Means of Transport Means of transport I Below are some of the most common means of Bi M1 transport fr moving goods by road, ral, sea and air. ay igs = The choice of which one or ones to use when transporting y goods depends on the distance to travel, the time and re the type of goods. a hes ‘1 Write each means of transport under the correct picture. erticulated lorry barge cargo plane container ship goods train ferry l lorry road tanker road train tanker van.Transport by land Road transport or road haulage is the most common form of land transport. Over short and medium distances it is relatively fast and convenient, which makes it particularly suitable for perishable goods such as fresh food produce. Goods can be loaded and unloaded at any destination so it is extremely flexible. However, due to the limited carrying capacity, it is not so economical for long distances. Accompany can use its own transport services, such as vans for local deliveries, ‘or can use the services of a courier or a road haulage firm which can deliver goods both nationally and internationally. A TIR lorry (from the French Transports Internationaux Routiers) is normally used when transporting goods across multiple borders. The goods are loaded into containers which are sealed at their point of departure and therefore do not need to be inspected by customs officials until EOYs ‘© door:to-door delivery * fairly fast * relatively costeffective DISADVANTAGES * air pollution and environmental damage * limited capacity/weight * delays due to congested roads, bad the final destination. destination, 2 Read the texts and answer these questions. 1 Which factors can influence the choice of transport? 2 Which is the most common form of transport by land? 3 Why is road transport flexible? 4 What is a TIR lorry and when and how is it used? 3. Match each word with the correct definition, 1 convenient 2 economical 3 suitable 4 flexible 5 cost-effective 6 limited Although the use of rail as a method of transport has declined in favour of ‘oad transport, itis avery eficient and cost-effective way of transporting heavy and bulky goods over long distances. It is less flexible than road transport, operating to fixed time schedules, and goods need to be transferred at both ends ofthe journey. Container trains have solved this problem for containers can easily be loaded to ships or lorries to continue on to their weather EOS © low-cost and environmental impact * lowaccident rate © suitable for large quantities and long distances DISADVANTAGES + slow * limited by the ral network coverage * size limits (due to bridges and tunnels) some goods since 5 Which is the most suitable form of land transport for long distances? Why? 6 What is a container train? 7 What are advantages and disadvantages of rail? 8 What is the major disadvantage of road transport’s, impact on the environment? 2 Llaiving good value for money b Ciright or appropriate for a particular person, purpose or situation c Leffective or productive in relation to its cost 4 Lirestricted in size, amount or extent e Lisituated to allow easy access ¥ Cable to be easily modified to respond to altered circumstancesTransport by SE ‘Transporting goods by canal or river is a cheap form of transport, butitis slow. * not congested, low- Britain has a large network of canals, built during the Industrial Revolution to link environmental impact the north and south of the country, but road and rail transport have taken over as a they are much faster. There are 37,000 km of inland waterways in Europe, such as the Rhine and the Danube, which connect major cities and industrial areas, so. slow, not fully there is significant potential to increase the share of freight transported by inland integrated as part of waterways within Europe. intermodal transport Sea freight refers to the movement of goods by ship across seas and oceans and it is the most widely used form of transport for international trade. It can be divided into two types: * coastal shipping, which is between the main ports within the same country; * overseas shipping, which is between ports in different countries. GES Overseas shipping is an economical + cheap means to transport a wide range of suitable for long goods, from raw materials to plant distances machinery and vehicles since virtually + capable of carrying no weight or size restrictions apply. large volumes Goods are normally packed in containers which means they can be loaded and = @ULAESUIZNNZN3 unloaded onto the ship quickly and slow; affected by bad cheaply. The merchandise is well weather protected during transport, which» huge environmental reduces damage and the risk of loss or impact in case of theft. accident 4. Read the texts and decide if these sentences are true (T) or false (F). Correct the false ones. 1 In the UK, canal transport was used during the Industrial Revolution. 2 Itis stil a popular form of transport today. 3 Inland waterways in Europe are used to their full potential. 4 Transport by water is generally cheaper but slower than other forms. 5 Sea freight is the most common form of transport for international trade. = 6 Only lightweight goods can be transported by sea 7 Containers help reduce risks during transport. 8 Intermodal transport is where there are multiple destinations for cargo. -Container ports Modern ports cover vast areas of water and land and handle hundreds of thousands of tonnes of cargo every year. Made of steel, containers are of a standard size, normally 20 foot or 40 foot long. When transporting goods it is possible to have a Full Container Load (FCL) where the container holds only the goods of a single customer. In his case, the container is usually loaded and sealed at origin and then opened at its final destination. The other possiblity is a Less than Container Load (LCL), when the goods of more than one customer are grouped together into a container. Two methods used for unloading and loading operations are: + Lift-On Lift-Off (often abbreviated to Lo/Lo). The loading and unloading of ships is carried out by cranes and derricks which can lift the cargo, often containers, on and off the ship. + Roll-on Rolloff (often abbreviated to Ro/Ro). This system is used on ships which have a ramp, so that vans, lorries or railroad cars with their cargo can be driven on and off the ship. itis also used for cars on passenger ferries. 5. Read the text and complete these sentences. 1 ___ make freight transportation easier. 2 They are of a standard size although ___ exist. 3 Ifa customer has enough goods to fil one container, itis called a 4 With a FCL, a container is not normally —__ between its origin and destination. 5 If several customers have goods in a container, itis called a 6 Ro/Ro and Lo/Lo are two examples of 6 Speaking In pairs, analyse the information in the table and answer these questions. 1 What information does the table give? 6 What can you notice about the position of 2 What years are compared? European and US ports inthe period between 3 In what unit of measurement is the data presented? 1989 and 2014? 4 Which port was the biggest in 1989? 7 Which continent had the most ports on the list in What position did it hold in 2014? 2014? 5 Which port was the biggest in 2014? And what 8 What do you think these changes show? position did it hold in 1989? WORLD'S LARGEST CONTAINER PORTS Volume, million TEUs* 1989 2014 Hong Kong. | 435 | Shanghai (China) 35.29 Singapore 4.4 | Singapore | 3387 Rotterdam (Netheriands) 3.9 | Shenzhen (China) 24.04 Kaohsiung (Taiwan) 3.4 |Hong Kong, SAR, (China) 22.23 Kobe Wapan) |_25 | Ningbo-Zhoushan (China) | 19.45 Busan (South Korea) | 2.2 |Busan (South Korea) 18.68 Los Angeles (United States) 2.1 | Qingdao (China) 16.62 New YorkyNew Jersey (United States) 2.0 | Guangzhou Harbor (China) 16.63 Keelung (Taiwan) 1.8 | Jebel Ai, Dubai (United Arab Emirates) 15.25 Hamburg (Germany) EE __| 15.16 Source: Containersation International rey stands for Twentyfoot Equivalent Uni This ts the ndusty standard to measure containers and refers to the standard 20 foot Container (20 ft long x8 ft wide or 6.09 metres x 2.4 metres)EYES * fast Transport by air * quick administrative Air freight isthe fastest mode of transport. thas always been used for high value process commodities, fragile, perishable and urgently needed goods since itcan guarentee safe and secure ‘such a quick delivery.The commercial life of perishable goods is short, so it is really only air freight that can guarantee moving the goods from producer to PANU consumer in a sufficiently short ime for the product to be sold. The costs involved expensive are high, but this can be justified if the final consumers pay a premium. Similarly» risk of delays caused for other goods, the advantages of quick, safe air freight and savings in terms of by bad weather and packing and insurance, can offset the higher transportation costs. For these strikes reasons, there has been an increase in the number of airlines operating cargo only suitable for small, aircraft in recent years, lightweight goods 7 Read the text and answer the questions 1 What kind of goods are often transported by air? 2 Why is air transport particulary suitable for perishable goods? 3 Is the final price that consumers pay affected by this choice of transport? How? 4 In what ways can using air transport save other costs? 5 How can bad weather affect air transport? 6 What are the major advantages of ar freight? 8 Speaking In pairs, decide which is the best method of transport for these situations. Consider all the forms of transport presented in this unit and give your reasons, 1 books from an e-commerce website to its international, private customers 2 vans from a manufacturing plant in the north of England to a showroom in the south of the country 3 crude oil from Egypt to Europe 4 bananas from Brazil to a wholesaler in the USA 5 large, antique furniture from a wholesaler in India to a retailer in London 6 components from Detroit, USA, to an industrial plant in the south of Germany 7 leather goods from a manufacturer in Florence to a selection of retailers in the north of Italy9 Pairwork Which form of transport do you think damages the environment the most? In what ways? Discuss it with your partner The environmental impact of freight traffic The total volume of freight transport around the word has @ massive impact on the environment. Leaving aside environmental disasters, such as spills of toxic waste or leaks in oil pipelines, each mode of transport pollutes our air and water to a lesser or greater extent. Aviation @) Road transport Sea transport (w) ‘Aviation is one of Heavy goods vehicles are responsible for more Sea freight is the fastest growing harmful pollution than any other form of transport. significantly more sources of greenhouse They emit particulates, that is microscopic specks. environmentally. gas emissions. It also ‘of soot and other matter invisible to the naked friendly than air and creates noise pollution, eye, which may cause asthma, lung cancer and road freight. Ships use particularly damaging in cardiovascular issues. Vehicles also contribute to less fuel compared to residential areas located _the increase of greenhouse gas emissions, as well aircraft and lorries so near major airports. The as noise pollution, To reduce emissions and also to _—_the amount of fossil fuel reductions in GHG ssave money, smart logistics and GPS systems canbe combustion is much (Greenhouse gases) used to ensure that vehicles use the best routes for lower, with obvious have not been sufficient multiple deliveries, avoiding ‘empty’ return journeys. environmental benefits. to compensate for the rapid growth of global Sources of pollution can be the illegal dumping air traffic, both Rail transport of plastics or other non- passenger and cargo. This is the most environmentally: friendly form biodegradable products Passengers, in fact, of transport. Studies show that it is between while at sea, a5 well as have to offset the three and ten times less CO2 intensive than road or accidental spils of oil, emissions by paying a air transport. The most negative impact comes from toxic materials or during surcharge ‘the construction of new lines and the maintenance of | joading/unloading in the existing network, as well as from accidents like port, leaks and spills of dangerous goods. 10 Read the text and write which form(s) of transport these sentences refer to. 1 responsible for greenhouse gas emissions _ 2 disasters cause severe damage 3 creates noise pollution 4 the best form of transport for the environment _ ce 5 illegal practices can harm the environment 6 7 8 improved technology can help reduce negative effects causes the emission of particulates _— Uses less fuel compared to aircrafts Ret aueraft feakraft) ty s - container [kan'temar] lorry flori} eS cost-effective [kostifektiy] __ maintenance [meintenans] _ ae delay [der] Se pollute [palu:t] environmental [mvaroran'mental] tanker [teenker] freight [frert] eee toxic waste [tokst zen initiatives [grin rnfatre] _ haulage [holds] _