# Piggyback transport

*Last updated: 2026-06-22*

> In piggyback transport, a complete truck or semi-trailer is loaded onto a railway flat wagon for the long-haul leg, while road haulage handles collection and final delivery at each end.

In piggyback transport, a complete truck or semi-trailer is loaded onto a railway flat wagon for the long-haul leg, while road haulage handles collection and final delivery at each end. Because the entire road vehicle travels by rail, there is no intermediate unloading or reloading of the cargo itself. This sets piggyback apart from swap-body systems, where only the loading unit is transferred to rail while the tractor continues separately. Carriers choose piggyback services on long-distance corridors to cut driver costs, road tolls and CO₂ emissions. Rolling motorway services through Alpine routes are a well-established example of piggyback transport in regular commercial operation in Europe.

**Source:** [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huckepackverkehr](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huckepackverkehr)

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Term | Piggyback transport |
| Language | EN |
| Word count | 105 |
| Last updated | 2026-06-22 |
| Source | https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huckepackverkehr |

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