Question

300 words discuss the describe intermodal freight and global operations/ management in your description include a short synopsis of the issue and your opinion of the issue. Also, give a personal anecdote that you can share with the rest.

Answer 1

Intermodal Freight and Global Operations
Intermodal freights involve the use of several modes of transport such as rail, water and road in the transportation of goods. The freight changes from one mode of transport to another. The concept is commonly applicable to the global supply chain where goods are transported over long distance say from one country to another. For example, the importation of goods from another country uses the intermodal transport. The freights will be transported from the factory using rail or road to the port. Then, the goods are transported to the destination port using water transport. From the port of destination, the goods are transported to the final consumer using rail and road transport.
With the advancement in technology, the intermodal freight transportation has achieved integration. The integration is partly due to change in global supply chain requirement and the need to effectively achieve customer satisfaction. The advantage of the integration is the coordination among the various parties involved in the system( Lowe, 2005). Therefore, different carriers can effectively plan and communicate on how and when to transport goods without time or resource wastage. However, in my opinion, one of the challenges is the determination of best mode combination and the transfer points that achieves the highest performance level. The problem can solved through benchmarking that helps determine the best practices in the industry.
I know most of us don't realize the importance of the interrelationship between the different modes of transport. Well, of course, we may take it for granted, but let me tell you about John. I schooled with John, who came from far up the country. For him to access the road transport system from his place, he had to use a boat to cross the other part of the river. Therefore, he could not be able to use the road transport without first using the water transport. Before reaching the school John used two modes of transport, that is, water and road transport. Thus, the intermodal relationship is a necessity to achieve the transportation objectives.