Global Transportation 200 words response to each student

 
Why did the author of this week’s reading find it necessary to compare the European and North American systems; are they really that different? How do costs of transportation impact global trade? 
Instructions:  Please post more than 2 reply responses of 100 or more words to your classmates or the instructor.  Responses should be a minimum of 100 words and include direct questions.

Shant 100 word response:  
Good Day Everyone, 
  This week’s forum post was about European and North American transportation and how they compare with one another.  I found that both regions in the reading offered an interesting prospective on how they showcase their strengths. For instance, the Rotterdam port in Europe is one of the most centrally connected sea hubs in the region that is linked with massive rail lines.  This is vital because of the compact nature of Europe, this ensures cargo is moved quickly and efficiently via extensive rail and sea lines.  The rail and sea hub/port combination has provided the best combination for their region.  In the instance of North America, we do in fact have also have sea hubs/ports all along the West and East Coast of the United States.  However, the U.S. sea ports in comparison to Europe lack the extensive rail links.  We in North America rely heavily on air transportation and our roadways to efficiently move cargo.  Our preferred mode of transportation in moving cargo is air and road links.  The author also found it necessary to compare each region’s capabilities to better understand the limitations, constraints, and abilities of each region. At the end of the day, all levels of transportation can have positive and negative aspects.  The author wants us; the reader to understand, that  we have more in common in terms of how we move cargo around.  As we become intertwined with borders, currency, and trade pacts we must better understand where our strengths and weaknesses are when competing. Transportation costs if done cheaply and efficiently will lead to better freight movements between countries.  This will ensure a country’s GDP is increased, while offering cheaper shipping items.  When trade transportation is kept to a minimum the volume of trade will increase and will provide better service to consumers.  If transportation costs are high and offer no efficiency, the products that a country produces would decrease because there isn’t an efficient way to move its exports.  This will result in negative growth and a overall decrease in global trade.

Mark 100 word response to his forum:  
Hello and good afternoon everyone- It is important to note the similarities between the US and European freight modes, as we also wrote about in length in this week’s paper. The author made a correlation between the US and the European Union, and the reliance on trucking for each of the freight transportation avenues each nation employs. Both the US and Europe maintain robust economies, with high GDP’s, so obviously there will be lots of trade with other countries. However, the article mentions that Europe has seen an uptick in their economic output, so hence more freight is needed. While both nations use trucking as mentioned, the reliance on the railway system by the US stands out to me. I would have thought Europe would use rail much more. They do use the railway, but more often for passenger purposes rather than freight. 
As the article mentions, intermodal transport in Europe is of utmost importance. However, due to population increases, different modes of transportation may be harder to use. The article suggests an increased emphasis on the use of railway for Europe, which I think may be in their best interest. The European Union is a vast area of land, and the increase of railway would only help strengthen and optimize freight systems, as well as help the environment. 
The costs of fuel is the biggest factor when it comes to transportation. Items needing to cross sea generally take a lot longer, but it is the easiest way to transport, since they can hold so much. However, the increased use of trucks for freight costs a lot in gas.