Multimodal transport

Multimodal transport is the carriage of goods by at least two modes of transport under a single contract. The customer deals with one organiser, who is responsible for the whole route, from the shipper's warehouse to the consignee's, including every transshipment, terminal and customs procedure in between.

A typical example is a container trucked from the factory to a port, shipped by sea to a port in another country, carried by rail to an inland terminal and delivered by truck to the consignee. Each mode does what it does best: sea is cheapest over long distances, rail is reliable over land, and road provides door-to-door delivery.

In Ukraine, this type of carriage is governed by a dedicated Law on Multimodal Transport, alongside the rules of each mode and international conventions. The 1980 UN Convention on International Multimodal Transport of Goods never entered into force, so in practice contract terms come from contractual rules such as the 1992 UNCTAD/ICC Rules for Multimodal Transport Documents, on which the FIATA bill of lading is based.

• Sea and road. The most common scheme for containers, with trucking to and from the port.
• Sea and rail. Containers move from the port by train to inland terminals, then by truck to the consignee.
• Rail and road. Container trains and piggyback transport, where semi-trailers or whole trucks ride on rail wagons.
• Road and ferry. A semi-trailer or truck crosses on a ro-ro ferry without the goods being unloaded.
• Air and road. Urgent cargo flown between airports and trucked to and from them.
• River and sea. Heavy and bulk cargo on inland waterways to a seaport.

The main loading units are 20- and 40-foot containers, high cube containers, reefers, open tops and flat racks for tall and oversized cargo, tank containers, swap bodies and semi-trailers. The more standard the unit, the simpler and cheaper the transshipment.

Between Ukraine and most EU countries there is another factor: a track gauge of 1520 mm against 1435 mm. At border terminals a container is transferred to another wagon or the wagon bogies are changed. For a container this is routine; for goods loaded directly into a wagon it means an extra transshipment, with time and cost. The rail leg between the COTIF/CIM and SMGS systems can be covered by the common CIM/SMGS consignment note.

1. The customer sends a description of the goods, packaging, weight and volume, addresses, preferred dates and the Incoterms rule.
2. ETIKO compares route options by cost, transit time, risk and cargo restrictions.
3. The scheme, loading unit and transshipment terminals are chosen, and space is booked on the vessel or train.
4. The cargo requirements are checked for each leg: ADR, RID, IMDG or IATA DGR for dangerous goods, unit sizes and permits for oversized cargo, temperature settings for reefer cargo.
5. The documents for each leg, or one document for the whole route, are prepared, and customs clearance for export, transit and import is arranged.
6. The container is loaded and sealed and the cargo secured under the CTU Code; for the sea leg, the shipper provides the verified gross mass (VGM).
7. ETIKO coordinates transshipments and handovers between carriers and monitors free time at terminals.
8. The customer is kept informed of the delivery status at every stage.
9. After delivery, the empty container is returned and the documents are closed.

The more links in the chain, the more it matters that one party sees all of it and reacts to schedule changes in time.

• Inconsistent documents across legs: weight, package count or description do not match, and customs holds the cargo.
• No verified gross mass (VGM): under SOLAS regulation VI/2 such a container will not be loaded onto the ship.
• Poor securing inside the container: the cargo is damaged by ship motion at sea or by shunting impacts on the railway.
• Dangerous goods documented only under ADR, although they continue by sea or air under different rules.
• Missed free time at the terminal, leading to container detention charges.
• A sea-only Incoterms rule used for a container handed over at an inland terminal.
• Insurance that covers only one leg.

These risks shrink when the route, documents and insurance are planned as one, from the first kilometre to the last.

• Route design. Comparing several schemes by cost, transit time, risk and cargo restrictions.
• Choice of loading unit. Container, swap body, semi-trailer, wagon or platform.
• Booking. Space on a vessel, container train, ferry or aircraft.
• Transshipment. Choosing terminals and organising the transfer and handover between carriers.
• Leg requirements. Rules for dangerous, oversized and temperature-controlled cargo on each mode.
• Documents. Keeping the documents of each leg consistent, or issuing one document for the whole route.
• Customs. Clearance for export, transit (NCTS) and import.
• Free time control. Container use and terminal storage deadlines.
• Status updates. Keeping the customer informed at every stage.
• Insurance of the cargo for the whole route, at the customer's request.

Rules by mode

Carrier liability limits differ from leg to leg, so they are worth establishing before the shipment starts and reflecting in the insurance.

Weight and securing

• Since 1 July 2016, no container is loaded onto a ship without a verified gross mass (VGM) under SOLAS regulation VI/2.
• Packing and securing in containers and on platforms follow the recommendations of the CTU Code (IMO/ILO/UNECE, 2014).
• The weight of the container together with the truck must meet road limits on the road legs.

Customs transit and track gauge

• Since 1 October 2022 Ukraine has been a party to the Convention on a Common Transit Procedure, and one NCTS transit declaration is valid across all contracting parties.
• Track gauge is 1520 mm in Ukraine and 1435 mm in most EU countries, so at the border the goods are transshipped or the wagon bogies are changed.