Freight Transport Management
Increasing Commercial Vehicle Transport Efficiency
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Victoria Transport Policy
Institute
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Updated
23 July 2008
This chapter discusses ways of improving freight transportation efficiency by shifting improving the quality of efficient freight options (such as rail and integrated distribution services), providing incentives to use the most efficient option for each type of delivery, increasing load factors, improving logistics, and reducing unnecessary shipping distances and volumes.
Freight Transport Management includes various strategies of increasing the efficiency of freight and commercial transport. Logistics is a technical term for efficient freight management, including shipping practices (e.g., vehicle type, shipment size, frequency, etc.), facility siting, and related activities. Logistics usually focuses on minimizing shipper costs, with little consideration of social costs such as congestion or pollution impacts. Below are examples of Freight Transport Management activities:
· Encourage shippers to use
modes with lower social costs, such as rail and water transport rather than
truck for longer-distance shipping. Trucking uses much more energy per unit of
transport than rail or water (ten times as much in many situations), although
only certain types of goods and deliveries are suitable for such shifting.
· Improve rail and marine
transportation infrastructure and services to make these modes more competitive
with trucking. (Note that by reducing shipping costs this may increase total
freight traffic volumes, resulting in little or no reduction in energy
consumption, emissions or other externalities.)
· Improve scheduling and
routing to reduce freight vehicle mileage and increase load factors (e.g.,
avoiding empty backhauls). This can be accomplished through increased
computerization and coordination among distributors.
· Organize regional delivery
systems so fewer vehicle trips are needed to distribute goods (e.g., using
common carriers that consolidate loads, rather than company fleets).
· Reduce total freight
transport by reducing product volumes and unnecessary packaging, relying on
more local products, and siting manufacturing and assembly processes closer to
their destination markets.
· Use smaller vehicles and
human powered transport, particularly for distribution in urban areas.
· Implement fleet management
programs that reduce vehicle mileage, use optimal sized vehicles for each trip,
and insure that fleet vehicles are maintained and operated in ways that reduce
external costs (congestion, pollution, crash risk, etc.).
· Encourage businesses to
consider shipping costs and externalities in product design, production and
marketing, for example by minimizing excessive packaging and unnecessary
delivery frequency, and relying on more local suppliers.
· Change freight delivery
times to reduce congestion.
· Increase land use Accessibility by Clustering common
destinations together, which reduces the amount of travel required for goods
distribution.
· Pricing and tax policies to
encourage efficient freight transport.
· Increase freight vehicle
fuel efficiency and reduce emissions through design improvements and new
technologies. These include increased aerodynamics, weight reductions, reduced
engine friction, improved engine and transmission designs, more efficient
tires, and more efficient accessories.
· Improve vehicle operator
training to encourage more efficient driving.
Heavy trucks represent about 10% of total vehicle mileage, and smaller commercial vehicles represent another 5-10% of total vehicle traffic. Heavy trucks represent a major share of total traffic on some highways, particularly around major ports, rail terminals and industrial areas. Because of their size, freight trucks impose relatively high congestion, road wear, accident risk, air pollution and noise costs, so travel reductions can provide significant benefits in areas where they are concentrated.
Truck transport tends to impose the greatest congestion costs, although exact impacts depend on specific conditions, such as the route and travel time (CSPPSFT, 1996). Many goods must be transported by local truck to their final destination, and long-haul trucking tends to impose relatively modest congestion impacts. Table 1 compares average costs, fuel consumption and pollution emissions for three major freight modes.
Table 1 Comparing Freight Modes – Per
Ton-Mile (Grier,
2002)
|
|
Cost |
Fuel Use |
Hydrocarbons |
CO |
NOx |
|
Units |
Cents |
Gallons |
Lbs. |
Lbs. |
Lbs. |
|
Barge |
0.97 |
0.002 |
0.09 |
0.20 |
0.53 |
|
Rail |
2.53 |
0.005 |
0.46 |
0.64 |
1.83 |
|
Truck |
5.35 |
0.017 |
0.63 |
1.90 |
10.17 |
There are many ways to encourage more efficient freight delivery. Some strategies involve public planning and investments. For example, transportation and port authorities can improve intermodal transfer facilities, making it easier to shift loads from trucks to rail and water transport. Governments can also subsidize rail and marine transport industries if efficient pricing of road freight vehicles is infeasible (Casavant and Lenzi, 1989).
The UK government promotes increased use of rail by investing in improved track access facilities (e.g. new sidings alongside existing rail lines) and by funding track access charges for privatized rail services (DETR 1999). Local governments can encourage more efficient delivery services (Takada and Kobayakawa, 1998; Böhler and Reutter, 2006). Governments can institute Pricing Reforms such as Weight-Distance Charges and Fuel Pricing that encourage more efficient freight transport (Kågeson and Dings, 1999).
Private companies can improve their logistics. Firms can increase the efficiency of their own distribution networks, rely more on rail or marine transport for medium- and long-distance shipping, develop and use more local suppliers, find ways to reduce freight volumes, and use smaller vehicles or bicycles when appropriate for urban transport. Businesses can create cooperative distribution networks that consolidate loads, and develop services such as electric vehicle or bicycle delivery networks. Governments and public agencies can support research and education programs that improve best practices in the shipping industry. Hall (2007) recommends that port communities plan to increase sustainability and prepare for changing demands due to possible increases in future energy costs.
The potential for reducing freight traffic varies depending on location and what strategies are used.
The Price Elasticity of freight transport
(measured in ton-miles) in
Table 2 Travel
Impact Summary
|
Objective |
Rating |
Comments |
|
Reduces total traffic. |
2 |
Reduces a small portion of
vehicles, but they tend to have relatively large impacts. |
|
Reduces peak period
traffic. |
1 |
Usually reduces a small
portion of vehicles on congested roads. |
|
Shifts peak to off-peak
periods. |
1 |
Some freight management
involves shifting peak-period trips to off-peak. |
|
Shifts automobile travel to
alternative modes. |
1 |
Some freight management
involves shifting deliveries to bicycle. |
|
Improves access, reduces
the need for travel. |
0 |
|
|
Increased ridesharing. |
0 |
|
|
Increased public transit. |
0 |
|
|
Increased cycling. |
1 |
|
|
Increased walking. |
0 |
|
|
Increased Telework. |
0 |
|
|
Reduced freight traffic. |
3 |
|
Rating from 3 (very
beneficial) to –3 (very harmful). A 0 indicates no impact or mixed impacts.
Although freight vehicles represent only 10-20% of total vehicle mileage, they tend to impose large impacts. Reductions in freight traffic can provide the following benefits. See Litman (2002) and Gorman (2008) for information on freight cost studies, cost estimates and ways to calculate potential cost savings.
Because
of their large size and slower acceleration, heavy trucks impose more
congestion per unit of travel than lighter vehicles. Freight vehicles are a
small portion of total urban-peak traffic (operators tend to schedule their
trips to avoid urban-peak driving to minimize congestion delays), but heavy
trucks constitute a large portion of traffic on some corridors, such as
highways to ports and major industrial areas.
Freight
trucks cause high levels of road wear (FHWA, 1997). A heavy truck can impose
road wear costs hundreds of times greater than an automobile.
Freight transport consumes
30-40% of total transportation energy (CST, 2001). Heavy diesel trucks consume
about 22% of total roadway fuel, and produce high levels of particulate air
pollutants, which are particularly harmful to human health. Heavy trucks tend
to be much noisier than most other vehicles. Rail transport also imposes
significant noise and air pollution, and land use impacts. Freight emissions
can be a major contributor to pollution problems along major industrial
transportation corridors (ICB Consulting, 2001). Some studies estimate that
freight energy efficiency can realistically increase by 15-30% over a 10-20
year period. Transport represents a
major portion of lifecycle energy inputs in many products (Browne and Allen,
2007).
Although
crash rates for heavy trucks are relatively low, they can cause significant
damage to other road users when a crash does occur, resulting in relatively
high costs per vehicle-mile (Forkenbrock, 1999; Safety
Impacts of TDM).
Freight
traffic can degrade community livability by imposing noise, dust, air
pollution, traffic risk and traffic delay, particularly in neighborhoods near
major highways or terminals. Reducing freight traffic can reduce these impacts.
Heavy
vehicle traffic is a particular deterrent to pedestrian and bicycle travel (Evaluating Nonmotorized Transport)
Logistical
improvements that increase freight delivery efficiently can provide financial
savings to shippers.
Freight management costs may include additional facility investments (such as improved rail and port terminals), subsidies and logistic management expenses. Disincentives (such as higher fuel taxes or fees) increase shipping costs, which will have a greater effect on industries and regions that are more dependent on transport. Price changes that are sudden and unpredictable impose transition costs that are economically harmful, because producers and consumers will not be able to take them into account when making long-term decisions, such as where to locate and what equipment to purchase.
Table 3 Benefit Summary
|
Objectives |
Rating |
Comments |
|
Congestion Reduction |
1 |
Modest overall reductions
in peak-period travel. |
|
Road & Parking Savings |
3 |
Heavy trucks cause
significant roadway costs. |
|
Consumer Savings |
0 |
No direct impact. |
|
Transport Choice |
0 |
No direct impact. |
|
Road Safety |
3 |
Reduces traffic risk caused
by large trucks. |
|
Environmental Protection |
3 |
Reduces air pollution
caused by large trucks. |
|
Efficient Land Use |
2 |
Tends to encourage more
infill/cluster development. |
|
Community Livability |
2 |
Reduces traffic impacts and
noise caused by large trucks. |
Rating from 3 (very beneficial) to –3 (very harmful). A 0 indicates no impact or mixed impacts.
Freight transport management has minimal equity impacts. Higher fees and taxes on heavy vehicles may disadvantage some groups (truckers and freight-intensive industries), particularly if they are sudden and unpredictable, but these usually represent an internalization of currently external costs (i.e., a reduction in current subsidies to heavy truck travel).
Table 4 Equity Summary
|
Criteria |
Rating |
Comments |
|
Treats everybody equally. |
-1 |
Impacts some groups more
than others. |
|
Individuals bear the costs
they impose. |
2 |
Reduces externalities. |
|
Progressive with respect to
income. |
0 |
No significant impact. |
|
Benefits transportation
disadvantaged. |
0 |
No significant impact. |
|
Improves basic mobility. |
0 |
No significant impact. |
Rating from 3 (very
beneficial) to –3 (very harmful). A 0 indicates no impact or mixed impacts.
Demand management can be applied to just about any freight transport activity, and is particularly appropriate in large urban areas with heavy freight traffic. It can be implemented by most levels of government and businesses. Because freight often travels across borders, freight transport management often requires international cooperation. Freight efficiency and impact reduction can be incorporated into international trade agreements and policies.
Table 5 Application Summary
|
Geographic |
Rating |
Organization |
Rating |
|
Large urban region. |
3 |
Federal government. |
3 |
|
High-density, urban. |
3 |
State/provincial
government. |
3 |
|
Medium-density,
urban/suburban. |
3 |
Regional government. |
3 |
|
Town. |
2 |
Municipal/local government. |
3 |
|
Low-density, rural. |
2 |
Business Associations/TMA. |
3 |
|
Commercial center. |
3 |
Individual business. |
3 |
|
Residential neighborhood. |
2 |
Developer. |
2 |
|
Resort/recreation area. |
2 |
Neighborhood association. |
2 |
|
Industrial centers and
terminals |
3 |
Campus. |
2 |
Ratings range from 0 (not
appropriate) to 3 (very appropriate).
TDM Program and Improved Transport Choice
Logistics improvements may be included in comprehensive TDM Programs. Least-Cost Planning, Pricing Reforms, Prioritizing Transportation and Road Space Reallocation and Smart Growth planning principles can support freight demand management. Congestion Pricing can improve truck traffic efficiency. Speed Reductions and Emission Reductions can help reduce freight vehicle impacts.
Freight planning and TDM programs can be implemented by various government agencies, and by businesses that profit from increased freight efficiency. Government policies can affect prices that provide an incentive for more efficient freight travel. Transport-intensive industries (such as those that rely heavily on raw materials), shipping firms and operators (such as truck drivers), and fleet operators all have an interest in Freight Transport Management. Businesses involved in environmentally friendly transport sectors, such as rail, waterway, and local delivery services can benefit from favorable policies and price incentives that make them more competitive.
Different freight TDM strategies face different barriers. Underpricing of freight travel (particularly trucks) and dedicated highway funding are major barriers to improved logistics since they reduce the incentive for more efficient shipping.
Best practices depend on the level of management (firm, city, region, nation, global) and the type of freight to be managed. The discipline of logistics provides a wide range of management guidelines and techniques to optimize freight transport efficiency. Below are guidelines for increasing freight transport system efficiency (T&E, 2000a; Miller, Kiguel and Zielinski, 2001; Böhler and Reutter, 2006).
1. Integration. Develop integrated freight transport networks. For example, facilitate intermodal systems that use rail and marine for longer-distance links, and trucks and human-powered delivery for shorter-distance links.
2. Objectives. Establish specific objectives for freight transport activity that support sustainability, such as reduced energy consumption per ton-mile, encouraging use of less polluting modes, and placing a limit on total freight transport impacts in an area.
3. Priorities. Give Priority to planning and investment decisions that support more sustainable freight modes. Use a bundle of management instruments to encourage more efficient freight transport.
4. Level Playing Field. Correct market distortions that favor less sustainable modes over more sustainable modes. For example, tax, pricing and investment policies should not favor truck over rail or marine transport.
5. Pricing. Implement the user pays principle, which means that prices reflect all costs unless a subsidy is specifically justified.
6. Services. Encourage competition and entrepreneurial freedom in freight transport markets by allowing open access to rail networks and minimizing barriers to competition.
7. Reduce Freight Volume. Encourage policies that reduce total freight traffic volume, including more local production, reduced product weight and packaging, reduced empty backhauls, and reduced waste production.
|
Why
is it that when you transport something by car, its called a shipment,
but when you transport something by ship, its called cargo? |
Exel
Worldwide is an international provider of logistics services, which has
pioneered the 'campus' concept - a collection of multiple manufacturers focused
on consumer products with similar distribution channels. The collection of
companies in a single location achieves critical mass in several key areas. It
allows for the sharing of resources, freight consolidation and flexibility. A
campus begins with establishing individual account(s) within a narrow
geographic area, and grows organically through new business acquisitions. There
are clear practical benefits and economic efficiencies to the campus - having
facilities and resources close to consumer goods customers; being able to share
labour resources among clients and operations; improved transit time and
reduced order cycle time; and reduced inventory velocity and lower freight
costs through volume leverage. In addition, there are also important
environmental efficiencies made possible through the campus model.
For
instance, in the past, if Loblaws requested an order of two truckloads of soup
and one truckload of cereal, three trucks would go out. Now, only two trucks go
out because the cereal can sit on top of the soup. Trips are reduced, and $600
can be saved by providing one less truck. The trend towards supply chain
integration allows the linking of inbound goods with outbound goods and
materials. The result, made possible by more sophisticated software and
breakthroughs in tracking media, allows logistics specialists to mix inbound
materials with outbound products, so that trucks have a higher load factor. In
the area of Canadian food sales, which amounted to $66.2 billion in 1998,
totalling 662,000 truckloads (two thirds of which were in the GTA), there is
potential through consolidation to reduce truck movements by up to 30%. It is
important to note that there is additional room to improve capacity efficiency
because an average "full truck load" is 40,000 lbs and 2,300 cube,
while the actual capacity is 62,500 lbs and 3,400 cube.
A
more detailed version of this case study is featured in Moving Goods in the
New Economy: A Primer For Urban Decision Makers, a joint publication of
Moving the Economy (www.city.toronto.on.ca/mte)
and the Canadian Urban Institute (www.canurb.com),
available through Detour Publications (www.detourpublications.com/catalogue/transport.html#mg).
Most consumers do not understand today’s complex global food system. Much of the food production and processing occurs far away from where they live and buy groceries. External environmental and community costs related to the production, processing, storage, and transportation of the food are seldom accounted for in the food's price, nor are consumers made aware of these external costs. Examples of external environmental costs are the increased amount of fossil fuel used to transport food long distances, and the increase in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the burning of these fuels.
Local
and regional food systems, where farmers and processors sell and distribute
their food to consumers within a given area, may use less fossil fuel for
transportation because the distance from farm to consumer is shorter. This
paper discusses transportation from farm to point of sale within local,
regional, and conventional food systems. Using fresh produce and other foods as
examples, we considered miles traveled, fossil fuels used, and carbon dioxide
emissions, and assessed potential environmental costs.
A
food mile is the distance food travels from where it is grown or raised to
where it is ultimately purchased by the consumer or end-user. A Weighted
Average Source Distance (WASD) can be used to calculate a single distance
figure that combines information on the distances from producers to consumers
and amount of food product transported. U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural
Marketing Service produce arrival data from the
A
WASD was calculated for a sampling of data from three
Would
there be transportation fuel savings and reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions if more food were produced and distributed in local and regional food
systems? To answer this question, we calculated fuel use and CO2 emissions to
transport 10 percent of the estimated total
The
conventional system represented an integrated retail/wholesale buying system
where national sources supply
The
conventional system used 4 to 17 times more fuel than the Iowa-based regional
and local systems, depending on the system and truck type. The same
conventional system released from 5 to 17 times more CO2 from the burning of
this fuel than the Iowa-based regional and local systems.
This
paper shows that fresh produce transported to
Product differentiation, reduced warehousing and declining shipment size all tend to decrease freight efficiency. Trucks are seldom filled to capacity and receivers have to handle many shipments. Several German companies now offer a service where shipments are consolidated outside the city centre.
About 80 German cities have set up “City Logistic” projects whereby shipments are consolidated outside the city limits and better organized within the city. The municipality, chambers of commerce and large haulers set up a trans-shipment facility and a new company that provides coordinated delivery services within the city. The service uses vehicles with state-of-the-art air and noise emission reduction features. To expand the service, geographic coverage can be increased, and services like cold transport and retail delivery may be added. To be competitive, the quality of service needs to be better than average. This type of service benefits municipalities (less spending on roads), citizens (less noise and pollution), railways (attract new inter-city traffic), and shippers (reduce costs).
Truck
volumes on cross-Alpine routes were growing steadily prior to the introduction
of this program, but has since leveled off, due to a combination of the HVF and
increasing maximum vehicle weights from 28- to 34-tonnes (Werder, 2004).
Environmental groups are lobbying to increase HVF rates and improve rail
service, as demand management strategies.
Rail
carloads of grain arriving at the
In 1998,
Firms can include transport efficiency factors in their annual Environmental Reports (Sainsbury, 1998). The German retailer Otto Versand received an EST! Best Practices award for developing a Green Supply Chair Management Program, which incorporates environmental objectives in organizing product shipping (OECD, 2000). The company developed new logistics chains (i.e., contracts with shipping and delivery agents) and analysis methods to determine which shipping option has the least environmental impacts. For example, when possible goods are transported by ship and train rather than truck, or truck rather than air. This reduced costs and increased profits as well as providing environmental benefits. As a result, the company:
·
Reduced CO2 emissions by more than 40%.
·
Cut costs by more than 3 Million Euros.
·
Developed new logistic chains like sea – train.
·
Developed new partners, like forwarders, agents
·
Is positioned to benefit from emission trading and other environmental
instruments.
The
Department of Environment, Transportation and Regions published a sustainable
distribution strategy (DETR, 1999) which involves various methods to improve
the efficiency of freight transport in order to minimize congestion, make
better use of transport infrastructure, manage development pressures and reduce
the negative environmental impact of freight movement. The strategy involves
establishing best practices standards against key performance indicators, and
implementing these throughout the transportation industries.
At
the local level, the government plans to create ‘quality partnerships for urban distribution’, involving local
authorities, the freight industry, the business community, residents and
environmental groups, to find ways of rationalizing the pattern of freight
delivery. It is acknowledged that ‘land use planning can have a significant
impact on distribution, not only through the provision of major transport
infrastructure… but also more widely through policies and decisions on patterns
of development…’. Local authorities
will be expected to do more to encourage a transfer of freight from road to
rail and water, particularly by protecting sites and routes, which can be used
to facilitate modal, interchange.
It proposes the adoption at a national level of ‘indicators for sustainable distribution’ against which future progress can be measured. The two chosen indicators of ‘freight intensity’ (ratio of total tonne-kms to GDP) and ‘lorry traffic intensity’ (ratio of vehicle-kms to GDP) have been on a downward trend in recent years, suggesting that things have been improving. On the other hand, this result may in fact reflect the incomplete nature of these two indicators in trying to measure progress toward sustainability (Vanek, 1999); the DETR itself calls for the development and tracking of new indicators in the strategy as published. The document raises the possibility that in the future vehicle excise duty on lorries may partly reflect their environmental impact.
It
is acknowledged that ‘congestion is
increasingly common on the trunk road and motorway network’ and ‘forecast to get worse’. The case for trying to ease congestion by
expanding road capacity is largely rejected, with emphasis placed instead on
making better use of existing road space and more effectively managing
demand. On routes where congestion
remains heavy, there is a possibility that commercial vehicles may be given
priority.
A
study of chilled food distribution involved developing Key Performance
Indicators (KPIs) such as vehicle utilization, energy intensity per unit of
freight moved, and on-time performance. These were used to evaluate the
logistical efficiency of 25 participating firms relative to other comparable
firms (McKinnon, Campbell, and Leuchers 1999). The results helped identify
factors that may reduce efficiency. Although overall averages are publicized,
firm-specific results are disclosed privately to avoid putting a participant at
a competitive disadvantage. The firms can then use the outcome to decide what
level of performance is achievable, and track progress toward their goals
through repeated participation in the survey.
A
“freight village” is an area within which activities related to freight
transport, logistics and goods distribution are coordinated, including
shippers, warehouses, storage areas, public agencies and planners, businesses,
etc. To encourage intermodal transport a freight village should be served by
multiple modes (road, rail, waterways, air transport). This integrates the
functions of freight handling and transfer to maximize efficiency.
A
The
Energy Efficiency Best Practices Program (EEBPP) is a government-sponsored
information and awareness program that aims to stimulate energy savings in
industry. It produces and disseminates information on freight fuel efficiency
strategies. These include:
· Benchmarks that companies
can use to measure their performance.
· Guidelines that assist
organizations to adopt good driving practices.
· Case studies that document
successes and highlight the energy, environmental and cost-benefit of these
measures.
A
survey of fleet operators indicated that most have taken steps to save fuel,
including driver training, aerodynamic styling, and use of alternative fuels.
Fleets that have been actively involved in the program saved about 25% more
fuel than those that have not.
Pedal Express is
a human-powered cargo delivery service in the
A
variety of new technologies can be used to improve freight system efficiency,
including driver information systems, on-board diagnostic equipment,
computerized logistics for vehicle routing, and improved location and
distribution planning. This could improve overall productivity in addition to
energy savings. These are predicted to have the following energy conservation
impacts:
· 5% for vehicle technical
improvements and purchasing practices.
· 5-10% for driver training
and monitoring.
· More than 10% for fleet
management and logistics measures.
· Some companies that take a
comprehensive approach could improve fuel efficiency up to 20%.
Transport
Expressway
is a revolutionary short- to medium-haul transportation service that combines
the best of truck and rail to help reduce costs and better serve customers'
needs. Developed with input from trucking companies, Expressway allows shippers
to move their standard, non-reinforced trailers in high-volume corridors.
Expressway services are strategically located — with hubs in
Local
drivers delivering the trailers spend no more than 15 minutes at the terminal
because of a new information system which allows customers to book slots on the
trains by Internet. While booking, customers also send their bill-of-lading
information electronically, providing advance information to hand-held computer
technology which drives all the processes within the terminal. These hand-held
units register a record of the reservation, ID number and trailer number. When
the driver arrives, the information is confirmed. The driver is then presented
with a receipt, and after a final inspection of the trailer, contents are
sealed and the driver is off. Information input in the hand-held units
transmits immediately to the main computer and to hand-held units in the
destination city, for an equally fast pick-up procedure.
The
train averages 50 mph over the 350 mile Montreal-Toronto corridor. This speed
is very comparable to truck transit. Market reaction has been positive, since
costs are competitive with trucking. The service currently handles 16,600
trailers annually. An expanded service is projected to take 50,000 trailers a
year off the highway.
The
Transport and Logistics Research Unit at the
Although
planning policy to support intensification has generally focused on housing
density, the location of jobs is a major determinant in regional land use and
travel demand. With this in mind, in 1993, the City of
Both
the City of
Worker
densities in
Industrial
areas can be looked upon as the "refrigerator, storeroom and repair room
of the downtown." Some food suppliers, for example, make several delivery
trips a day to large downtown hotels. This aspect of industry has important
transportation implications. In
The
Freight Sustainability Demonstration Program is five-year, $4.5 million program
designed to encourage the take up of technologies or best practices that can
reduce greenhouse gas emissions from all freight modes. It supports the
demonstration and evaluation of innovative tools, technologies, and best
practices, which appear to hold promise for cost-effective reduction of GHG
emissions, but where risk or uncertainty impedes early adoption. The projects
will be selected through a competitive process. During its first year it funded
the following projects.
Under
this project, two GM GP-9 locomotives will be equipped with the Kim Hotstart
Diesel Driven Heating Systems (DDHS) and monitored for fuel efficiency and GHG
emissions. The DDHS is a diesel-powered water and oil circulating and heating
system that engages when the locomotive shuts down. Its purpose is to reduce
idling time. The project will take place in the
Kelsan
Technologies will be demonstrating the Top of Rail Friction Control on two BC
Rail freight locomotives that will run between Chetwynd and
Nexus
North's project will demonstrate a new intermodal container express service
connecting
Though
this project, Southern Railways will equip two of its seven locomotives with
the ZTR SmartStart automatic shut down / restart system. This technology
automatically shuts down and restarts the locomotive depending on environmental
conditions and the temperature of critical locomotive systems to prevent engine
freeze-up. The equipment reduces idle time. Fuel consumption and GHG emissions
will be monitored during the demonstration, which will take place in the Fraser
Valley of British Columbia.
The
Solid Waste Management Division of the City of
Since waste generation varies significantly throughout the calendar year, the
key is to match the labour force, trucks, and equipment to waste generation,
and to expand and contract routes based on changes. To calculate the shortest
routes, the City's system draws on databases and historical information about
streets, collection attributes, service days and waste generation variances. By
generating tabular information, such as where each collection vehicle should be
at different times of the day, the system also provides greater capability for
supervision and management.
The City estimates that its garbage and recycling collection vehicles travel
approximately 4 million km per year (about 1.8 km per capita). Based on
outcomes so far, route optimization will generate travel reductions of
approximately 20%, or 800,000 km per year. Because these vehicles are large,
heavy and constantly stopping/starting, fuel savings, emission reductions and
reductions in road impacts are relatively large. A projection reduction in
fleet requirements of approximately 40 trucks can save $1 million per year.
More efficient us of staff time can also provide savings.
Environmental
Management of Transport Operations A US railroad, the Burlington Northern -
Jeffrey Ang-Olson and Will Schroeer (2002), Energy Efficiency Strategies for Freight Trucking: Potential Impact on Fuel Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Transportation Research Board 81st Annual Meeting (www.trb.org).
Thomas Bue Bjørner (1000), “Environmental Benefits from Better Freight Transport Management: Freight Traffic in a VAR Model,” Transportation Research D, Vol. 4, No. 1, January 1999, pp. 45-64.
BNSF (2000), Providing Environmentally Sound
Transportation; Annual Environmental Report of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe
Railroad, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (
Susanne Böhler and Oscar Reutter (2006), “Delivery Services For Urban Shopping: Experiences & Perspectives,” World Transport Policy & Practices, Vol. 12, No. 1 (www.ecoplan.org/wtpp), pp. 47-53.
Michael Browne
and Julian Allen (2007), The Supply Chain
For Jeans: Assessing Transport And Energy Consumption, 11th World
Conference on Transport Research,
BTCE (1996), Transport and Greenhouse; Costs and Options for Reducing Emissions, Bureau of Transport Economics (www.dot.gov.au/programs/bte/btehome.htm).
Stefanie Boge (1995), “The Well-Travelled Yogurt Pot: Lessons for New Freight Transport Policies and Regional Production,” World Transport Policy & Practice (www.ecoplan.org/wtpp), Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 7-11.
Kenneth Button (1992), Market and Government Failures in Environmental Management, OECD (Paris).
Kenneth Casavant and Jerry Lenzi (1989), “Rail Line Abandonment and Public Acquisition Impacts on Economic Development,” Transportation Research Record 1274, TRB (www.trb.org), pp. 241-251.
CalStart (www.cleanfleets.com) is a consortium of researchers and industries to promote the production and sale of more efficient vehicles.
J. Caceres and D. Richards (2000), Greenhouse Gas Reduction Opportunities for the Freight Transportation Sector, David Suzuki Foundation (www.davidsuzuki.org).
Allison L. C. de Cerreño (2006), Identifying and Reducing Institutional Barriers to Effective and Efficient Freight Movement in the Downstate New York Region, Rudin Center for Transportation Policy & Management, NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service (www.wagner.nyu.edu/rudincenter)
Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks
(CVISN) Website (www.jhuapl.edu/cvisn)
provides information on the application of ITS technologies to commercial
vehicle management.
CSPPSFT (1996), Paying Our Way; Estimating Marginal Social Costs of Freight Transport, Committee for Study of Public Policy for Surface Freight Transport, TRB, National Academy Press (www.trb.org).
CST (2001), “Freight Transport,” Sustainable Transportation Monitor, Number 4, Centre for Sustainable Transportation (www.cstctd.org).
Holger Dalkmann (2000), “Sustainable Mobility: How to Move More Goods from Road To Rail - A Comparison of Germany & Britain,” World Transport Policy & Practice, Vol. 6, No. 4, (www.ecoplan.org/wtpp), pp. 31-36.
Delcan and KPMG (1998), Assessment of Modal
Integration and Shift Opportunities, Transport
DETR (1999), Sustainable Distribution: A Strategy, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (www.dtlr.gov.uk/itwp/susdist/index.html).
EEA (2000), Environmental Taxes: Recent Developments in Tools for Integration, Environmental Issues Series No. 18, European Environment Agency (http://org.eea.eu.int).
FHWA (1997), Federal Highway Cost Allocation Study, US Department of Transportation (www.fhwa.dot.gov); available at www.ota.fhwa.dot.gov/hcas/final.
FleetSmart Program (http://fleetsmart.nrcan.gc.ca), by Natural Resources Canada provides information on managing vehicle fleets for efficiency.
David Forkenbrock (1998), External Costs of Truck
and Rail Freight Transportation,
David Forkenbrock (2001), “Comparison of External Costs of Rail and Truck Freight Transport,” Transportation Research A, Vol. 35, No. 4 (www.elsevier.com/locate/tra), pp. 321-337.
Freight On Rail Website (www.freightonrail.org.uk) provides information and resources to help shift fright transport from road to rail.
Fuel Master Logistics (www.fuelmasterlogistics.co.uk) provides resources and training to increase truck fuel efficiency.
Nick Gamble (1996), Bikes Mean Business! A Primer on Starting a Bike-Related Business, and Delivering the Goods by Bike, Detour Publications (www.detourpublications.com).
Michael F. Gorman
(2008), “Evaluating The Public Investment Mix In US Freight Transportation
Infrastructure,” Transportation Research
A, Vol. 42, Issue 1 (www.elsevier.com/locate/tra), January 2008,
pp. 1-14.
Robert Gosier, David Simchi-Levi, Jonathan Wright, and Brooks A. Bentz (2008), Past The Tipping Point: Record Oil Prices Require New Supply Chain Strategies To Enable Future High Performance, Accenture (www.accenture.com).
David V. Grier (2002), “Comparison of Inland Waterways and Surface Freight Modes,” TR NEWS 221, Transportation Research Board (www.trb.org), July-August 2002, p. 17; available at http://gulliver.trb.org/publications/mb/TRNews221Features.pdf.
Hagler Bailly (1999), Potential for Fuel Taxes to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Transport, Transportation Table of the Canadian National Climate Change Process (www.transport-canada.com/programs/Environment/climatechange/english/climatechange/ttable/menu.htm).
Peter V. Hall
(2007), “Seaports, Urban Sustainability, and Paradigm Shift,” Journal of Urban Technology (www.tandf.co.uk), Vol. 14, No. 2,
August 2007, pp. 87-101.
Chris Hendrickson, Gyorgyi Cicas and H. Scott Matthews (2006), “Transportation Sector and Supply Chain Performance and Sustainability,” Transportation Research Record 1983 (www.trb.org), pp. 151-157.
ICF (2001), North American Trade and Transportation Corridors: Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Strategies, North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (www.cec.org), Feb. 2001.
J. Sainsbury & Co (1998), Environmental Report
1998, J Sainsbury & Co (
Per Kågeson (1993), Getting the Prices Right: A European Scheme for Making Transport Pay its True Costs, European Federation for Transport and the Environment, (www.t-e.nu).
Per Kågeson (2003), Efficient Charging Of Heavy Goods Vehicles, Swedish Institute for Transport and Communications Analysis (www.sika-institute.se), 2003.
Per Kågeson and Jos Dings (1999), Electronic Kilometre Charging for Heavy Goods Vehicles in Europe, European Federation for Transport and Environment (www.t-e.nu).
Paul Komor (1995), “Reducing Energy Use in US Freight Transport,” Transport Policy, Vol. 2 No. 2, pp. 119-128.
Markus Liechti (2002), Safe And Sustainable Freight Transport: Our Common Challenge, European Federation for Transport and Environment (www.t-e.nu).
H. Link, J.S. Dodgson, M. Maibach and M. Herry (1999), The Costs of Road Infrastructure and Congestion in Europe, Physcia-Verlag c/o Springer Verlag GmbH & Co. KG (www.springer.com), DIW (www.diw.de).
Todd Litman (2006), Transportation Cost Analysis; Techniques, Estimates and Implications, Victoria Transport Policy Institute (www.vtpi.org/tca).
Logistics World (www.logisticsworld.com) is an Internet directory of logistics resources.
James Luk and Stephen Hepburn (1993), New Review of Australian Travel Demand Elasticities, Australian Road Research Board (www.arrb.com.au).
A.C. McKinnon, J. Campbell and D. Leuchars (1999), Benchmarking Vehicle Utilisation: Measurement of Key Performance Indicators, Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (www.roads.detr.gov.uk).
A.C. McKinnon (1999), A Logistical Perspective on the Fuel Efficiency of Road Freight Transport (Conference paper for European Conference of Ministers of Transport and International Energy Agency (www.iea.org).
Glen Miller, Daniela Kiguel and Sue Zielinski (2001), Moving Goods in the New Economy: A Primer for Urban Decision Makers, produced by Moving the Economy (www.city.toronto.on.ca/mte) and the Canadian Urban Institute (www.canurb.com), available through Detour Publications (www.detourpublications.com/catalogue/transport.html#mg).
MOSES - Mobility Services for Urban Sustainability (www.moses-europe.org) is developing
mobility services to reduce dependence on the private car throughout
MTE, Moving the Economy; Economic Opportunities in Sustainable Transportation, (www.movingtheeconomy.ca).
Robert B. Noland and Zia Wadud (2007), “Review of Oil Demand Restraint Policies for Heavy Goods Vehicles,” Energy Sources Part B: Economics, Planning, and Policy (www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/15567249.asp).
Office of Intermodalism, Compendium of Intermodal Freight Projects, Federal Highway Administration (www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep10/freight/comp.html).
Office of Freight Management & Operations, FHWA (www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight) provides information to promote more efficient freight transport.
OECD (2000), EST! Environmentally Sustainable Transport; Futures, Strategies and Best Practices, Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (www.oecd.org/env/ccst/est).
OECD/IEA (2001), Saving Oil and Reducing CO2 Emissions in Transport: Options & Strategies, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (www.oecd.org) and the International Energy Agency (www.iea.org).
Oxford Economic Research Associates (1999), The Environmental and Social Costs of Heavy Goods Vehicles and Options for Reforming the Fiscal Regime, English, Welsh, and Scottish Railway (www.ews-railway.co.uk).
Sustainable Freight Transport Website (http://corporate.skynet.be/sustainablefreight)
provides information about Sustainable Freight Transport in
Tae Hoon Oum, W.G. Waters II and Jong-Say Yong (1992), “Concepts of Price Elasticities of Transport Demand and Recent Empirical Estimates, Journal of Transport Economics, May 1992, pp. 139-154.
Andreas Pastowski (1997), Decoupling Economic Development and Freight for Reducing its Negative Impacts, Wuppertal Institute (www.wupperinst.org).
Zachary Patterson, Gordon O. Ewing and Murtaza
Haider (2008), “The Potential For Premium-Intermodal Services To Reduce Freight
CO2 Emissions In The Quebec City–Windsor Corridor,” Transportation Research D (www.elsevier.com/locate/trd), Vol. 13,
pp. 1-9.
Rich Pirog, Timothy Van Pelt, Kamyar Enshayan and
Ellen Cook (2001), Food, Fuel, And Freeways: An
(www.leopold.iastate.edu/pubs/staff/ppp/index.htm).
Railway Association of
Lee Schipper, Lynn Scholl and Lynn Price (1997), “Energy Use And Carbon Emissions From Freight In 10 Industrialized Countries: An Analysis Of Trends From 1973 to 1992,” Transportation Research Part D Vol. 2, No. 1, pp.57-75.
Kinimichi Takada and Satoru Kobayakawa (1998), “The Influence of Restructuring the Goods Movement System on Transportation Demand Management (TDM),” IATSS Research, Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 59-68.
Transmode Consultants (1995), Ontario Freight Movement Study, National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (www.nrtee-trnee.ca).
Ken Small, Clifford Winston and Carol Evans (1989), Road Work, Brookings (www.brooking.edu).
TC (1999), Transportation and Climate Change:
Options for Action, Transport
TC, Freight Efficiency and Technology Initiative (www.tc.gc.ca/programs/environment/freight/menu.htm),
Transport
TELLUS - Bringing CIVITAS Onto the Road (www.tellus-cities.net), European Union. Describes projects to demonstrate that integrated urban transport policies can help reduce urban traffic problems, including innovative freight management.
T&E (2000a), Towards More Sustainable Freight Transport, European Federation for Transport and Environment (www.t-e.nu).
T&E (2000b), Counting the Kilometres - And Paying for Them; How to Introduce an EU Wide Kilometre Charging System, European Federation for Transport and Environment (www.t-e.nu).
TRB (1998), Policy Options for Intermodal Freight Transportation; Transportation Research Board Special Report 252, Transportation Research Board, National Academy Press (www.trb.org).
TRB (2007), Guidebook for Integrating Freight into Transportation Planning and Project Selection Processes, National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 594, Transportation Research Board (www.trb.org); at http://trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=8421.
Dimitrios Tsamboulas, Huub Vrenken and Anna-Maria Lekka (2007), “Assessment Of A Transport Policy Potential For Intermodal Mode Shift On A European Scale,” Transportation Research Part A, Vol. 41, No. 8 (www.sciencedirect.com), pp. 715-733.
Huib van Essen, Olivier Bello, Jos Dings and Robert van den Brink (2003), To Shift Or Not To Shift, That's The Question: The Environmental Performance Of The Principle Modes Of Freight And Passenger Transport In The Policy-Making Context, CE (www.ce.nl).
Francis M. Vanek and Edward Morlok (2000), “Improving the Energy Efficiency of Freight in the United States Through Commodity-based Analysis,” Transportation Research D, Vol. 5, No. 1.
Francis M. Vanek (2001), “Sustainably Distributed? An
Environmental Critique of the
Hans Werder
(2004), Impact of the
Heavy Vehicle Fee - Central Pillar of the Swiss Transport Policy, CEMT-Conference
"Managing Transport Demand Through User Charges - Experience To
Date", Swiss Federal Office for Spatial Development (www.are.admin.ch/imperia/md/content/are/gesamtverkehr/verkehrspolitik/28.pdf).
WTPP (2004), World Transport Policy & Practice: Special Issue on Logistics and Transport, Vol. 10, No. 3 (www.eco-logica.co.uk/wtpp10.3.pdf).
Wuppertal Institute (www.wupperinst.org) has done considerable research on strategies to increase freight efficiency and reduce environmental and social impacts.
Acknowledgement:
This chapter was written with the
valuable assistance of Francis Vanek of the Sustainable Technology and
Energy Institute (www.lightlink.com/francis/stei.html).
This
Encyclopedia is produced by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute to help
improve understanding of Transportation Demand Management. It is an ongoing
project. Please send us your comments and suggestions for improvement.
Victoria Transport Policy Institute
www.vtpi.org info@vtpi.org
Phone & Fax 250-360-1560
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