Final answer:
The difference between multimodalism and intermodalism is that intermodalism involves seamless, coordinated transport using multiple modes often within a single container, while multimodalism may involve multiple modes without such integration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main difference between multimodalism and intermodalism lies in the integration and coordination of transportation modes. Multimodalism refers to the use of more than one type of transportation mode within a single journey, without seamless integration, while intermodalism involves the use of two or more different modes of transportation, coordinated in a seamless way, typically using a single container that moves between ships, trains, and trucks without being unloaded.
For example, intermodalism might be at play when a shipping container is transferred from a ship directly onto a rail car, and then from the rail car onto a truck, all while keeping the cargo in the same container. This differs from multimodalism, where the cargo might be unloaded and reloaded at each transfer point between different transportation modes.