Four modes, one cargo route
Air, sea, rail, road — each mode is strong at one thing. The value lies in combining them correctly for each leg, with one point of contact responsible for the whole route. This page helps you make a first choice yourself before getting in touch.
Air
Urgent and high-value cargo: space booking, terminal handling and documentation through airlines and partner air cargo terminals.
When to choose →
Sea
Full container loads and LCL, bulk and project cargo through seaports; connecting onward to inland barges.
When to choose →
Rail
Containers on the North–South corridor and international through-rail; suited to heavy, steady, non-urgent cargo.
When to choose →
Road
Container trucks, trucks, oversized and overweight cargo; first and last legs and border crossings.
When to choose →AI-generated illustrations. Transport is performed by licensed carriers in the partner network.
Air and sea routes from Vietnam
Gold: air routes from Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat. Blue: sea routes from Hai Phong and Cai Mep along the shortest path on the sea-lane network. Drag to rotate the globe.
Loading the globe…
Network illustration, not the flight or sailing schedule of any carrier. Continents: Natural Earth (public domain). Sea lanes: searoute (Apache-2.0). Measure specific distances: Compare 4 transport modes, Seaport distances.
Six questions, one reasoned suggestion
Choose the closest answer. The result is a suggestion to start a conversation, not a substitute for a route survey and an actual quotation. Everything is calculated in the browser and nothing is sent.
Already have quotations? Compare 4 transport modes on your route →
The four modes side by side
A five-dot scale, general and for orientation only — not measurements. Specific routes, seasons and cargo types can reverse the order.
| Criterion | NORTHAir | EASTSea | SOUTHRail | WESTRoad |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed more dots = faster | ||||
| Cost per tonne more dots = more expensive | ||||
| Heavy, bulky cargo more dots = better | ||||
| Delivery-point flexibility more dots = more flexible | ||||
| Emissions per tonne-km more dots = higher | ||||
| Dependence on schedules more dots = more dependent |
One shipment passes through five handover points
Each handover point is where the cargo changes custodian, needs its own documents and readily incurs costs. Good multimodal transport manages all five points, not just the main leg.
Each mode has its own transport document
The transport document is evidence of the contract of carriage and a receipt for the cargo. When several legs are combined, the documents must match in package count, weight and cargo description — a single discrepancy can delay customs clearance or payment.
| Mode | Transport document | Transferable? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea | Ocean bill of lading (B/L); or sea waybill | B/L to order: yes — usable for L/C payment. Sea waybill: no | Issuing originals or a telex release must match the payment method |
| Air | Air waybill (AWB): master and house air waybills | No — only a receipt and contract of carriage | Cargo is delivered to the consignee named on the waybill; the bank is often named as consignee under L/C payment |
| Rail | Rail consignment note / rail waybill; international through-rail uses a through waybill under the agreement applicable to the route | No | Check the waybill form and the border transshipment station with the rail operator before signing the sales contract |
| Road | Transport contract / consignment note; cross-border as required by the countries of origin and destination | No | Oversized and overweight cargo requires a vehicle road permit |
| Multimodal | Multimodal transport document (one document for the whole route, issued by the multimodal transport operator) | Depends on the type — the to-order form is transferable | Only operators licensed for multimodal transport may issue it |
Reference table for preparation; specific requirements depend on the contract, the bank and current regulations. Choose delivery terms: Choose Incoterms by transport mode.
Sea-air: part by sea, part by air
Cargo travels by ship to a transshipment port, then flies the remaining leg. This combination sits between the two options: faster than sea all the way, cheaper than air all the way.
- Suitable when sea all the way is too slow and air all the way is too expensive
- Suitable for medium-value cargo and mid-size shipments planned in advance
- Not suitable for cargo where transshipment is prohibited or that needs continuous temperature control
- One more handover point: documents for both legs must match
Six mistakes when combining modes
- Fixing the main-leg mode before checking both ends: is the warehouse close to a port, station or airport?
- Costing the main-leg freight but forgetting fixed charges at handover points: handling, yard storage, container demurrage/detention, warehouse storage
- No single party responsible for the whole route — one contract per leg, and incidents fall into the gaps between them
- Documents for each leg inconsistent in weight, package count or cargo description
- No time allowed for transshipment and customs clearance at the handover points
- Choosing the cheapest mode on paper while its schedule does not fit the production plan