Referring to the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IFEU), road freight transport will increase by 80% between 2004 and 2025. In order to reduce the negative environmental effects freight transport needs to be arranged more sustainably in future. Although rail and water transport is less climate-damaging than road freight, companies hesitate to relocate road freight transport to more environmentally friendly modes because these are slower. But at the moment it is not proven to what extent the majority of customers actually require the fastest possible delivery for their orders. In case longer transport times are accepted in the market, rail and water logistics would be an attractive and sustainable alternative. In this contribution more than 5000 freight transport orders handled in continental Europe have been analyzed in terms of time constraints given by the customers. It can be concluded that there is a significant amount of road transport which could be handled in a slower and more sustainable way. To do so, it is crucial that future transport management systems are able to identify non time-critical orders and support a modal shift.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Literature research
3. Study
4. Results
5. Outlook
Objectives and Topics
This paper aims to empirically investigate the role of transport time as a limiting factor for implementing sustainable freight logistics. By analyzing over 5000 freight transport orders, the study assesses the urgency and time-criticality of road transport to determine the potential for shifting cargo to more environmentally friendly, albeit slower, transport modes like rail or water.
- Analysis of transport time as a barrier to modal shift
- Empirical evaluation of time-critical vs. non-time-critical freight shipments
- Assessment of potential for sustainable transport alternatives
- Recommendations for future transport management systems
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
The Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IFEU) assumes in its emissions report of 2012 that road freight transport will increase by 80% between 2004 and 2025 (IFEU 2011, 45). As a consequence the consumption of fuel and the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) will also increase. The European DIN standard 16258 lends itself to the measurement of greenhouse gases in freight logistics and has been tested successfully in case studies (Froese 2012, 267-272). This standard is designed to support the logistics sector, especially the road freight business and was published by DIN in March 2013 (DIN 2013). In order to reduce the negative environmental effects freight transport needs to be arranged more sustainably in future.
Regarding sustainable transport modes, it is considered proven that rail and water modes produce fewer emissions per output unit (ton kilometers) than road transport (McKinnon 2010, 44). Despite this known fact, companies hesitate to transfer road freight transport to more environmentally friendly modes. Due to several obstacles the use of sustainable transport modes has not been established so far. In interviews A. Geiger and M. Smith asked logistic managers for critical factors which hampered the shift to sustainable modes (Geiger et al 2012). The following hindrances were cited: the long transport time, the high costs and low transport reliability.
The central point of this paper is the transport time which will be analyzed empirically. The transport time is defined as the duration between the pickup of the goods and the delivery to the customer including waiting times. A. Geiger and M. Smith came to the final conclusion that investments in improved traffic infrastructure are necessary, e.g. to establish regional hubs, where transports can be shifted by logistics from one transport mode to another. These infrastructure projects usually take several years before they are completed. Furthermore even a better modal infrastructure cannot change the fact that rail and water transport is inferior in comparison to road freight regarding transport time, i.e. truck transports are much faster than the ecologically friendly alternatives.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the projected growth in road freight and the associated environmental impacts, identifying transport time as a key barrier to switching to more sustainable modes.
2. Literature research: Reviews existing logistical theories and prior studies to highlight the critical role of time in supply chain management and the potential for a modal shift.
3. Study: Details the methodology for analyzing over 5000 transport orders, including the criteria for determining time-critical shipments.
4. Results: Presents the findings of the empirical analysis, demonstrating that a significant majority of transports are not time-critical.
5. Outlook: Suggests areas for future research, specifically addressing how to support operational decisions and analyze other limiting factors like costs and reliability.
Keywords
Road transport, Sustainability, Freight logistics, Transport time, Modal shift, Time-critical, Time-definite, Greenhouse gas emissions, Supply chain, Transport management systems, Logistics, Carbon footprint, Modal split, Order fulfillment, Transport efficiency.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this study?
The study investigates the relationship between road freight transport, environmental sustainability, and the constraint of delivery times to determine if a shift to slower, greener transport modes is feasible.
What are the central themes discussed in the paper?
The core themes include the environmental impact of road freight, the logistics definition of transport time, the challenges of achieving a modal shift, and the empirical classification of shipping urgencies.
What is the main research question of the work?
The author asks what proportion of current truck shipments are not urgent or lack fixed delivery dates, which would make them suitable candidates for more sustainable, slower transport alternatives.
Which methodology was used for this research?
The study utilized a quantitative analysis of over 5000 real-world freight transport orders, involving data cleansing, distance calculations, and the identification of time buffers for each shipment.
What topics are covered in the main body of the paper?
The main body covers the theoretical background of logistics and time, a detailed breakdown of the study data, the categorization of transports by time-sensitivity, and the concluding analysis regarding sustainable potential.
How would you characterize this paper with keywords?
The work is best characterized by terms like road freight logistics, sustainability, time-critical shipping, modal shift, and transport management optimization.
Why are road transports often preferred despite their environmental impact?
According to the text, road transports are preferred because they are significantly faster than rail or water alternatives, which are often cited as being inferior in terms of speed.
What specific discovery was made regarding transport time buffers?
The analysis revealed that approximately 54.2% of the analyzed road transports were neither time-definite nor time-critical, suggesting a large potential for shifting these orders to more sustainable transport modes.
- Quote paper
- Diplom-Betriebswirt Jan Froese (Author), 2013, A quantitative study on transport time for sustainable road freight logistics, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/276520
