Digital KV Booking Portal Modility Launches Pilot Operation

Modility starts as a new booking and mediation portal for Combined Transport (KV) in operational operation. Through the new platform, KV operators can market their transport capacities from today, and freight forwarders can easily find and book them. The portal is the result of a cooperation between several market participants and aims to simplify access to combined freight transport as an environmentally friendly transport alternative.

(Hamburg) With Modility, users can find, plan, and book available transport capacities from KV operators for the first time through an open marketplace. “It is about a pan-European, neutral solution,” says Ralf-Charley Schultze, President of the European KV Industry Association UIRR. “The Corona crisis shows us that the dynamics in Combined Transport are increasing and the demand for short-term and flexible transport bookings is rising, not least also in the pre- and post-haulage on the road.”

Easy Access to Intermodal Transport

With easy access to intermodal transport, Modility aims to contribute to the necessary modal shift and strengthen KV as a powerful and environmentally friendly transport system. Therefore, the project is funded by the BMVI. Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer: “We want to shift more freight transport from road to rail. With the federal program ‘Future Rail Freight Transport’, we support companies that want to invest in digitization, automation, and modern vehicle technology. Our program is a gateway to new services, new customers, and new markets. An effective innovation and investment accelerator for environmentally friendly rail logistics.”

A Market Solution for the Market

The initiator of the project is Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA), which spun off Modility as a corporate spin-off in July 2020 and developed it together with twelve development partners from the transport and logistics industry. “Modility was developed by the market for the market,” emphasizes Lars Neumann, Director Logistics, Strategy and Business Development at HHLA. “The participating companies represent a cross-section of KV players, so that the diverse needs and challenges of the market were taken into account from the very beginning.”

New Potentials for Operators and Freight Forwarders

KV operators can access an additional online sales channel through Modility, where they can market their routes and remaining capacities at current prices and increase train utilization. “We have been involved as a development partner from the very beginning and are pleased that we can create a digital showcase with Modility, through which we can offer our customers another innovative access to KV. In addition, the tool allows us to reach new customer segments,” says Dirk Baerbock, Head of Multimodal Solutions Europe at Hellmann Worldwide Logistics. After just a few clicks, the offered routes are visible and bookable for users. The operator has full control over prices, capacities, and bookings at any time via a dashboard. Freight forwarders can find KV connections with Modility, receive current offers tailored to their individual needs, and easily book the right transport option. With easy access to transport alternatives, they have the opportunity to respond flexibly to fluctuating cargo volumes and short-term requests. The booking process is carried out via an intuitive user interface modeled after proven booking portals from the B2C sector. The system advantages of intermodal transport are thus also accessible to companies without KV experience.

Joint Further Development

In the future, transport companies should also be able to offer pre- and post-haulage directly through Modility, thereby creating additional transport options on the first and last mile. Already at today’s go-live, users can view and book numerous routes through the portal. The use of Modility is free of charge; fees are only incurred for successfully mediated transports. During the pilot operation, the solution will be further developed in cooperation with market participants as needed.
Photo: © Modility
www.modility.com