Intermodal carriage is the cargo delivery system used in international traffic . It is effected by several means of transport under a unique transport document with the cargo forwarding from one means of transport to another at the transshipment points in the same cargo transport unit ( or vehicle ) without the cargo owner participation .
The core element is the intermodal cargo transport unit designed for carriage under the customs seal according to the international requirements , making the access to the cargo impossible without breaking the seal . Modern intermodal deliveries are based mainly on the usage of the international ISO standard containers. Nevertheless , other cargo transport units can be used.
Multimodal carriage is a combination of at least two different kinds of transport for direct deliveries , mainly domestic .
Unimodal carriage are the deliveries by one and the same kind of transport .
The contracts for intermodal and multimodal carriage are concluded between the shipper and the first carrier who acts on behalf of the successive carriers . The time of delivery is calculated by summing up the times of delivery of each carrier . Each carrier bears the responsibility for the cargo from its acceptance for carriage till its delivery.
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