Multimodal Transport

Complex domestic and international shipments require flexible, versatile shipping solutions. BBE is your multimodal transport partner; we can manage shipments from international suppliers over land, sea, air, and ice.

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Our Multimodal Transport Options

Air

For perishable goods, hard-to-reach destinations, and time-sensitive shipments, air freight shipping plays a crucial role. We manage transportation from international airports to warehouses, from which goods can be transported by road to their destinations.

Water

Container ships remain the gold standard for large international shipments, especially from continent to continent. Ocean transport gets goods from ports to their destination. We find ships to transport your goods, then arrange for transport from ports to the goods’ eventual destination. In addition to traditional multimodal water transportation, we also offer sea lifts to supply goods to coastal communities like those in Northern Canada.

Road

We work with trucking companies around the world to provide our clients with reliable intermodal transport, getting their shipments from airports and ports to warehouses and end-users. No matter where in the world you need to ship or receive goods, our road freight transport experts will get it there. We can also provide shipping by train for your goods.

Ice

Thanks to decades of experience serving Northern Canada, BBE has unmatched expertise in ice transportation. Our network of ice road truckers deliver even the most time-sensitive and temperature-sensitive goods to their destinations. To provide deliveries in the most remote locations, our network includes snowmobile experts to complete the last mile of shipments.

employees in saftey vests loading a delivery van from the warehouse

Benefits Of A Multimodal Supply Chain

In a globalized world, multimodal supply chains are essential. By leveraging multimodal networks, companies gain access to suppliers around the globe, allowing them to compete on price, quality, and environmental impact. This leads to greater efficiency, more profitability, and lower prices for end consumers; it also allows for a greater variety of goods and services to be made available globally.

In short, the global economy could not exist without international multimodal transport. By using multiple modes of transportation, goods can reach areas that would otherwise be unreachable.

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Why Choose BBE For Your Multimodal Transport?

We’ve been shipping products, equipment and supplies since 1977. That’s four decades of unwavering commitment and knowledge. No matter your industry, including mining, pharmaceutical, energy, construction or any other, we have the experience to ensure your cargo will arrive securely. You tell us when and where—we’ll handle the how.

Our company is a truly global network of multimodal transport providers—we serve 127 countries with a supplier network of over 700 carriers. Wherever you want it to go and whenever you need it there, you can count on BBE.

For freight forwarding services and multimodal transport, our experts go beyond just handling which providers will ship your goods. We are expeditors of customs processes, working with customs agents to ensure that your shipments make it through every border without issue.

Need a partner for multimodal transport? Choose BBE.

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Our Certifications & Memberships

Pharma CEIV Excellence in logistics certification seal
GAS Internal ISO 9001:2015 Registered company seal
CIFFA certification seal
WCA certification seal

Explore our other areas of expertise

While we excel in expediting shipments, we know it takes a suite of services to traverse the globe. Experts in all areas of Supply Chain management, explore our entire service line-up.

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We’re not just a company; we’re real people excelling at what we do. Our commitment to genuine, expert service sets us apart, making your experience with us authentic and exceptional. Connect with us today!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Multimodal transportation is the use of two or more modes of transportation to get goods from one location to another. Multimodal transportation typically involves the use of transportation by sea (via container ships), air, and then by land (via trucks or rail), but any combination of modes fits the definition.

The terms multimodal and intermodal transportation are often used interchangeably, but there’s a key difference. In intermodal shipping, the company shipping or receiving goods must contact and work with multiple different transportation suppliers. With multimodal shipping services, one company coordinates between all of the different transportation companies, simplifying the process for shippers and receivers.

Intermodal and multimodal transport both rely on shipping containers—standardized containers that can be loaded onto container ships, trucks, and other transportation vehicles.

We are a multimodal transport operator—this means we coordinate between shipping companies on your behalf.

Coordinating between different shipping companies across multiple transportation modes presents a number of different challenges. These challenges include:

 

  • Chained shipping delays. When a container ship does not arrive on time, ground transportation companies may not be available to gather goods.
  • Managing international regulations. To clear customs and meet requirements in the destination country, shipments must be held to certain standards throughout the transportation chain. This is especially important for cold chain logistics, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and similar industries, where goods must be kept in a tightly controlled environment to pass regulatory muster.
  • Managing customs. A multimodal transportation system is almost always international—this means tariffs and other fees may be levied at each border. A multimodal transport operation must learn how to properly classify goods, understand duty drawback programs, and more, or goods can be delayed or taxed excessively.

  • Real-time tracking: We use RFID tags, IoT devices, and a sophisticated platform (MyBBE) to track delays that could affect the entire shipping process. This real-time tracking also allows us to track the temperature of temperature-sensitive goods and respond to deviations in temperature.
  • Large network of transportation suppliers: We work with hundreds of companies that provide air transport, maritime transport, and ground transport. We have multiple partners in any given area, giving us redundancy—if one provider cannot deliver, we move to another one. This boosts supply chain efficiency by helping to mitigate the impact that supply chain disruptions have on the entire shipping process.
  • Decades of experience: We’ve seen all of the problems that can arise during multimodal transportation. We use our experience in the industry to ensure that forms are filled accurately before shipments are made, that records are kept meticulously, and that alternative providers are in place to deliver shipments long before delays even arise.