Hinterland Transport

Step 1 Cargo Pick-up

Books slot, verifies release, and matches truck/rail/barge capacity to yard location. Gate procedures validate IDs, seals, and dangerous goods flags. Turnaround time is minimized by accurate pre-advice and stack choice. Data events confirm custody transfer from terminal to carrier. Purpose is clean, fast extraction from yard. Metric: short turn times and few gate exceptions.

Step 2 Intermodal Transfer

Moves units between modes to optimize cost, time, and emissions. Transfers are sequenced to hit barge/rail departures and road windows. Constraints: crane availability, draft for barge, and rail pathing. Data ties together bookings, manifests, and live ETAs. Purpose is resilient, economical flows beyond the quay. Success is tight connection keeping with minimal dwell.

Step 3 Final Delivery

Completes the door leg to consignee or DC within delivery windows. Manages access constraints (time slots, equipment, site rules) proactively. Captures proof of delivery and closes the transport order. Exceptions (damage, shortage) are recorded with evidence. Purpose is fulfilling the commercial promise at destination. Outcome feeds performance analytics for the next port call.

Execution Party

Road, rail, and waterway operators take custody from the yard and keep cargo moving—covering gate processing, slot adherence, intermodal handovers, and proof-of-delivery capture within DG/temperature/site rules.

ECT InlandLinks

  • Digital platform linking Rotterdam with inland terminals (rail/barge/truck). Facilitates booking, visibility, and efficient routing.

Kuehne+Nagel

  • Freight forwarding and inland transport (truck/rail/barge) from Rotterdam into Europe, via own fleet & partners.

DHL Global Forwarding

  • Organises multimodal routes (road/rail/barge/air), executes inland trucking, coordinates cross-border flows.

Rhenus Logistics

  • Inland container transport by barge, rail, and truck, operating depots and hubs across Europe.

Planning Party

Planners stitch customs release, terminal availability, and network capacity into executable slots—selecting modes, building connections, matching equipment, and placing buffers to absorb disruption with minimal dwell.

ECT InlandLinks

  • Plans hinterland network capacity, inland connections, and slot allocation for rail/barge services.

Kuehne+Nagel

  • Builds multimodal connections, books terminal/carrier slots, and optimises end-to-end supply chains.

DHL Global Forwarding

  • Coordinates customs, schedules inland modes, and manages cross-border capacity planning.

Rhenus Logistics

  • Plans barge/rail rotations, terminal slot reservations, and last-mile trucking.

Data

Free/open sources for planning hinterland legs (truck/rail/barge): corridor status, bridge/lock ops, water levels, infrastructure, and inland terminal directories.
Data Source Description
NDW Open Data (Road Traffic)
Last update:
Real-time Dutch motorway data (speeds, incidents, travel times) for truck ETA/corridor planning.
Version: Free (public)
Bridge Openings & Port Berths API
Last update:
API for bridge openings and available berths (incl. Rotterdam) to support barge scheduling.
Version: Free (public)
Rijkswaterstaat Waterinfo (Docs & Download)
Last update:
Query/export water levels, flow, waves & forecasts for draft/UKC planning.
Version: Free (public)
RWS Waterwebservices (API)
Last update:
Machine access to Waterinfo time series (levels, discharge, waves) for automated routing.
Version: Free (public)
ProRail Rail Geometry (WMS/WFS)
Last update:
Open rail infrastructure layers (alignment, clearances) supporting rail path feasibility.
Version: Free (public)
ProRail Basemap
Last update:
National rail basemap for network context, yards and access points.
Version: Free (public)
Waterinfo Viewer
Last update:
Quick visual check of gauges and forecasts (situational awareness supporting the APIs).
Version: Free (public)
Description of Versions

Free (public): The content is publicly accessible on the website without login or payment.