The term 'transport' includes all the clerical, mental and manual occupation involved in the operation of road, rail, canal, sea and air transport.

The Surface or Land transport consists of :
(i) Pack Animals
(ii) Bullock Cart
(iii) Road Transport
(iv) Motor Lorries, Buses
(v) Tramways
(vi) Railway Transport

The recert trends in transportation are:
(i) Metro Rail
(ii) Monorail
(iii) Bullet Train
(iv) Pipeline Transport
(v) Conveyor Transport
(vi) Ropeway Transport
(vii) Hyperloop Transport

According to K.K. Sexena, "the transport system acts with reference to the area it serves in the same way as a candle does in a dark room".

(i) It is the slowest means of transport.
(ii) Floods caused during rainy season, lack of flow of water during summer season affect to ply boats and steamers.

The advantages of Air transport are:
(i) It provides a regular, convenient, efficient and quick service.
(ii) Perishable goods like fruits, vegetables, egg, meat, etc., can be transported quickly.
(iii) It does not require huge investment for construction and maintenance of track like railways.
(iv) They provide comfortable services for passengers and safety for their goods.
(v) It can be used to move goods to areas, which are inaccessible to other means of transport.
(vi) It is very much helpful for flood or landslide and war rises to the occasion to save human life from danger.

Types of Ocean Transport:
Ocean transport may be divided into two broad categories.
(a) Coastal shipping:
Coastal shipping constitutes an important means of transport in all countries having a long coastline. It is a cheap means of transport for the movement of bulky cargoes like coal, iron ore etc., to domestic ports of country.
(b) Overseas shipping:
(i) Liner: An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (e.g., for pleasure cruises or as hospitals ship).
(ii) Tramps: Tramps are essentially cargo vessels. They have no set routes. They do not follow any timetable. They sail only when they get sufficient load.

The economic benefits of the transport are:
(i) Transport increases the efficiency of production: The object of production is consumption. It is incomplete, if-the goods and services do not reach the consumers .
(ii) Efficient transport system creates time and place utility by taking goods to the needy people.
(iii) It develops and expands the market: The primary function of transport is to distribute goods at global level economically, speedily and easily.

Transport is very important for the growth and development of agriculture, industry, trade and homework journeys. The growth of domestic and foreign trade depends upon transport. The transport facilities helps in destroying monopolistic position of many producing countries. It has also played. a vital role in the colonisation and development of many less populated countries like Australia, South Africa and U.S.A.

Common carrier is a person who is engaged in the business of carrying goods for hire indiscriminately for all persons.

1. General cargo ship
2. Bulk carriers
3. Container ships
4. Auto carrier
5. Tankers
6. Fishing vessels
7. Oil vessels
8. Passengers ships 
9. Ferryboats
10. Tow and tugboats
11. Specialized ships

Ocean going ships may also be divided into two, namely Liners and Tramps:
Liner:
An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (e.g., for pleasure cruises or as hospitals ship). They sail to schedule, whether they have a full load or not. They follow defined routes with fixed places and times of call. Regularity of service, god sped and luxurious facilities to passengers v are the specialties of liners. There are two types of liners, namely, Passenger Liners and Cargo Liners.
Tramps:
Tramps are essentially cargo vessels. See the picture above. They have no set, routes. They do not follow any timetable. They sail only when they get sufficient load. They sail at any time and carry cargoes for almost any ports.

Inland Waterways comprise of rivers, canals, and lakes. It is also known as internal water transport. Rivers that are naturally navigable are called natural waterways. Canals and canalized rivers belong to the category of 'Artificial Waterways'. Generally small boats and steamers are operated on rivers to transport people and goods. Where rivers are deep enough, large ships can also play on them. Canals are manmade waterways, constructed for the twin purposes of navigation and irrigation.

1. Railways are well suited for carrying heavy and bulky goods over long distances.
2. It can provide long distance travel throughout the day and night with unbroken services.
3. It can provide better production and safety to the goods than motor transport. The goods generally carried in closed wagons are not exposed to sun, rain etc.
4. Though initial investment is large, in the long run the operating expenses will be very low in railways and it will prove a cheaper mode of transport. It requires less time than motor transport for carrying goods over long distance with greater speed.
5. It has regular schedule of timing and is available throughout the year. 
6. It provides unaffected services whether rainy or shinny weather conditions.