Cargo Transportation – Basic Concepts and Issues

Course Overview

Gain a comprehensive understanding of cargo transportation carriers, their services, and key considerations for shippers and forwarders in selecting and routing cargo. Explore the characteristics, advantages, limitations, and cost comparisons of various modes of transportation, including inland waterways, short sea, deep-sea, rail, truck, and air cargo. Learn about intermodal carriers, door-to-door logistics, carrier regulations, and direct versus indirect carriage, as well as collaborative arrangements between carriers to optimize cargo transport.

• What is a cargo transportation carrier?
• Basic issues a shipper or freight forwarder should always consider before routing cargo and selecting carrier(s)
• Scope of services an integrated carrier typically provide when handling/arranging cargo shipments?
• Basic understanding of inland waterway, short sea shipping and inter-coastal shipping, advantages and limitations and comparison with other modes.
• Basic understanding of deep-sea vessel transportation, advantages and limitations and comparison with other modes.
• Basic understanding of rail transportation, advantages and limitations and comparison with other modes.
• Basic understanding of U.S. truck transportation, advantages and limitations and comparison with other modes.
• Basic understanding of air cargo transportation, advantages and limitations and comparison with other modes.
• Awareness of comparative cost to shippers of each mode of cargo transportation
• Awareness of the history of intermodal indirect carriers
• Understanding the service and benefits of single source “door-to-door” logistics
• Awareness of types of and reasons for transportation carrier regulation
• Understanding the difference between direct and indirect carriage
• Arrangements that can be made between carriers to accomplish cargo transportation.