Sustainability, Vol. 12, Pages 1487: Synergy Degree Evaluation of Container Multimodal Transport System (Sustainability)

Logistics activities are an important source of energy consumption and environmental issues. Research conclusions and practical experience show that promoting the development of container multimodal transport is an effective way to reduce the level of carbon footprint. The key to influencing the development of container multimodal transport lies in the cooperation of all participants and links (modes of transport, transport businesses). Evaluating the synergy degree is a key step in this development process. This paper takes the whole process of container multimodal transportation as the research perspective, analyzes the operation process, and treats the process as a production system composed of four subsystems: facilities and equipment, organizational management, business operations, and information interactions. Through in-depth interviews and an analysis of the academic literature and policy documents, we establish a synergy degree evaluation index system and measurement model of container multimodal transport based on synergy theory and case studies. The research results are consistent with the actual situation. From 2015 to 2018, the synergy of container multimodal transport system of China’s G port developed slowly, but generally moved in a more orderly direction.