LESSON 4: MODES OF TRANSPORT

STARTER: MATCH THE PICTURES OF TRANSPORT AND HANDLING

EQUIPMENT (a-f) with the words (1-6)

1. Swap-body
2. Container ship
3. Grappler lift
4. Road-railer trailer
5. River barge
6. LGV (large goods vehicle)

4.1. match the different types of freight traffic (1-6) with the definitions (a-f)
1. Multimodal
2. Piggyback
3. Intermodal
4. Unaccompanied
5. Block train
6. Single-wagon

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a. The driver does not stay with his road vehicle during transport by rail or ferry.
b. Goods are transported in the same loading unit or vehicle using different modes of
transport. The handling of the freight itself is not necessary when changing modes.
c. A single shipper uses a whole train which is run directly from the loading point to
the destination. No assembling and disassembling is required.
d. Carriage of goods by at least two different modes of transport, e.g. shipping by
motor lorry and aircraft.
e. Train is formed out of individual wagons or sets of wagons which have different
origins and different destinations.
f. Combines road and rail transport: whole motor lorries, trailers or swap-bodies
are carried by rail.

4.2. Two employees of a forwarding company are comparing transport modes of a

shipment from western China to Shanghai. Listen and correct the information in the
table.
Inland water road Rail (express
service)
Speed in days 7 4 2
Cost Low Compared with Compared with
barge: 60% higher road: 40% higher
flexibility high Very high low

4.3. Completes with the sentences with the correct form of the words in brackets.
Then listen again to check.
1. How long would it take by barge? – Normally about six days, but it often takes
………..(long) if the weather’s bad.
2. It’s cheap – it’s actually …………..(cheap) of all the transport options.
3. It would only take four days to ship by truck , but the cost would be about 50%
……………..(high) than by barge.
4. Rail would definitely be ………………….(fast) than the truck option if we use the
express service that takes three days.
5. But it would also be …………….(expensive) than shipping by road – transport
costs are about 40% higher.
6. And then perhaps we’d have to use the standard train, which is much
………………(slow).
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Answer the questions.
1. Why is the barge option not very flexible?
2. What do they decide to do at the end of their discussion?

MAKING COMPARISONS
When comparing two or more things we use comparative adjectives. The
comparative form is -er for short adjectives with one syllable, and two –
syllable adjectives ending in –y.
- Transport be sea is cheaper than transport by air.
- Steel is heavier than paper.
We use more + adjective with longer words.
- Shipping goods by road is more expensive than shipper them by rail
- Some transports modes are more reliable than others.
Some adjectives have irregular forms.
- Good / well – better. Our rates are better than theirs.
- Bad / badly – worse. Their service is worse than ours.
- Far / further – furthest. This shipment will travel further than the last
one.
4.4. Work in pairs. Compare different transport modes using some of the adjectives in
the box.
Example: I think shipping goods by rail is faster than sea transport.

Point Adjectives Transport modes

Speed Slow / fast Rail
Freight/ Expensive / cheap Air
Cost
Stability/ Safe Road
safety
Flexibility Suitable Sea
Security Reliable River

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 Pollution Environmentally friendly Pipeline

4.5. Match the pictures (a-d) with the names (1-4)

1. gantry crane
2. ISO container
3. Reach stacker
4. Transtainer

4.6. Now complete the descriptions of intermodal transport and handling equipment
with the verbs from the box.

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 fitted straddle mounted loading attached reach handle pilling
made move
a. A piece of machinery used for …………….. and unloading containers from
ship onto trucks or rail wagons and vice versa. It is rail-mounted and can
………………. at least four railway trucks. It is motorized and can
…………….. parallel to the ship’s side.
b. A special type of device which is able to ……………. very heavy loads. It is
used for transferring swap-bodies and containers from rail wagons to trucks and
vice versa. It has four legs …………… with wheels and a spreader beam
which can span a wide area. It can be …………………….. on rails or rubber
tyres and is able to straddle several rows of containers.
c. A kind of fork lift truck used in container handling. It is equiped with a spreader
beam and a lifting arm and can be used for lifting containers and
……………….. them on top of each other. It is very flexible and has a high
stacking and storage capacity as it is able to ………………… beyond the first
row of containers to lift a container.
d. A rigid box …………………………. of steel which is very common in
intermodal freight transport. It can be used for transport by sea, rail, air, and
road. It is available in many different versions and sizes. For example, there are
open-top and flat-rack versions. Some of them have wheels or a bogie
………………. to them. The most common lengths are 20, 40, and 45 feet. It is
made to the specifications of the International Standard Organization.

4.7. Replace the underlined words with verbs from the box that have the same
meaning. Use the correct verbs forms.
stack come run fix attach lift
fit
a. This type of crane is used for raising containers.

b. Containers are available in a variety of versions and
c. sizes.

d. It’s a heavy-duty fork lift truck equipped with a spreader beam.

e. With this device you can pile containers on top of each other.

f. Some containers have a bogies fixed to them.
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 
g. This device is mounted on rails.

h. The crane is motorized and able to move alongside the quay.

4.8. An employee of a transport company presents some container options to a

potential customer. Listen and complete the table with the missing information.
Type of container Suitable for transport of
1
2
3 tanktainer
4
5 flat-rack

4.9. Listen again and complete the sentences.

level tarpaulin frame machinery lashing removed controlled
plugs
a. It comes with a timber floor and has various ……………devices to secure the
load.
b. These lashing points are located horizontally at floor ……………………
c. It is temperature- ………………………… and is particularly suitable for cargo
that needs regulated or cool temperatures.
d. This is a standard container ………………… with a tank fiited inside.
e. As an extra, we also offer tank containers with electric …………………. in
case the cargo needs cooling or heating during transport.
f. It comes with a PVC ………………….. cover instead of a roof panel to allow
loading from the top.
g. The doors can be ……………………. to make loading easier.
h. We recommend this special type of container for the transportation of heavy
……………… and pipes.

Now label the different types of containers 1-5.

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CONTAINER FEATURES
We recomnend this type of container for …
It is particulaly suitable for …
It comes with …
As an extra, we also offer …
It has … for loading

4.10. Describe the container features to a partner using words from this unit.

4.11. Sort the goods under the correct heading.

perishablecargo non-perishable cargo Heavyweight and
overwidth cargo

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meet steel pipes crude oil fresh produce industrial boilers
seafood alcohol dairy products tractors chilled or frozen
foodstuffs harmfull chemicals
Can you think of other types of goods? Discuss in a small group.
4.12. Now say which of the following containers you would recommend for the
different types of cargo frome exercises 11.
a. Reefer
b. Flat-rack container
c. Tank container
4.13. Complete this crossword puzzle on transport modes which words from the unit.

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Across:
1. Another word for rubblish.
4. A device for lifting heavy loads.
6. Another word for ship.
7. The opposite of soft of flexible.
Down
2. Another word for pipe.
3. A container for liquids is a …container.
4. Kept cool, but not frozen.
5. A container fiited with a cooling system.

FREIGHT TRANSPORT LOGISTICS IN EUROPE – THE KEY TO

SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY
Europe’s transport policy has been characterized by liberalisation and
harmonization over the years. This has slowly shaped the transport system into what it
is today. Globalization and the concept of wider Europe create further challenges. The
fast growth of freight transport-driven to a large extent by economic decisions-
contributes to growth and employment but also causes congestion, accidents, noise,
pollution, increasesd reliance on imported fossil fuels, and energy loss. Infrastructure
resources are limited and any disruption in the supply chain (i.e. energy) has
necessarily a negative impact on the EU economy. Without adequate measures, the
situation will continue worsening and increasingly undermine Europe’s
competitiveness and the environment that we all live in.
To overcome such problems, Europe’s transport system need to be optimized
by means of advanced logistics solutions. Logistics can increase the efficiency of
individual modes of transport and their combinations. As a result, fewer units of
transport, such as vehicles, wagons, and vessels should carry more freight. Impact on
the environment will decrease accordingly.
Rail and inland waterways need to be modernized. Air freight should be more
closely integrated in the sytem. The positive development of short sea shipping should
be accelerated. Deep-sea shipping and its hinterland connections need to be enhanced.
Shift to more environmentally friendly modes must be achieved where appropriate,
especially on long distance, in urban areas, and on congested corridors.
At the same time each transport mode must be optimized. All modes must
become more environmentally friendly, safer, and more energy efficient. Finally, co-
modality, i.e. the efficient use of different modes on their own and in combinations,
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will result in an optimal and sustainable utilization of resources.

Over to you
1. Do you also have to deal with growing freight traffic in your country?
2. How do you think transport systems could be improved?
3. How do you think intermodal transport systems can make freight transport
more efficient?

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