INTERMODAL PROBLEMS--THROUGH BILL OF LADING

To what extent are intermodal through bills of lading used by domestic and international shippers? How important are such through bills in the movement of traffic and what problems complicate their use? The need for answers to these and related questions led the Interagency Committee on Intermodal Cargo (ICIC) to undertake a survey which is summarized in this report. This survey attempted to gain better insights into the use of through bill of lading documentation and to identify opportunities for improvements in documentation procedures. A questionaire (Appendix A) was sent to more than 1,450 potential respondents presumed to be engaged in movements of domestic and international traffic. They represent a cross-section of carriers, shippers, and forwarders. Statistical charts and a summary of responses to the questionnaires are included in the analysis. The survey questionnaire provided an opportunity for shippers and carriers to cite problems in the use of through bills and to make recommendations for improvements in procedures. The survey was productive in that significant problems bearing on the use of intermodal through bills of lading were identified. Specific recommendations designed to facilitate the development of intermodal documents are included in this report.

• Corporate Authors:

  Department of Transportation

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Publication Date: 1977-12

Media Info

• Pagination: 32 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air cargo; Bills of lading; Documents; Economics; Freight documents; Freight forwarders; Freight transportation; Intermodal transportation; Multimodal transportation; Rates; Reports; Statistical analysis; Surveys; Traffic; Transportation
• Old TRIS Terms: Cargo transportation; Documentation simplification; Freight forwarding; Intermodal documentation; Intermodal traffic analysis; Survey reports
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Economics; Operations and Traffic Management; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00177408
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Interagency Committee on Intermodal Cargo
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 19 1978 12:00AM