Re: "Which hasn't struck me as particularly advanced either"
I was specifically referring to long distance transport like Hamburg to Barcelona. Large cargo ships are simply more efficient for long routes but obviously it falters when moving goods inland simply due to the needed size of the waterway to make it economical. Trains catch up rapidly as the size of the cargo ship goes down.
In the US we effectively ship most everything over land even though it shouldn't be the most economical method. As it is a ship will dock in LA and disgorge its entire cargo and bits intended for NY or San Fran will go by truck or train. If a ship could dock in LA and subsequently dock in San Fran or Houston and go on to NY, Boston, etc. it would be more efficient but that is effectively disallowed by the Jones Act. That is also why US trains can run ~3.5 km in length where it's unlikely you'll find a train much over 1.5 km in Europe.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
