GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jun 26, 2026
Rail-to-Road transshipment
Rail-to-road transshipment is the direct transfer of standardised loading units – primarily containers and swap bodies – between railway wagons and trucks, without opening or repacking the cargo.
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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermodal_freight_transport
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Rail-to-road transshipment is the direct transfer of standardised loading units – primarily containers and swap bodies – between railway wagons and trucks, without opening or repacking the cargo. It takes place at intermodal terminals equipped with rail sidings, road access, and lifting machinery such as gantry cranes or reach stackers. In combined transport, this operation connects long-haul rail corridors with last-mile road distribution, making it central to port hinterland logistics and the supply of inland industrial sites. It differs from the rolling motorway (Ro-La), where complete trucks are loaded onto flatcars: in rail-to-road transshipment, only the loading unit changes mode of transport, not the road vehicle itself.
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