Yes, most modern air freight forwarders now offer combined transport solutions as a standard service.

Modern Air Freight Solutions: Benefits, Process & Tips

More and more companies are adopting cross-modal transport solutions to reduce delivery times, lower costs, and simultaneously improve their carbon footprint.

But what does this mean in the context of air freight – and what specific benefits does it offer your business?

What is multimodal transport?

“Multimodality” means that your shipment uses different modes of transport on its journey from sender to recipient – for example, the combination of road transport, air freight, and road transport again for final delivery.

Multimodal transport combines at least two different modes of transport under a single, unified transport contract. Your freight forwarder coordinates the entire transport process from pickup to delivery. This provides you as a customer with a decisive advantage: you have only one contact person and one contract, even though multiple transport modes are used.

A typical combined air freight transport works as follows: A truck picks up your goods at the production site, brings them to the airport, air transport occurs to the destination airport, and finally a truck takes over delivery to the end customer. This seamless linking of different transport modes makes it possible to optimally utilize the advantages of each mode of transport.

Which modes of transport are combined?

Air freight forwarders regularly combine different transport modes to offer you the best solution for your shipment. The most common combinations include air freight with road transport, as this covers most destinations worldwide. For shipments to coastal areas, sea freight can also be useful as preliminary transport, for example when you’re shipping heavy machinery that is first transported by ship and then forwarded by air freight.

The combination of air freight and rail transport becomes particularly interesting. When you send goods from Europe to Asia, the first leg can be by rail before the shipment reaches its final destination by air freight. This combination significantly reduces both costs and CO2 emissions.

What advantages do multimodal transports offer companies?

Combined transport solutions offer you many practical advantages. The most important aspect is the simplification of your logistics processes.

Instead of concluding separate contracts with different transport companies, you get everything from one source. This reduces your administrative workload and minimizes coordination errors between different service providers.

Save costs through intelligent combination

Your freight forwarder analyzes the best combination of transport modes:

• Heavy goods: Truck or rail for the first leg
• Time-critical delivery: Air freight for the final segment
• Example: An electronics importer reduces transport costs by 30–40% with only minimally longer delivery time

How do documentation and liability work?

One of the biggest advantages: you receive a single bill of lading for the entire route – regardless of how many transport modes are involved. This not only simplifies administration but also provides you with legal security, as the freight forwarder is liable for the entire transport route.

Liability regulations for multimodal transports follow clear international standards. Your freight forwarder is liable for damages or losses during the entire transport, regardless of which segment the problem occurs on. This gives you as a shipper significantly more security than separate contracting of different carriers.

Is there end-to-end tracking?

Modern air freight forwarders now offer continuous tracking throughout the entire transport chain. You can follow the status of your shipment in real-time, whether it’s currently on the road, in the air, or at a transfer terminal. This transparency enables you to precisely inform your customers about delivery times and plan internal processes accordingly.

This transparency is particularly valuable for time-critical shipments. If you need spare parts for a production line, for example, you can track exactly when they will be available and initiate appropriate measures.

Environmental and sustainability aspects

Combined transports contribute significantly to improving your carbon footprint. Through intelligent use of different transport modes, you can reduce emissions without sacrificing speed or reliability. Rail and sea transport have significantly better environmental values than pure air freight but are not practical for certain route segments.

Many companies use multimodal solutions specifically for their sustainability strategy. The combination of rail transport for long distances and air freight for time-critical segments can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 60 percent compared to pure air freight.

How complex is the planning?

Multimodal transports require careful planning since multiple transport modes must be coordinated. Your freight forwarder needs detailed information about your shipment to choose the optimal combination. Weight, dimensions, value, and urgency of the goods determine which transport modes are used.

Lead times are usually somewhat longer than direct air freight since transfer processes between transport modes must be planned. However, this time loss is often compensated by lower costs and better environmental values. A typical shipment from Germany to Singapore requires about 1–2 days longer than pure air freight but costs 20–30 percent less.

What do combined transports cost compared to pure air freight?

Pricing for integrated logistics solutions is more complex than for pure air freight since various cost factors must be considered. Your freight forwarder calculates costs for each transport segment as well as handling costs at transfer points. Additionally, coordination costs for coordination between different transport modes apply.

Despite this complexity, multimodal transports often offer good savings potential. Cost savings arise from optimal utilization of each transport mode’s strengths. While air freight is optimal for time-critical and high-value goods, heavy or less urgent shipments can be transported more cost-effectively by rail or truck.

How can you arrange multimodal transports?

Booking works just as easily as booking pure air freight.

You communicate your requirements to your freight forwarder – pickup and delivery location, weight, dimensions, value, and desired delivery time. The freight forwarder then develops an optimal transport plan and submits a corresponding offer.

Open communication about your priorities is important. If costs are more important than speed, the freight forwarder can use more cost-effective transport modes. For time-critical shipments, the focus is on fast processing, even if this is somewhat more expensive.

Conclusion and recommendation

Multimodal transports are now standard at professional air freight forwarders and offer you advantages over separate contracting of different carriers.

The combination of cost optimization, simplified processing, and improved environmental balance makes multimodal solutions the first choice for most companies.

They are particularly recommended for companies that regularly ship international shipments while considering both cost and environmental aspects.

The initial complexity in planning is handled by your freight forwarder’s expertise while you benefit from all advantages.

Want to make your logistics more efficient and sustainable?

Contact us – we’ll provide you with non-binding advice on suitable multimodal transport solutions.