Inland transport: Where ocean freight meets its destination

Updated 5 九月 2025

Inland Services 内陆内陆运输陆上运输 Booking Integrated logistics

The greatest risk to your schedule often starts after your cargo lands at port.

Ocean transits can span weeks, but schedules are generally predictable. It’s the inland journey – from the port to factories, warehouses, and final delivery points – where congestion, equipment shortages, and paperwork holdups can quickly erode that reliability. For many shipments, this is where resilience is tested. It’s where the ability to adapt routes, shift modes, or tap local capacity can mean the difference between on time and too late.

Up ahead, we explore what inland transport is, its modes, how it connects with ocean freight, and why it plays a critical role in end-to-end logistics.

What is inland transport and why does it matter?

Inland transport refers to the movement of cargo over land – by truck, rail, or barge – between seaports and inland locations such as warehouses, distribution centres, or customer facilities.

The essential link between ocean freight and final delivery, inland transport can connect:

Port to warehouse (post-arrival delivery)
Warehouse to port (pre-export pickup)
Inland facility to inland facility (in multi-stop or bonded container flows)

Although inland transport can be booked independently, it is commonly bundled with ocean freight for end-to-end delivery.

Why inland transport matters in supply chains

According to the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index, inland transport and related non-motion phases such as time at inland facilities after port discharge are a major source of variability in global container lead times. While the ocean leg accounts for most of the distance travelled, it’s the land side that often determines whether cargo moves on schedule or sits idle.

Once your container is off the vessel, the inland leg determines whether you meet your delivery window – or end up paying in delays, detention charges, and dissatisfied customers. In other words, planning and choosing the right logistics partner to manage inland moves increases predictability, on-time delivery, and cost-efficiency.

Modes of inland transport: Choosing the right fit

When considering inland logistics, it’s important to distinguish between containerised inland transport (where the sealed ocean container itself is moved by truck, rail, or barge) and ground freight services (where cargo is de-stuffed from the container and moved in trucks as FTL or LTL). Both play a role in connecting ports, warehouses, and customer facilities.

Here’s how the main modes compare:

Mode	Description	Best for	Watch out for	Common use case
Mode Container drayage (road)	Description Trucking that moves a full ocean container (still sealed) between port, inland container depot (ICD), rail ramp, or warehouse.	Best for Flexible routing, short-to-mid range hauls, direct port connections.	Watch out for Capacity crunch during peak seasons, driver shortages.	Common use case Port-to-warehouse or warehouse-to-port container moves.
Mode Ground freight (FTL / LTL)	Description Non-containerised trucking where goods are loaded into the truck itself: FTL = dedicated truckload, LTL = shared truckload.	Best for Domestic or cross-border moves starting/ending at warehouses or distribution centres.	Watch out for Longer lead times for LTL, higher per-unit cost for small FTL moves.	Common use case Factory-to-warehouse distribution, last-mile replenishment.
Mode Rail freight	Description Containerised cargo moved on freight trains via intermodal ramps or inland container depots (ICDs).	Best for High-volume, long-haul inland moves, lower cost-per-mile, reduced road congestion.	Watch out for Requires drayage at both ends.	Common use case Connecting key hinterland locations to major ocean ports.
Mode Inland waterways (barge)	Description Movement of cargo on rivers and canals.	Best for Cost-effective or high-volume shipments, rarely congested.	Watch out for Slower, limited to waterways near ports.	Common use case Europe (e.g., Rotterdam-Rhine), US (e.g., Mississippi River), and parts of China and India.

Modern supply chains often use integrated intermodal transportation – combining two or more containerised transport modes, with the cargo staying in the same container throughout.

Common inland transportation mistakes – and how to avoid them

Here are some tips on how to avoid the most common mistakes that can lead to delays:

Mistake	What happens	How to avoid it
Mistake Booking inland transport too late	What happens No truck availability, missed vessel cut-off, delayed delivery windows.	How to avoid it Book inland transport at the same time as booking ocean leg.
Mistake Inaccurate consignee details	What happens Delivery failure, re-routing, additional charges.	How to avoid it Verify full address, contact person, and delivery window before shipping.
Mistake Assuming all “road freight” is the same	What happens Confusion between container drayage vs ground freight (FTL/LTL); risk of choosing the wrong service for your cargo type.	How to avoid it Clarify whether you need containerised trucking or non-containerised ground freight.
Mistake Overlooking intermodal alternatives	What happens Higher cost or congestion risk if you rely only on trucks for container moves.	How to avoid it Explore rail or barge as alternatives to trucking for suitable shipments — often cheaper, more reliable, and emits less GHG emissions over long distances.
Mistake Ignoring port congestion status	What happens Pickup delays, terminal storage fees, demurrage costs.	How to avoid it Check local port or terminal congestion and plan accordingly.
Mistake Splitting ocean and inland bookings	What happens Fragmented visibility, lack of accountability when delays hit.	How to avoid it Use one provider for door-to-door movement and end-to-end visibility.

The case for integrating ocean and inland

Handling your ocean and inland moves separately might seem flexible, but it often means:

Multiple contracts, multiple handoffs
More coordination, less accountability and visibility
Higher risk of detention and demurrage
Delays when inland capacity isn’t secured upfront

Integrated logistics flips the script. Companies that integrate their ocean and inland transport don’t just simplify operations. They build supply chains that are faster, more flexible, and more resilient. When you combine ocean and inland in one booking, you benefit from:

Fewer handovers, fewer surprises
One partner, one system, one invoice
Guaranteed inland capacity at destination
End-to-end visibility from port to door

When integration provides clear benefits

Here are common scenarios when it pays to book inland along with ocean freight:

Scenario	Benefit of booking together
Scenario Shipping to inland cities or rural locations	Benefit of booking together Better access planning, local delivery coordination, and fewer handover delays
Scenario Tight delivery timelines or limited warehouse availability	Benefit of booking together More reliable ETAs and reduced port dwell time
Scenario High-volume or recurring shipments	Benefit of booking together Route optimisation and long-term cost efficiency
Scenario Limited local logistics network or broker support	Benefit of booking together Avoids sourcing inland hauliers separately
Scenario Want single invoice and point of contact for the entire move	Benefit of booking together Simplifies admin and improves visibility
Scenario New to shipping or scaling up shipments	Benefit of booking together Easier coordination and fewer risks from unfamiliar processes

For a more in-depth look at the benefits of integration, check out these six reasons to choose ocean and inland integrated transportation.

Keeping flexibility while integrating

Some shippers may hesitate to combine ocean and inland transport with the same provider assuming this will erode their freedom to choose between different ocean carriers. The reality is that integration doesn’t have to be “all or nothing.” If having the flexibility to work with multiple ocean carriers is important to you, there are other setups that can still give you many of the same benefits.

For example, you could partner with a logistics provider capable of managing all your inland transportation globally – across all origins and destinations – while still booking ocean freight with different carriers. This approach can help you:

Keep negotiating freedom and rate flexibility with multiple ocean carriers
Maintain consistent inland service standards regardless of which vessel your cargo arrives on
Reduce the complexity of sourcing inland hauliers in unfamiliar markets
Gain visibility and coordination across your inland moves, even if your ocean bookings are spread across different carriers

In short, integration isn’t just about combining every move under one booking. It’s about choosing the right level of coordination for your business, so you get efficiency and reliability without sacrificing the strategic flexibility you value.

Booking inland transport with Maersk

More than being the final leg of the journey, inland transport is a pivotal component that can significantly influence the efficiency and reliability of your entire supply chain. From avoiding port storage fees to ensuring timely delivery at your warehouse dock, inland logistics can define your shipping success.

At Maersk, we offer a range of inland transportation services to ensure we can deliver the right solution for your supply chain needs and “integration sweet spot.” For support on choosing the right inland service(s) to meet your requirements, reach out to our team of inland experts.