When you create a multimodal transport network creation of new types of terminals with new features and upgrading old ones has the greatest value. In accordance with various types of cargo in multimodal transport difference manifests itself in levels in aquatic and terrestrial systems. When you create terminals a kind of cargo is taken into account which will serve the terminal network, its organizational structure, functions and place in the transport network. The main characteristics of terminals to a large extent depend on factors such as the increasing influence of shippers in the field of multimodal transport, market liberalization and transcend national boundaries.

Since the factor of management in the international multimodal transport is a crucial factor, the role of terminal services is increasing. The number of private terminals is growing too.

Currently, in Western Europe, there is European terminal network, in particular:

-Intercontainer terminal network.

-Terminal networks of two or three countries.

-National terminal network.

-Terminal networks for multi-and bimodal transport owned to private transport companies.

-Terminals are combined in a network of different types, where the position of a single terminal can be feeder, block, block-angular, and multiblock.

All services offered at individual terminals and logistics centers, can be divided into five functional types, which are used in determining the specialization of terminals.

The functions of terminals by types the following:

-Reloading services.

-Service packages (rental, leasing, warehousing, repair).

-Service vehicles (rental, leasing, parking, repairs, maintenance, cleaning).

-Service network (initial-final operation, customs, tracking system).

-Service related to cargo (loading, unloading, provision stores).

Trends in the development of terminals and multimodal transport organizations will be in the future in the fact that:

-Work of terminal networks will increasingly be concentrated in the hands of independent regional transport companies.

-There will be a complication of the structural members of the multimodal transport.

- The number of bilateral and multilateral companies (joint ventures) in the field of multimodal transport will increase.

-National companies will come to the external market for the management of the entire chain of transport.

-The importance of operators in multimodal transport will increase.

However development of terminals can also have negative consequences, such as part time to load, the excessive complexity of transportation, technical and organizational incompatibility in international traffic, reducing the quality of services. The new concept of terminal networks offers a transition from an isolated multi-modal cargo terminal to a single distribution center, where the terminal will be the main element. The presence of the center, acting as a liaison between producers and consumers, is a testament to the further integration of transport and areas of production and consumption.

In the distribution center there are such operations as sorting, selection, assembly, integration, separation, packaging, warehousing, storage, cargo handling, packaging, containerization, delivery and transportation of cargo. Each center is characterized by a terminal capacity (volume), specific location, and consequently, its own economic interests of the area defined by the logistic line, which marks created and implemented products. Each of them is the center of the transfer of goods, information flows, traffic flows, flows of cargo handling, ranging from a single (piece) of the product to containers.

Each distribution center terminal network is linked with hundreds of manufacturers, product line which is measured by thousands of titles. The level of automation of operations is made with the latest developments in science, engineering and technology. All information about companies, customers, orders, products, dates, vehicles entered into the computer.

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