Understanding Modal Preferences in Transport

Huge modern big big semi truck with a trailer moving on the road in the evening twilight with headlights on the background of the picturesque hills with reflection burning rays of the evening sunset.

Transporting goods to a location halfway around the world will typically mean that your goods go through a few different phases of transport. It may be more cost efficient to transport via truck to an airport, where your goods are transferred to a plane. At the receiving airport, rail transport may be more cost-efficient than truck transport. Yet on any leg of this journey, various forms of transport are competing, and the best mode may change depending on both your needs and the strength of a country’s transport infrastructure.

Examples

Your modal preference may vary. Let’s say you’re sending your goods to mainland Malaysia. The infrastructure that backs their seaport is still in the process of being overhauled. Truck transport may be a bit more costly and slower than rail, but also more reliable in terms of meeting a schedule. Your modal preference for reliability would be truck transport. Your modal preference based on cost and potential speed may be rail.

Now let’s say you’re sending your goods to India. Here, infrastructure is good but some of their seaports struggle with processing rate on incoming goods. If your goods are a regular delivery and that potential for delay is built into your schedule, then shipping through their seaport is a cost-effective choice. Yet if your goods are perishable or need more immediate delivery, that potential for delay is unacceptable. Air freight is the best way to go. It’s more costly, but the speed is optimal. Your modal preference changes based on your needs.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Modal preference changes based on the transport strengths of a country, and it’s important to work with an organization that understands the strengths and weaknesses of transporting goods to every country. It’s not just as simple as saying these types of goods need this type of transport. It’s also about understanding where potential delays may crop up due to a form of transport, helping you understand the probability of that risk, and building it into your plans by offering you advanced dates and alternate options.