Can digitalization make Combined Transport fit for the future? Yes, hopefully…

If we were to make the best possible use of existing resources, we could make improvements in several areas at once. Digitalization and data-driven management can help to

… alleviate capacity bottlenecks on the railways (e.g., due to construction work),

… counteract the shortage of skilled workers and drivers,

… reduce truck downtime and make productive use of “waiting times.”

One thing is certain: there is no way around Combined Transport (CT) on the path to efficient and sustainable logistics. When the main carriage of the journey, i.e., the longest part of the transport route, is shifted to rail and only the pre- and post-carriage are carried out by truck, we combine the strengths of both modes of transport. However, this does not make the transport chain any less complex.

An interview study conducted by our Chair shows that numerous digital platforms are addressing precisely this issue: they want to simplify processes and thus make KV more attractive. The interviews show that the platforms differ greatly in their business models: some want to simplify the booking of goods transport, while others focus on automated and standardized data exchange along the supply chain. The results also indicate that these business models will merge in the future and that further platforms will emerge. Find out here how digital platforms can drive the transformation of freight transport.

A big thank you goes to the German Transport Science Association (Deutsche Verkehrswissenschaftliche Gesellschaft e. V.) for the excellent organization of the 11th German Mobility Congress in Frankfurt am Main! There, Prof. Ralf Elbert had the opportunity to present our research and discuss the future of combined transport with colleagues from the industry.