Strategies for the transfer of container transport from land to rivers and inland waterways in Europe

One of the main problems of freight transport on roads and motorways in European countries is the very large number of container trucks, which carry out this transport, over short,medium, long and very long distances. These have a number of advantages, but also disadvantages,which have created numerous problems, from heavy traffic, to serious accidents or destruction of the road surface on roads and motorways. This paper analyzes the possibility of transferring container transport from land, on roads and railways, to rivers and inland waterways. The study in this paper represents the first part of the project that follows the situation and possibilities of transfer, from the port of Constanța to Vienna. The other parts of the project will be presented later. Objective: the first objective is represented by the search, study and proposal of ports, which offer a series of technical, logistical and economic solutions, for the realization of this transfer of container transport. These ports must offer the optimal connections with the main, current routes, on which containers are transported in European countries. The second objective is the creation of an information system model, which will facilitate the employment of river vessels, for the transport of containers. This system will also include road and rail transport operators, for the takeover of containers from ports and their transport, on optimal routes, to the final destination. Method: The research was organized to obtain information and data from official documents of the European Union; of the ministries of transport and naval authorities of the riparian states of the Danube and Rhine; from official documents of the Administrations of river ports; from other documents of river navigation, rail and road transport companies. Then we used the "concept transfer" method to transfer ideas in the field of research and we looked for solutions to achieve the established objectives. Results: I had determined the ports that can be used immediately for the transfer of containers from land to rivers, between Constanța and Vienna. I have created the model of the information system, which can be created and then implemented to connect all those interested in this field. Originality: The work is original, it was not taken from someone else, and there are no other works with the same objective.