Intermodal transports – efficient, economical, and sustainable

Begoma offers a variety of transport and logistics solutions. In particular, the industry has seen a major boom in intermodal transport, as more companies choose this approach to transport their goods worldwide. We chatted with Joel Svedebring, who works as a dispatcher and team leader at Begoma’s Grupp Väst. Joel explained that intermodal shipping is the strategy of loading cargo into containers, or in Begoma’s case, trailers custom-made for railways called HP trailers, and transporting it from its origin to its destination using two or more modes of transportation, typically rail and truck. Instead of shifting the cargo from one vehicle to the next, intermodal transport uses standardised containers or trailers, which can seamlessly move from the truck to the train and vice versa.

In Europe, Germany is the foremost hub for transit. Every day an abundance of shipments bound for Europe or any number of destinations across the world will pass through the country. Germany has a well-developed railway system that is very suitable for intermodal transport chains. Joel is responsible for Begoma’s intermodal traffic between Sweden and Italy, while his colleague Magnus Sjöberg takes care of transport between Sweden and Germany. From Sweden, it is mainly steel and paper that are shipped to Europe via intermodal solutions. As for the goods arriving in Sweden from Europe, they can be anything from industrial parts to pasta. In Sweden, the goods are loaded onto trucks in Eskilstuna and Trelleborg for onward transport to the end customer. A customer who orders a transport with an intermodal solution will get their goods transported for the full length of the journey, from start to finish.

Begoma’s team is constantly evaluating their modes of transport to improve efficiency and offer customers the fastest, most cost-effective, and sustainable shipping solutions possible. The longer the distance between the start and end destination, the more time and cost-efficient an intermodal solution becomes. The big challenge for Joel, Magnus, and their colleagues at Begoma are train delays. When a train delay arises, the team must quickly reschedule the goods or find other means of transport to continue the shipment. This is where Begoma has a significant advantage. Everyone who works for the company has extensive knowledge of the sector and can quickly make informed decisions to give the customer the best possible service. Delays cost both time and money, so it is crucial to have good communication with the customer to provide information swiftly and ensure that quality service has been provided.

In addition to being a fast and convenient solution, some of the benefits of intermodal transportation are:

• Cost savings. The longer the distance is, the greater opportunity to save money.
• Increased safety for goods. Railways are significantly safer than roads when it comes to both accidents and theft.
• Sustainability. You can reduce your carbon footprint considerably by opting for intermodal transportation. By moving one ton of goods 1.5 kilometres via railway as opposed to trucks, CO2 emissions can be reduced by up to 83%.

Begoma is working actively on expanding and streamlining its intermodal services. For more information, contact Joel Svedebring at +46 40 35 85 22 or e-mail at joel.svedebring@begoma.se.