Are you already using Routescanner when planning your cargo transport? Using this online tool makes it easy to compare multimodal options to get your goods to their destination as efficiently and sustainably as possible.
Shauny Ammeloot, Multimodal Expert at Multimodaal.Vlaanderen and Johan Abel, Key Account Manager at Port of Antwerp-Bruges, use Routescanner every day at work. They spoke with us about their experiences with the tool.
Johan: "As a customer, you can find and compare intermodal offers very quickly, transparently and, above all, free of charge. It gives you information such as the transit time, frequency and the reduction in CO2 emissions. The tool also indicates whenever no intermodal solution is available, so you know that too. You can also use it to request prices directly from various operators by simply pressing a button."
Shauny: "The big advantage is also that they have included all modes, which means that you can decide in a mode-neutral way which mode is ideal for your goods. Routescanner also displays in a highly visual way how that flow is put together, such as the location where the rail journey starts and finishes and where the first and the last miles need to be completed by truck."
Johan: "The price and the transit time continue to be the most important factors when planning cargo transport. But after that, more and more companies are thinking about sustainable transport solutions. Routescanner details the reductions in CO2 emissions achieved by using multimodal transportation. As a customer, that immediately gives you an idea. And if the reduction in emissions quickly increases to 30 to 45%, that can be an additional trigger."
Shauny: "Routescanner also helps us make multimodal offerings more transparent, which means we can help occasional users identify the most effective route involving rail, inland navigation or shortsea connections. Because by choosing intermodal transport, you end up being more sustainable anyway."
Routescanner helps us make multimodal offerings more transparent.
Shauny: "Very frequently actually. At Multimodaal.Vlaanderen, our job is to shift as many miles as possible from road transportation to alternative modes of transport, such as inland navigation, rail or shortsea. We advise companies, such as shippers, in their quest to transport goods as efficiently as possible. In doing so, we are both neutral and independent. We are certainly not against road transportation either, but we know and genuinely believe that there are other ways."
"We often provide multiple proposals, according to frequency, service, which providers are at which terminal, etc. For that, we use Routescanner. We know the Flemish market by heart, but for international transport, Routescanner is a very pleasant tool. We can therefore only recommend that logistics service providers share their information with the platform."
Johan: "I mainly focus on developing business connections with the hinterland. I am the commercial point of contact for customers and promote multimodal solutions. I therefore recommend Routescanner to everyone, because you can find all the connections there."
"I am also in close contact with the developers of Routescanner. It is important that when new connections come into being, via rail, barge or shortsea, that they are notified. Because if companies do not register, they cannot be found on Routescanner either. But 90 to 95 percent of all operators are already on it, so the tool is pretty comprehensive."
As a shipper, you can find and compare intermodal connections very quickly, transparently and, above all, free of charge.
Shauny: "The first benefit, and also our main mission, is that by using as many alternative modes as possible when transporting your cargo, you're going to reduce tailbacks on the roads. Flanders is known for its congestion, so that is one of the most important benefits, in our view."
"The second advantage is that multimodal transportation is always more sustainable. Road transport is an attractive option for pre- and post-transportation, but the main part of the journey will ideally be carried out using one of those more sustainable modes such as rail, short sea or inland navigation."
"A third advantage is that multimodal transportation can be financially rewarding for businesses. It is a misconception that multimodal transportation is more expensive. In 70% of cases, the price we arrive at is the same, or even cheaper."
"Finally, there are also operational benefits. For example, by transporting large batches of containers via inland terminals, you can level out a lot of pressure on transportation."
"In unexpected situations, such as traffic congestion, you can switch to other modes of transportation that do not make use of the roads."
"The high frequency of sailings is an important factor for customers and their just-in-time deliveries to the United Kingdom. We also say this to the companies: if you miss the ferry in the morning, there will be another one in the evening. That is actually a unique argument."
Johan: "There is also a shortage of truck drivers, which will only increase. So existing truck drivers will need to be used more efficiently, for example by focusing on first and last mile transportation. What is more, intermodal transportation will ultimately lead to the more efficient use of existing infrastructure. In the Benelux countries and France, for example, plenty of capacity is still available on inland waterways or on the rail network. Moreover, investments in further improvements to that infrastructure are ongoing. Just one example of that is the recent project to increase the height of the bridges across the Albert Canal."
You can use Routescanner to look up direct transport connections to Port of Antwerp-Bruges. There, you will find all the available connections for containers, trailers and intermodal units.
Curious about how Routescanner works?
