Intermodal freight transport: Difference between revisions
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==Equipment== |
==Equipment== |
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Containers, also known as intermodal containers or as ISO containers because the dimensions have been defined by the ISO, are the main type of equipment used in intermodal transport, particularly when one of the modes of transportation is by ship. Containers are eight feet wide by eight feet high. Since introduction, there have been moves to adopt other heights, such as eight feet six inches, nine feet six inches and ten feet six inches. The most common lengths are 20 feet, 40 feet, and 48 feet, although other lengths exist. They are made out of [[steel]] and can be stacked on top of each other (the popular term is "double stack"). They can be carried by truck, rail, container ship, or aeroplane. When carried by rail, containers can be loaded on [[flatcar]]s or on [[Gondola (rail)#container well cars|container well cars]]. In [[Europe]], stricter railway height restrictions prohibit containers from being stacked two high, and containers are hauled one high either on standard [[flatcar]]s or other [[railroad car]]s. |
Containers, also known as intermodal containers or as ISO containers because the dimensions have been defined by the ISO, are the main type of equipment used in intermodal transport, particularly when one of the modes of transportation is by ship. Containers are eight feet wide by eight feet high. Since introduction, there have been moves to adopt other heights, such as eight feet six inches, nine feet six inches and ten feet six inches. The most common lengths are 20 feet, 40 feet, and 48 feet, although other lengths exist. They are made out of [[steel]] and can be stacked on top of each other (the popular term is "double stack"). They can be carried by truck, rail, container ship, or aeroplane. When carried by rail, containers can be loaded on [[flatcar]]s or on [[Gondola (rail)#container well cars|container well cars]]. In [[Europe]], stricter railway height restrictions (smaller [[loading gauge]] and [[structure gauge]]) prohibit containers from being stacked two high, and containers are hauled one high either on standard [[flatcar]]s or other [[railroad car]]s. |
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[[Image:DTTX 724681 20050529 IL Rochelle.jpg|thumb|300px|left|A portion of a "double stack" container train]] |
[[Image:DTTX 724681 20050529 IL Rochelle.jpg|thumb|300px|left|A portion of a "double stack" container train]] |
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Revision as of 00:15, 25 February 2006
Intermodal is a term that refers to more than one mode of transport. For example, passenger stations which provides transfers between buses and trains are described as intermodal (see: intermodal passenger transport). This article describes intermodal as applied to the transportation of freight in a container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation (rail, ocean carrier, and truck), without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The advantage of utilizing this method is that it reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and loss, and allows freight to be transported faster.
History
Pallets made their first major appearance during World War II, when the United States military assembled freight on pallets, allowing fast transfer between warehouses, trucks, trains, ships, and airplanes. Because no freight handling was required, fewer personnel were required and loading times were decreased. Truck trailers were first carried by railway after World War II, an arrangement often called "piggyback". The Canadian Pacific Railway was a pioneer in piggyback transport, becoming the first North American railway to introduce the service in 1952.
While rudimentary freight containers, then known as lift vans, were used in the United States as early as 1911, it was not until the 1950s that containers started to revolutionize freight transportation. One pioneering railway was the White Pass and Yukon Route, who acquired the world's first container ship, the Clifford J. Rogers, built in 1955, and introduced containers to its railway in 1956. Starting in the 1960s the use of containers increased steadily. Standards for containers were issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) between 1968 and 1970, ensuring interchangeability between different modes of transportation worldwide. The containers became known as ISO containers for this reason.
In the United States of America, rail intermodal traffic tripled between 1980 and 2002 according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR), from 3.1 million trailers and containers to 9.3 million.
Equipment
Containers, also known as intermodal containers or as ISO containers because the dimensions have been defined by the ISO, are the main type of equipment used in intermodal transport, particularly when one of the modes of transportation is by ship. Containers are eight feet wide by eight feet high. Since introduction, there have been moves to adopt other heights, such as eight feet six inches, nine feet six inches and ten feet six inches. The most common lengths are 20 feet, 40 feet, and 48 feet, although other lengths exist. They are made out of steel and can be stacked on top of each other (the popular term is "double stack"). They can be carried by truck, rail, container ship, or aeroplane. When carried by rail, containers can be loaded on flatcars or on container well cars. In Europe, stricter railway height restrictions (smaller loading gauge and structure gauge) prohibit containers from being stacked two high, and containers are hauled one high either on standard flatcars or other railroad cars.
Some variations on the standard container exist. Open-topped versions covered by a fabric curtain are used to transport larger loads. A container called a "tanktainer," consisting of a tank fitted inside a standard container frame, allows liquids to be carried. Refrigerated containers are used for perishables. There is also the swap body, which is typically used for road and rail transport, as they are built too lightly to be stacked. They have folding legs under their frame so that they can be moved between trucks without using a crane.
Truck trailers are often used for freight that is transported primarily by road and rail. Typically, regular trailers can be used, and do not need to be specially designed. When travelling by rail, trailers are transported on railway flatcars, an arrangement called "piggyback."
A newer method of transporting trailers has been developed by Road-Railer Corporation, which is owned by Norfolk Southern Railway. When the trailers are transported on rail, railway wheel assemblies are placed between the trailers, in effect turning the trailers into one large articulated railway car. This method is faster than carrying trailers on flatcars and requires no extra railway cars, but the trailers need to be specially designed.
Vehicles
Container ships are used to transport containers by sea. These vessels are custom-built to hold containers. Some vessels can hold thousands of containers. Their capacity is often measured in TEU or FEU. These initials stand for "twenty feet equivalent unit," and "forty feet equivalent unit," respectively. For example, a vessel that can hold 1,000 40-foot containers or 2,000 20-foot containers can be said to have a capacity of 1,000 FEU or 2,000 TEU. In the year 2005, the largest container ships in regular operation are registered to carry in excess of 8,000 TEUs.
In North America, containers are often shipped by rail in well cars. These cars resemble flatcars but the newer ones have a container-sized depression, or well, in the middle of the car. This depression allows for sufficient clearance to allow two containers to be loaded in the car in a "double stack" arrangement. The newer container cars also are specifically built as a small "unit", most commonly in components of five, whereby two components are connected by a single set of wheels as opposed to two sets of wheels, one on each car. (The photo above under "Equipment" shows an example of the new setup.) Double stacking is also used in parts of Australia.
References
- DeBoer, David J. (1992). Piggyback and Containers: A History of Rail Intermodal on America's Steel Highway. Golden West Books, San Marino, CA. ISBN 0-87095-108-4.
See also
