Multimodal Freight Solutions
What is multimodal freight?
Multimodal freight combines two or more transport modes — ocean, rail, road, or air — under a single operator and a single bill of lading. Your cargo moves seamlessly from origin door to destination door without you managing separate carriers, separate contracts, or separate accountability gaps at each handoff.
Holo Cargo acts as the single point of contact for the entire chain. Our AI-assisted operations team coordinates every leg, so nothing falls through the cracks between modes.
Why multimodal?
Managing an international shipment leg-by-leg means managing multiple carriers, multiple transit windows, and multiple things that can go wrong independently. When something goes wrong at the ocean-to-road handoff, a siloed freight relationship leaves you chasing two parties.
With Holo as your multimodal operator:
- One booking covers the full door-to-door move
- One team owns customs, documentation, and status across every leg
- One quote — origin charges, freight, and destination charges all itemised upfront
- Faster resolution when delays or exceptions occur — no pointing between carriers
Common multimodal combinations
Ocean + road (most shipments)
The standard international move: road drayage to/from port, ocean FCL or LCL in between. See FCL and LCL for the ocean leg.
Ocean + rail + road (China–Europe)
Vessel to a gateway port, then block-train to an inland hub, then truck to the final destination. Common for Chinese origin cargo destined for Central or Eastern Europe.
Air + road
Air cargo lands at a gateway airport; road drayage handles customs clearance and last-mile delivery. Time-sensitive door-to-door.
Sea-air
Origin cargo travels by ocean (cheaper) to a midpoint hub, then switches to air for the time-sensitive final leg. Used when full-air cost is prohibitive but full-ocean is too slow.
Move types available
Holo supports all four move types on multimodal shipments:
| Move type | Description |
|---|---|
| Door-to-door | Holo coordinates every leg, origin to consignee |
| Door-to-port | Holo covers origin-side including drayage; you handle destination |
| Port-to-door | You handle origin; Holo covers main leg and destination delivery |
| Port-to-port | Main freight leg only; you manage both inland sides |
The right move type depends on your Incoterm. See Incoterms explained for how cost and risk split across the chain.
Special and project cargo
Multimodal coordination is especially valuable for project cargo — heavy lifts, oversized equipment, and RoRo moves that require different vessel types and handling equipment at each port. Holo plans the full sequence, including transshipment and port-side heavy-lift coordination.