All about transportation and transport

This article explains what we mean by transportation and transportation and the different types of transportation and transportation. Of course, this is a very general topic. That is why we have a knowledge base with several specific articles in which we discuss in more detail all sub-areas in the transportation industry, such as car transportation, art transportation and animal transportation.

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Meaning transportation and transport

By transportation and transport we mean all movement of people, animals and goods from one place to another. In other words, transportation means moving an organism or thing from point A to point B. There are different forms of transportation. These include air transport, land transport (road transport and rail transport) and water transport.

Difference between transportation and transportation

Transportation and transport mean the same thing, but generally in the Dutch language, transport is used more often to mean moving goods, while the word transport is often used to mean moving people. This manifests itself, for example, in words like sea transport, refrigerated transport, hazardous transport, etc. (all different types of transportation of goods) and words like public transportation, cab transportation etc. (all different types of passenger transport). However, this is by no means always the case and equally one can talk about transport of goods or transport of goods, and transport of persons or transport of persons. So transportation and transport are synonyms and mean the same thing.

Transportation and logistics

Canister being filled People often talk about transportation and logistics. These terms are frequently used interchangeably.

Logistics means everything around the organization of moving goods and is therefore strongly related to transportation. So, in a general sense, logistics is the entire management of getting goods from one place to another place . So this includes transportation but also storage and transshipment, packing of goods and complete planning. Good logistics ensures that the goods are moved from the starting point to the end point as affordably, quickly and safely as possible.

Logistics is strongly related to what is known as Supply Chain Management. In Dutch, this is often translated as supply chain management. It involves the entire organization that products travel through to eventually get to the end customer: from raw material to finished product in people's homes.

Good logistics management often comes down to making the right trade-offs. The most common trade-off, familiar to every logistics planner, is the question: cost or time? By this we mean that a choice often has to be made whether the goods should be transported from A to B faster, or cheaper. Consider the choice between sea freight or air freight, for example.

Suppose you want to have goods transported from Australia to the Netherlands. The cheapest option is via container ship but the fastest option is via cargo plane. A good logistics planner weighs the pros and cons and makes a considered choice.

Different types of transportation and transport

There are different types of transportation. The first distinction is between passenger transport and goods transport. On this page we only talk about goods transport. By goods transport we mean all transport that is not people or animals. So the transport of a small package or a gigantic yacht both fall under goods transport.

The way goods are transported

On land, at sea and in the air: goods and commodities are sent from A to B in every possible way. Full trucks travel over land(road transport) and freight trains(rail transport), cargo planes fly through the air(air transport), gigantic container ships sail across the oceans(sea transport), and then there is inland shipping.

The nature of transportation determines the best way to transport something. This obviously involves what needs to be transported (weight, size, number, etc.). But also from where to where it needs to be transported and how quickly it needs to be done. In practice, a combination of different modes of transport is often chosen. Think, for example, of a sea container from Asia arriving in Rotterdam and being delivered by truck to the right location in the Netherlands. When goods transfer from one means of transport to another, we call this transshipment.

The goods to be transported are called freight. When we talk about freight traffic, we mean all vehicles on the road that are engaged in transporting goods, including, of course, trucks. Logically, cargo shipsdo this via waterways. Other words for freight are load and the English cargo is also widely used worldwide.

Road transport: trucks, lorries and couriers

Truck with trailers By road transport, we mean all transport performed by trucks, lorries, vans and cars. The great advantage of road transport is that almost any location can be reached. Air transport, rail transport or sea transport is almost always combined with road transport. Goods are then transferred from the airport, station or port to trucks that take the goods further. There is a gigantic network of vehicles that contribute to road transport both worldwide and nationwide. These include trucks that supply Dutch companies from the port of Rotterdam or Schiphol Airport, as well as the trucks that export Dutch goods to the rest of Europe. Items ordered by an individual on the Internet are also delivered to the customer by road transport. Against the advantage of being able to get anywhere, there is the disadvantage that road transport is an expensive and often polluting way of transportation.

Rail transport: freight trains

t Freight train Another mode of land transportation other than road transportation is transportation by train. Trains are a lot more energy efficient than road vehicles. This makes it cheaper to transport goods by rail than by road transport. In addition, it is a lot more environmentally friendly and also a lot faster.

However, trains can only travel from station to station, and therefore in most cases cannot deliver goods directly to the site. Some companies therefore choose to locate directly at a freight station. This allows the goods to be delivered directly from the train to the destination.

In most cases, transportation by rail is combined with road transportation. Arriving at the station, the goods are transferred (transshipment) to trucks and other road vehicles. These then bring the goods to the final destination. Transferring the goods costs time and money. So it depends on the situation whether goods transport is more advantageous by train (combined with a truck), or directly by road. In that case, it depends on whether the transshipment costs are higher than what is saved by rail transport.

In practice, freight trains are often used for bulk goods (such as coal or other raw materials) that need to be moved in large quantities over long distances. Within the European Union, less than 20 percent of all goods are transported by rail. By comparison, in the United States the percentage is around 40 percent.

Air transport: cargo planes

Cargo plane in the sky Goods are also transported by aircraft throughout the world, usually as an alternative to sea transport. It is considerably more expensive than sea transport but also considerably faster. Another disadvantage of transportation by air is that emissions are enormously high. Because making air travel more sustainable still has a long way to go, it does not seem likely that this will become a cost-effective way to send goods en masse in the long run.

Sometimes goods travel on regular passenger planes but most goods travel by air on special cargo planes, also called cargo planes. In the Netherlands, air transport is only a very small part of transportation. About 0.2% of goods are transported from, to and in the Netherlands by air.

By water: sea transport and inland navigation

Transport by water is a lot cheaper than by air. Gigantic container ships sail all over the world with goods and bulk carriers do the same with raw materials. It takes a lot longer than by plane, but given the enormous cost savings, sea transport is chosen much more often. Containers are loaded up in factories in, say, China or the United States. From there, these containers are trucked to the port and then loaded onto a container ship. A few weeks later, this container ship arrives in Rotterdam. From there, the containers are transferred to trucks that deliver them to their arrival destinations throughout Europe. Numerous businesses in the Netherlands are also supplied by inland shipping. Inland barges are smaller than sea container ships but are still very large and can carry many times more than a truck. A lot of raw materials (oil, stone or sand) are also transported via water transport.

International and national transport

International transportation is transportation between countries, national transportation is within a country. International transportation has increased dramatically since the ^19th century. There is more and more international trade and therefore more and more international transportation. Almost all the stuff you have at home (from computers to clothes) comes from abroad. Even if it was manufactured in the Netherlands, parts often come from abroad. Bringing goods from abroad to the Netherlands is called import. When goods leave the Netherlands to a foreign country we call it export. Most goods from other continents such as the US or China enter through the port of Rotterdam or through Schiphol Airport. Most trade with other European countries goes by road.

Infrastructure and the World of Transportation

Infrastructure refers to the entirety of immovable facilities that make transportation possible. These include roads, bridges, waterways, ports, rail lines, airports, etc. By immovable facilities we mean anything that stays in the same place. Ships, airplanes and trucks are not included in infrastructure, but use the infrastructure in place. Good infrastructure is crucial for a smooth and well-functioning transportation world.

Impact and function of the transportation industry

It is hard to overestimate the role that the transportation industry plays for the economy.
Without the logistics industry, the entire world would grind to a halt. Supermarkets would be empty, filling up at the pump would be impossible and all production processes would come to a standstill. In the Netherlands as much as more than 80 billion is also involved in transport and storage. In addition, there are more than 44 thousand companies operating in the transport sector in the Netherlands alone. Many of these transport companies a specialism. For example, transport companies often not only specialize in road or water transport, for example, but they also often specialize in the type of goods they transport. A company that specializes in heavy industrial transport often cannot provide refrigerated transport. A company that transports live animals (animal transport) often does not know how to transport dangerous goods. For transport from abroad, a freight forwarder can be used. A freight forwarder is an intermediary who can take a complete transport job off your hands. Think for example of transporting a container of goods from a factory in China, all the way to the wholesaler is Almere. The following briefly discusses different types of transportation.

Different areas of specialization of transportation

Many transportation companies have a specialty they are good at. Therefore, it is important to find the right carrier that can do your transportation job to your liking. Some different specialization/types of transportation are:

In addition to these specialties, in the transportation world you also have to deal with:

Outsource transportation

Often it is not even a choice whether you want to do the transport yourself or outsource it, since you do not have the means to do it yourself. However, it also happens often enough that you do hesitate to do the transport yourself, such as when moving house. You can rent a van or trailer yourself or hire a moving company. Companies also often make the consideration: do I deliver the goods to the customer myself, or hire a courier? It is usually overestimated how much more expensive outsourcing transportation is, compared to doing it yourself. Renting a van also costs money and also a lot of time. Even for a small move, it is often underestimated how much time it takes. For moving a couch or washing machine, it is fine to hire a courier. Look below for an indication of the costs.

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Transportation companies and quality

When looking for a good transportation company, it is important to look at their experience and reputation first. See if they are just starting out or have been in the industry for years.

Here, permits and certificates are also a good indicator. Not just anyone is allowed to transport just anything. For example, most transporters need a Euro permit. Certificates, industry associations and quality marks are also available for certain industries. Consider, for example, the Erkende Verhuizers Keurmerk.

Next, ask about value for money: what kind of services does the company offer at what price?

Finally, it is important to understand how much flexibility the company offers. How quickly can it execute? Also determine if there are favorable rates between different destinations. If all of these points are met, you know you have found a reliable transportation company.

Read our guide for more tips on transportation companies and quality.

turnover and persons employed transport sector netherlands

Transportation costs

Canister small There are several ways how a carrier can calculate the cost of transportation. Obviously, rates vary greatly depending on the type of transportation, but as a general rule, there are three different ways in which the price can be determined:

A (previously) agreed total price
A mileage rate
An hourly rate

Or a combination of the above three.

1. A pre-agreed total price

In the case of couriers or road transport, this is called the trip price. In this case, a price is agreed for which the entire transport is carried out. This gives clarity to the client in advance what he will spend on the transport. For example, you would like to have your motorcycle delivered to your vacation destination in southern Italy, and you want to know in advance what this will cost. In that case, a carrier will give you a fixed price in advance, allowing you to make a considered choice as to whether you think it's worth it. Simply sending a package with DHL or PostNL is also an example of an agreed total price. After all, they work with standard parcel rates. When transporting and clearing containers, a price is often agreed that can still be partially deviated from. A price is agreed for the transport of a container from, say, China to the Netherlands, but there may still be a variation in the clearance costs afterwards.

2. A mileage price

A price per kilometer driven is the most common way with couriers (think also cabs) on which the bill is based. Courier services with a mileage rate charge an amount per kilometer driven, usually between €0.40 and €0.80. To this is sometimes added a fixed amount (the freight charge), depending on the type of courier. There may also be additional surcharges, for example, for urgent shipments, weekend shipments, toll roads, ferry services and waiting times for loading and unloading. Read more about it on what costs a courier.

3. An hourly rate

For applied or special transport, an hourly rate is more common. Think for example of boat transport, car transport, heavy transport or animal transport. Also, many couriers often have a minimum hourly rate. If the mileage turns out to be less than the required minimum hourly rate, the hourly rate is charged. This may be the case, for example, when a courier is stuck in traffic for a long time. Few miles are then driven, but many hours are worked.

Average transportation costs

Logically, transport costs differ enormously from one type of transport to another. For this reason, we have provided as complete an overview as possible of the associated costs for each type of transport.

Transportation and tracking

Nowadays it is becoming more and more common to be able to track a transport. That is, you can keep an eye on where your transport is at that moment. Of course, we all know this when we order something online and can see where our package is. The big advantage of this is that you know better when your shipment arrives. Developments in this are moving at a rapid pace. Most parcel services allow you to follow the courier online on a map. You can then see him drive right by. DHL and PostNL continuously improve their Track and Trace information to indicate exactly when the package arrives. It is also the norm internationally these days. Anyone can see on Vesselfinder where the freighter carrying your goods is at that moment.

Legislation for companies in the transportation industry

Companies have to deal with numerous laws, regulations and permits. Some of these are regulated nationally and some are regulated at the European level. In our article on legislation in the transport sector we discuss this in detail. As a customer, it is always important to take responsibility for this. Always check whether a company has the required permits to carry out the transport. Also always inquire how the company is insured.

Unfortunately, there are also companies in the transportation industry that take orders that they cannot or are not allowed to perform. Transportscanner always checks affiliated companies for their permits. For each company, a verification of this can be found in the company directory. More tips and points to consider when choosing the right transporter can be found on the "Choose the best quote" page.