Rising transport costs, stricter sustainability regulations, and increasing pressure on delivery reliability are forcing companies to rethink their logistics choices. While road transport has been the standard for years, interest in water transport as an alternative is growing. But when is water transport actually a better option, and when is it not?
In this article, we compare water transport and road transport based on three crucial factors: costs, CO₂ emissions, and delivery reliability. This will give you insight into when which mode of transport makes sense within your logistics chain.
What do we mean by water transport?
Water transport refers to the transport of goods via rivers and canals using inland vessels, also known as barges. Inland shipping plays a central role in the Netherlands: an efficient network connecting seaports with inland terminals and industrial regions.
In practice, this often involves transport by water in combination with road transport, also known as multimodal transport. Goods are transported by ship over long distances and cover the first or last few kilometers by truck. This combination provides economies of scale and flexibility within the logistics chain.
In this article, we focus specifically on container flows, as these are most relevant to regional producers and shippers. Increasing traffic congestion, rising costs, and new sustainability obligations such as CSRD are making this form of transport increasingly relevant.
Transport by water is thus becoming less of an alternative for “later” and more of a serious option in daily logistics practice.
Why companies hesitate between water transport and road transport
The choice between water and road transport requires careful consideration and is not straightforward. Discussions with regional producers and logistics planners consistently reveal the same concerns.
Reliability and delivery time
A commonly held belief is that container transport by ship is automatically slower than road transport. This raises questions, especially when delivery times are tight. In practice, the lead time depends heavily on volumes, sailing schedules, and the structure of the chain. With fixed, well-planned flows, water transport can actually be very predictable.
Flexibility and planning
Whereas a truck can easily be deployed on an ad hoc basis, transport by water operates on fixed sailing schedules. This requires advance planning and leaves less room for last-minute changes. For production environments with varying volumes, this can feel like a limitation, but at the same time it provides more structure and overview in the chain.
Lack of awareness of possibilities
Lack of awareness also plays a role. Many companies do not know when water transport is suitable or how multimodal transport, the combination of water and road, works in practice. As a result, water transport is sometimes unjustifiably overlooked.
The advantages of water transport compared to road transport
When used correctly, water transport offers clear advantages over road transport. Not only in terms of sustainability, but also in terms of cost control and predictability. For companies with fixed goods flows, water transport can be a structural and stable part of the logistics chain.
Costs: when water transport is cheaper
Water transport is basically the most cost-efficient form of transport per ton-kilometer, because large volumes are bundled together. Inland vessels transport large quantities of containers at once, which means that the costs per ton-kilometer are lower than for road transport, especially over medium and longer distances.
The extent to which this advantage is also visible in the total supply chain depends on factors such as distance, volume, urgency, and the organization of pre- and post-transport. This makes it financially attractive to transport both medium and large structural volumes by water. In addition, inland shipping is less sensitive to rising fuel prices and driver shortages, which makes costs more manageable and predictable.
CO₂ emissions: structurally lower than road transport
Inland shipping has significantly lower CO₂ emissions per tonne-kilometer than road transport, because large volumes can be transported with relatively few engines.
When is water transport a logical alternative?
- Fixed goods flows Companies with fixed weekly or monthly volumes benefit from fixed sailing schedules and greater predictability in the chain.
- Small, medium, and larger volumes Inland shipping is suitable for bundling containers, creating economies of scale and lower costs per unit than road transport. Water transport is also interesting for medium volumes, provided the flow is structural and well planned.
- Less time-critical deliveries When delivery times allow, transport by water offers opportunities for efficient planning, particularly in stock-driven logistics or export flows.
- Companies with sustainability goals Organizations that focus on CO₂ reduction, CSRD, or scope 3 emissions find transport by water to be a demonstrably more sustainable alternative.
- Combination with a regional terminal The proximity of an inland terminal, such as Container Terminal Doesburg, makes multimodal transport practical and efficient without compromising accessibility.
When is road transport still the better choice?
Despite the advantages of water transport, there are situations in which road transport remains the more logical choice. This applies in particular to urgent shipments or deliveries with very short lead times, where maximum flexibility is required. Road transport also often offers more practical options for small or irregular volumes.
Accessibility also plays a role. If there is no suitable inland terminal nearby, the extra pre- and post-transport distance can negate the advantage of transport by water. In these cases, road transport remains an efficient and appropriate choice within the logistics chain.
What does this mean for your logistics considerations?
The choice between water and road transport depends on the context: volumes, delivery times, location, and the structure of the chain. There is no standard solution. It is precisely by looking at water and road transport in conjunction that room is created for smarter and more sustainable logistics choices.
As a regional inland terminal, Container Terminal Doesburg sees every day how companies make this assessment and combine modalities into an efficient and future-proof solution. Not from the perspective of a single mode of transport, but from the perspective of the chain as a whole. The question is therefore not which mode of transport is better, but how your logistics chain can be optimally organized. Let us know if we can help you with this.
Frequently asked questions about water transport
Is water transport always cheaper than road transport?
No. Per tonne-kilometer, water transport is basically the cheapest form of transport, because cargo is bundled and transported efficiently.
Whether this advantage is also fully visible in the total supply chain depends on factors such as distance, volume, urgency, and the organization of pre- and post-transport. In many cases, water transport is financially attractive, but the final cost comparison always requires a chain-wide analysis.