Multimodal transport: the smart way to move goods

Why Multimodal?

Each transport mode has its own strengths:

• Road offers flexibility and reach.
• Rail provides capacity and lower CO₂ emissions.
• Inland waterways enable bulk movement at low cost.
• Maritime transport handles long distances efficiently.

By leveraging a combination of these, multimodal transport provides the best of all worlds. For example, instead of relying solely on trucks, cargo can travel by barge to a nearby inland terminal and then be transferred onto a short-haul truck for final delivery, reducing congestion, emissions, and dependency on driver availability.

Key Benefits

• Efficiency: Coordinated routes reduce waiting times and optimize transit.
• Cost-effectiveness: Combining cheaper modes like rail or water lowers overall transport costs.
• Sustainability: Shifting freight from road to water or rail significantly cuts carbon emissions.
• Resilience: Flexibility to reroute cargo in case of disruption (strikes, traffic, or weather).

Challenges in today’s market

Currently, many terminals are facing significant congestion and digestion challenges. Several factors contribute to this situation:

• Sharp increases in container volumes.
• Ever-larger vessels bringing bigger container surges.
• Containers remaining longer in terminals due to uncertainties around tariffs or the rising cost of transport.

This growing pressure on the landside infrastructure — with trucks often queuing and limited space to store containers — highlights the urgent need for alternative solutions.

Water transport as a smart alternative

This is where inland waterway transport offers a crucial advantage. By moving containers by barge, companies can bypass congested terminals, reduce truck movements, and improve supply chain predictability.
At Sealogis, multimodal transport is part of a broader approach across our sites — with our logistics hub in Grobbendonk standing out as a prime example. With direct access to both the E313 motorway and the Albert Canal, we can evacuate containers from the port or congested terminals and deliver them via water to Grobbendonk. From there, containers can be stored, processed, or dispatched via road or barge — creating an efficient and flexible logistics solution that relieves pressure on the landside and helps companies keep their supply chains moving.

The future of multimodal transport 

Governments across Europe are investing in modal shift incentives and upgrading inland waterway infrastructure to encourage more sustainable freight flows.

For companies, investing in a well-designed multimodal strategy reduces dependency on a single mode, limits risks, and builds a greener, more agile supply chain. Sealogis Grobbendonk is fully equipped to support this evolution. Its strategic location, with seamless multimodal access, makes it the perfect pivot point for containers moving inland from the Port of Antwerp or heading back to international waters.

Multimodal is the smart choice to navigate today’s logistics challenges — and the key to staying ahead tomorrow.