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    Around 3.000 km, 3 Transport Modes: The Intermodal Journey Across Europe

    Every product on the market has a story, traveling through a complex transportation web to reach its final destination. But have you ever considered how a shipment can journey from one corner of Europe to another, seamlessly, efficiently, and at the right cost?

    DB SCHENKER specializes in intermodal transportation – combining the best of road, rail, and sea to ensure reliable door-to-door delivery of goods. By harnessing the best parts of different transport modes - flexibility of road transport, speed of rail transport, and cost-effectiveness of sea freight - DB SCHENKER can optimize delivery times, lower costs, and reduce environmental impacts for businesses.

    To illustrate how the intermodal solution works at DB SCHENKER, let’s follow a shipment traveling from the pick-up in Joensuu, Finland all the way to the drop-off in Bologna, Italy. This journey highlights the efficiency and expertise that define the intermodal solution at DB SCHENKER.

    The Intermodal Solution at DB SCHENKER


    • Finland’s Roads from Joensuu to Helsinki
      The journey begins in the streets of Joensuu, a city located amidst Finnish forests. DB SCHENKER carefully loads the shipment onto a truck, picking it up right from the customer’s doorstep. Road transport is ideal for the first leg due to its flexibility, allowing DB SCHENKER to easily navigate city streets and rural areas. The truck embarks on its first 440-kilometer southward journey, rolling through the picturesque landscapes of Finland, toward the port of Helsinki.

    • Crossing Borders from Helsinki to Rostock
      As the truck rolls into the port of Helsinki, DB SCHENKER carefully delivers the trailer,  leaving the shipment untouched, onto a ship bound for Rostock, Germany. Sea transport offers unbeatable cost savings when moving large consignments over long distances, especially across borders. Across borders and waves, the shipment smoothly starts its 1.317-kilometer ocean journey toward the German coastline.

    • From Sea to Rail Across Germany
      As the waves of the ship roll into the Rostock harbor, the entire trailer transitions seamlessly from sea to rail. DB SCHENKER leverages train connections across central Europe, which ensures a faster journey ahead. Rail transport is a powerhouse of long-distance logistics, offering a quick and fast option to transport goods across countries. This leg takes the shipment through the German countryside and across the Alps,  bypassing traffic jams, directly to the city of Verona. Along the way, rail minimizes delays from road congestion and is far more fuel-efficient, on this 1.212-kilometer journey from Rostock, Germany to Verona, Italy.

    • From Verona’s Heart to the Open Roads of Italy
      From Verona’s historic heart, the journey begins as the train carrying the shipment from Rostock arrives. The trailer is carefully moved from the train and secured onto a truck for the final leg of the journey to Bologna. Road transport’s flexibility is ideal for this 156-kilometer stretch, allowing DB SCHENKER to easily navigate city streets. 

    • Italy’s Roads to Bologna
      From Verona, DB SCHENKER embarks on the last leg of the journey through Italy’s scenic roads. The journey ends in the bustling streets of Bologna, a city of rich history and stunning architecture. DB SCHENKER is carefully unloading the shipment from the truck, dropping it off right at the customer's doorstep.  

    Let’s Get Shipments Moving!

    From road to rail to sea, DB SCHENKER creates seamless and efficient intermodal transport solutions that fit individual business needs, that need a door-to-door solution. Whether shipping from Italy or Germany to the Nordics, DB SCHENKER ensures a smooth, timely, and cost-effective intermodal journey. 

    Your journey starts here! Contact us:

    Jani Ruupunen

    Head of Intermodal

    + 358 50 409 6774

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