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Transloading is the process of transferring a shipment from one mode of transportation to another. It is most commonly employed when one mode cannot be used for the entire trip, as for instance when goods must be shipped internationally from one inland point to another. Such a trip might require transport by truck to an airport, then by airplane overseas, and then by another truck to its destination; or it might involve bulk material (such as coal) loaded to rail at the mine, and then transferred to ship at a port. Transloading is also required at railroad break of gauge points since the equipment between lines is not compatible.


Transloading versus Transshipment[edit]

Transloading may be confused with transshipment, but they represent distinctly different concepts. Transloading concerns the mechanics of transport, while transshipment is essentially a legal term addressing how the shipment originates and is destined. Consider a load of grain: it is transloaded at the elevator, but at that point it is combined with grain from other farms and thus leaves on the train as a distinct shipment from that in which it arrived. It thus cannot be said to be transshipped. Or consider a package shipped through a package delivery service or the mails: it may change shipping mode several times along the trip, but since it is (from an external point of view) conveyed as a single shipment regardless of how it is conveyed or what else travels with it on the legs of its journey, it is not considered to be transshipped. Conversely, a load on a truck can be taken in one (legal) shipment to an intermediate point on its journey, and then taken to its ultimate destination without ever leaving the truck. If this is specified as two shipments, then the goods are transshipped; no transloading, however, has taken place.

Transloading facilities[edit]

Container cranes are used to transfer containers to/from container ships.

Transloading can occur at any place. A truck can pull up to another truck or a train, and may be accomplished by no more elaborate means than teamsters and stevedores. In the interests of speed and efficiency, however, a variety of specialized equipment is used to handle the goods. Thus, intermodal facilities have specialized cranes for handling the containers, and coal piers have car dumpers, loaders, conveyors, and other equipment for unloading and loading railroad cars and ships quickly and with a minimum of personnel.

Often the equipment used to ship the goods is optimized for rapid transfer. For instance, shipment of automobiles is expedited by autorack rail cars and roll-on roll-off ships which can be loaded without cranes or other equipment. Standardized containers allow the use of common handling equipment and obviate break bulk handling.

Transloading is often combined with classification and routing facilities, since the latter often requires handling of goods. Transloading may occur at railway sidings and break-of-gauge stations


Transloading, Union Pacific Distribution Services (UPDS):