixed air routes, which connect almost all the countries.

Advantages of Air transport

It is the fastest mode of transport
It is very useful in transporting goods and passengers to the area, which are not accessible by any other means
It is the most convenient mode of transport during natural calamities
It provides vital support to the national security and defense

Limitations of air transport