Responses of 100 or more words to following 3 to responds on (Terminals are essential links in the transportation chain.  Discuss location choices for terminals and expand on the economic functions terminals serve. Discuss the relation of terminals to intermodal transportation). your classmates or the instructor.  Responses should be a minimum of 100 words and include direct questions.

1. A terminal may be defined as any facility where passengers and freight are assembled or dispersed, both cannot travel separate but in batches (Rodrigue, 2013). Most passengers are assembled and transported in busloads or planeloads before prior to reaching their final destination. Freight has to be consolidated prior to onward movement at a port or rail. Terminals may be used as points of interchange at a terminal such as a connecting flight from one point to another in order to get to a final destination or a passenger on a train connecting traveling from NY to FL that will have to connect in DC. Terminals may also be used between different modes of transportation.
Terminals are a good economically as they a provide employment based on the costs incur from joint terminal performance of transfer and consolidation functions. Terminal costs are fixed costs that are incurred regardless of the length of the eventual trip, and vary significantly between modes. Terminals is an intermodal transport network that can effect freight and passenger transport significantly. The infrastructure must be efficient in order for it to be success which is attained through proper planning and managing in order to bridge the links in the intermodal transport system. Additionally, terminal costs are also pertinent between the modes. Over the last decades, very significant steps to reduce terminal costs have been made. These costs are generated through many factors such as adequate access by rail, road or waterborne transport, integration modes and transfer between modes, improving intermodal transport operations and the quality of the services offered and the use of information technologies for terminal management purposes.

Looking at just air terminals, we can find that air carriers allows for ease of access to travel around the world with the offering of different airlines and airline carriers, which encompasses different terminals. The benefit they serve economically is that they allow for passengers and goods to arrive to their destination in an expedited manner. For instance, if an individual is flying Delta out of Fayetteville, NC the cost for the ticket would be more due to the low density and smaller location. The terminal for Delta is Atlanta, GA. Since Delta utilizes this approach, it reduces cost in areas such as gas, due to the fact they dont have to utilize a larger jet to accommodate the passengers from the smaller terminal.  Also, Depending on time of flight and duration, airlines are one of the least expensive mode of transportation. As stated by Hazen, J.K. ,  and Lynch, C.F. (2013), airlines only pay landing fees in the event that they are utilized, and that is due to the fact that airports are funded by the government. If the airline is not utilized it does not pay (p. 96).  So, this alone allows airlines the ability reduce its airfare cost. Also, airlines utilization of smaller terminals allows for the offset of costs within a particular airline. Accessibility is a problem due to many areas not having a terminal within their radius of a business or organization. This can cause a problem for personnel who may need to access a major airport for business purposes. In some cases personnel needs to see whether traveling by air will be convenient or should they pursue another mode of transportation

2. The location for terminals that are in the United States and around the world are all place strategically for the best benefit of transportation of personnel and products.  With these terminals, in certain locations benefits the economy due to the amount of different modes of transportation that can bring personnel and products to locations. Terminals, I believe are the backbone of the supply chain because it creates a system where products and personnel can be transported anywhere it needs to go. For example, when I lived in Tampa FL, there was a port, International airport, bus lines and rail way.  With this area having the ability to have so many different modes of transportation available to ship products helped the economy due to the increase of people that will need to work these jobs. 
The relation of terminal to intermodal transportation is that terminals have the ability to support many different modes of transportation from air, water, and land.  With this relation it gives companies that ability send they products by several different modes depending on where their product needs to go or how fast they need their product to get to a certain area.  For example, the United States receives many shipping containers from all over the world which arrive in one of our many ports.  The port that this ship decides to arrive depends on where the product needs to go, thus ports have the ability to have additional modes of transportation send these goods to other areas of the US.  Also, with the multiple modes of shipment available at the ports it is a benefit to companies because they can decide which mode of shipment would be the most cost effective.