Freight transport is the physical backbone of commerce. Raw materials move from extraction sites to factories. Components travel between production facilities. Finished goods cross borders, pass through distribution centers, and eventually reach stores, businesses, and consumers. The movement itself may look straightforward. The decision behind it rarely is. A logistics manager must consider distance, cargo characteristics, delivery deadlines, cost, infrastructure, regulations, risk, environmental impact, and available capacity. A shipment that is ideal for ocean freight may be completely unsuitable for air transport. A full truckload can be economical for one customer but wasteful for another. Rail may provide an excellent compromise between cost and speed, while inland waterways can be…