GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Aug 11, 2026
Substitute transport (Ersatzverkehr)
Because an inland vessel can carry only a fraction of its usual load due to low water levels, the remaining cargo is shifted to a truck at short notice – that truck is operating as substitute transport (Ersatzverkehr).
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Source: Frachtportal News: "Niedrigwasser: Immer mehr Bundesländer lockern Lkw-Fahrverbote"
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Definition & Explanation
Because an inland vessel can carry only a fraction of its usual load due to low water levels, the remaining cargo is shifted to a truck at short notice – that truck is operating as substitute transport (Ersatzverkehr). Substitute transport refers to the temporary use of an alternative mode of transport when the originally intended mode is unavailable or only partially available due to external circumstances – low water, strikes, route closures, or technical failures. Unlike a permanent modal shift, substitute transport is time-limited and ends once the original mode becomes normally operational again. In practice it requires securing capacity at short notice, often at higher cost, and sometimes regulatory exemptions, such as from the Sunday driving ban. Freight forwarders should be able to document the link between the disruption and the substitute transport, since exemptions are often tied to proof of genuine substitute need. Not to be confused with rail replacement bus services in passenger transport, which describe a similar mechanism but a different context.
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