In your day-to-day business, you're bound to encounter logistics challenges that sometimes seem like mazes: saturated infrastructures, ever-rising costs and global supply chains that make us sweat drop by drop. We know you're looking for alternatives that not only ensure everything keeps running, but also optimize every step of your logistics operations. The good news is that there is a strategy that is completely transforming the world of freight forwarding: intermodal transport.
Imagine being able to intelligently integrate different ways of moving your products, mainly rail and truck, into a system that works like clockwork. That's intermodal transportation. Its magic is that the goods travel in an intermodal transportation unit (ITU), such as containers or swap bodies, designed to make those transportation changes easy and without having to open or handle the contents.
As the experts rightly say, "intermodal transport is the movement of goods using more than one mode of transport, in a single unit load, without handling of the contents at changes of medium". A simple example to give you an idea: a load travels quietly by train from the north of Mexico to a strategic point, and from there, it continues its way by truck to its final destination in the center of the country.
And let's not forget that Mexico has a privileged location, as a natural bridge between North America and Latin America. This has made intermodal transportation grow fast to respond to the needs of nearshoring, the e-commerce boom and the digital transformation we are experiencing in logistics. (Article - The Logistics World)
Surely you have experienced congestion on key highways such as the Mexico-Guadalajara or Monterrey-Laredo. This is where the railroad becomes a great ally, capable of moving large amounts of cargo with far fewer units, freeing up space on our highways for those final, "last mile" trips.
An interesting fact shared with us by the Mexican Railroad Association (AMF) is that "a single intermodal train can replace up to 280 trucks". This optimization relieves traffic while improving cargo safety and making delivery times more predictable.
We know that the initial investment in intermodal infrastructure may sound large, but think of the benefits in the medium and long term, especially for distances greater than 500 kilometers, where the savings are greater.
According to official figures from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) and the Ministry of Communications and Transportation (SCT): The cost per ton-kilometer by train is 0.68 pesos, versus 1.52 pesos by truck. This significant difference translates into savings that make your company more competitive and allow you to use your resources more intelligently throughout your logistics chain.
Your safe merchandise: Strengthening cargo security and integrity
In Mexico, security is a major concern in the transportation of goods, especially in states such as Puebla, Estado de México, Guanajuato and Veracruz. The railroad, with its centralized monitoring system and specialized surveillance in intermodal yards, offers much greater protection for your products.
According to Canacar, more than 11,000 truck thefts were recorded in 2023; in contrast, theft from intermodal trains was less than 3% of that total. This big difference shows how effective rail transportation security protocols are, protecting your high-value products and keeping your logistics chain safe from unforeseen events.
Today more than ever, being environmentally responsible is key for everyone. Intermodal transportation offers us an important advantage in this regard, helping us to reduce polluting emissions and use energy more efficiently.
A study by the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) confirms that railroads emit 60% fewer greenhouse gases than trucks per tonne-kilometer. This environmental efficiency better positions our companies in international markets with strict environmental standards. (Blog - Solistica)
We know that the road to intermodal transportation may have some hurdles, but together we can overcome them:
Although we have important rail lines such as those of Kansas City Southern de México (KCSM) or Ferromex, we still need more intermodal logistics centers to ensure efficient connection with complementary land routes.
There are only 15 active intermodal terminals in the country, according to AMTI data (2023), concentrated mainly in the north. This indicates the need to continue investing in this infrastructure so that everyone in the country can take advantage of the benefits of intermodal transportation.
Introducing intermodal transportation goes beyond the physical; it also involves a change in our way of thinking and how we use technology. Many companies, especially smaller ones, still use only ground transportation, sometimes out of ignorance or resistance to change.
But technology is here to help. Artificial Intelligence systems are revolutionizing inventory management, enabling demand predictions with unprecedented accuracy. A concrete example is the implementation of machine learning models that, according to recent data, have managed to reduce errors in demand predictions by up to 30%.
As the World Economic Forum rightly says: nearshoring is a competitive weapon for industries. This hypothesis highlights the confidence in the productivity of the global logistics chain and international trade, while seeking to save costs in nearby locations, with lower risk.
This trend is transforming logistics in Latin America, and Mexico is becoming a strategic global hub. The Inter-American Development Bank projects that this strategy could generate approximately USD 78 billion in exports from Latin America and the Caribbean.
This impact is especially noticeable in key sectors such as automotive (44%), metalworking (14%), plastics (7%) and e-commerce (6%), opening up great opportunities for intermodal transport as the best response to these new trade flows. (Blog - Solistica)
At Solistica we want to be your strategic ally to make the implementation of intermodal transport a success. We have developed a comprehensive approach that addresses the main challenges of the sector.
Our commitment to operational excellence and sustainability has enabled us to develop intermodal solutions that maximize logistics capacity, optimize cost structure and minimize environmental impact, says Jessica Ponce de León, CEO of Solistica. We foresee double-digit growth over the next five years driven by nearshoring and the evolution of logistics models towards more resilient and integrated schemes.
Our strategy is based on three fundamental pillars:
The transformation we drive at Solistica is reflected in success stories, such as that of a major automotive company that, by implementing an intermodal scheme designed especially for them, managed to reduce their logistics costs by 22% and their carbon footprint by 40%, all while improving their customer service!
Intermodal transport is the answer we have been looking for to the challenges of capacity, safety, and sustainability in Latin American logistics. To make it a key part of our strategy, we need to work together: the public and private sectors, investing in infrastructure and developing the technical and technological skills that will put us on a par with the best in the world.
Visit solistica.com and let's take the first step together toward integrated logistics excellence that will transform your operation.