Cargo Volume Research Articles

VeLP: Vehicle Loading Plan Learning from Human Behavior in Nationwide Logistics System

For a nationwide logistics transportation system, it is critical to make the vehicle loading plans (i.e., given many packages, deciding vehicle types and numbers) at each sorting and distribution center. This task is currently completed by dispatchers at each center in many logistics companies and consumes a lot of workloads for dispatchers. Existing works formulate such an issue as a cargo loading problem and solve it by combinatorial optimization methods. However, it cannot work in some real-world nationwide applications due to the lack of accurate cargo volume information and effective model design under complicated impact factors as well as temporal correlation. In this paper, we explore a new opportunity to utilize large-scale route and human behavior data (i.e., dispatchers' decision process on planning vehicles) to generate vehicle loading plans (i.e., plans). Specifically, we collect a five-month nationwide operational dataset from JD Logistics in China and comprehensively analyze human behaviors. Based on the data-driven analytics insights, we design a <u>Ve</u>hicle <u>L</u>oading <u>P</u>lan learning model, named VeLP, which consists of a pattern mining module and a deep temporal cross neural network, to learn the human behaviors on regular and irregular routes, respectively. Extensive experiments demonstrate the superiority of VeLP, which achieves performance improvement by 35.8% and 50% for trunk and branch routes compared with baselines, respectively. Besides, we deployed VeLP in JDL and applied it in about 400 routes, reducing the time by approximately 20% in creating plans. It saves significant human workload and improves operational efficiency for the logistics company.

Evaluation of an autonomous, short sea shipping feeder-loop service through advanced simulations

Traditionally, container-freight being shipped from central Europe to the coast of Norway has been transported either by road, or by larger containerships to central ports. For the past 3 years the AEGIS consortium has worked to develop a new, disruptive short sea shipping feeder-loop service based on mother and daughter ships [1]. The hypothesis is that introducing smaller, autonomous, battery-powered vessels into the fjords of Norway would open new business areas, provide access to remote regions, and allow shipping companies to take on cargo that could not previously be transported by water. Such a transport system has the potential of reducing cost, GHG emissions and external costs, while increasing frequency of service and the waterborne cargo volume in Europe. One of the main challenges of the mother-daughter logistic system is how transshipment affects defined key performance indicators (KPIs), especially in terms of cost. For this purpose, the SIMPACT tool [2] was developed in the H2020 projects AEGIS and AUTOSHIP. The tool allows for rapid iterations of maritime logistic systems through discrete event scheduling, and estimation of energy, fuel, emission, and cost.This paper will present results from a case-study on two different daughter ship concepts. The concepts are evaluated through cost and environmental KPIs presented in [1], in addition to external costs based on the European handbook on the external costs of transport [3].Results from the case-studies indicate that transport systems including green daughter-vessels have the potential of being cost competitive and would lower externalities compared to the baseline truck transportation system.

벌크해운시장에서 용선계약유형 선정에 영향을 미치는 요인에 관한 연구

Purpose: This study provides to charter companies, including shippers, implications for charter party decision-making by identifying factors that affect the selection of contract types in the dry bulk shipping market.
 Research design, data, and methodology: For empirical analysis, the dependent variable was set as a choice between time charter and voyage charter, and the independent variables were set as company and cargo characteristic factors, company internal environmental change factors, and company external environmental change factors. A hypothesis test was conducted using 111 questionnaires.
 Results: Variables such as cargo volume and ship size were found to have a significant impact on the choice of charter contract. Company characteristics, investment propensity, and risk management factors were significant as a company's internal environmental factors. All variables, including market outlook, volatility, and cost factors, were statistically significant as a company's external environmental factors.
 Conclusions: Investment decisions and the outlook for future shipping market conditions are important factors to consider in decision-making as to the type of charter contract. Therefore, it is important for shippers as charters to obtain quick and accurate information on the shipping market.

DETERMINATION OF NEW FLIGHT ROUTE WITH DEA METHOD IN AIRLINE OPERATIONS

Purpose- For airline companies to continue their operations, their growth is of critical importance. Increasing the number of passengers transported and/or cargo volume compared to the previous period is one way to gain a larger share of the market. At this point, selecting the most profitable potential flight routes is crucial in optimizing resource utilization. The aim of this study can be reported as selecting the most effective flight route through data envelopment analysis (DEA) from potential flight routes for evaluating aircraft resources in the airline industry. Methodology- The study consists of two phases. In the first phase, effective flight routes are determined in three stages using the DEA method. In the second phase, the flight route to be flown was decided by evaluating factors such as transit passenger numbers and flight hours among the most effective routes determined in the first phase using the DEA method. Findings- Despite having a flight time of more than 25 minutes longer than DMU 9, DMU 6 is forecasted to have an additional 26 transit passenger revenue. Therefore, it can be reported that DMU 6 is a more effective route than DMU 9. DMU 6 is executed with an average of 02:35 hours less flight time, despite the prediction of 8 transit passenger revenue less than DMU 7. Therefore, as using the aircraft resource for an additional flight would result in more revenue, DMU 6 may be a more effective route for the airline. These data indicate that DMU 6 is the optimal DMU for scheduling flights. Conclusion- The aim of this study is to measure the efficiency of airline flight route selection using the DEA method. The results of the study reveal that the DEA method is not suitable for determining the most efficient flight route, but it can be used to eliminate inefficient flight routes and narrow down potential flight routes. To determine the most efficient route, it is critical to eliminate inefficient flight routes using the DEA method and evaluate other flight-related factors. This will help in identifying the optimal flight route Keywords: Airline flight route, efficiency, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), flight revenues, flight expenses, transit passengers. JEL Codes: L93, M21, C44

Study on the Effects of Maritime Piracy and Sea Robbery on Economic Growth in Nigeria

The study investigated the effects of the level of global and local attacks against ships on economic development in Nigeria. It also examined the effects of volume of cargo pilfered in Nigeria ports as a result of insecurity on the economic growth in Nigeria. The study employed secondary data sourced from from the Nigerian ports authority, the National bureau for statistics (NBS) and the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), levels of pirate attacks against ships in local and global waters, and volume of cargo pilferages in ports. The multiple regression analysis method was used to analyze the dataset obtained using GDP as the dependent variable while global attacks, local attacks and volume of cargo pilfered were used as independent variables. It was found that the effect of maritime piracy and sea robbery on economic growth and development is expressed by the equation: GDPt = 1638944 + 5745.61GLOTAKSt – 34587.7LOTAKSt + 193.25VOCARPt. This implies that economic growth in Nigeria increase with increase in attacks against ships in global waters, it decreases with increase in attacks against ships in Nigerian maritime domain and increases with increase in volume of cargo pilfered from the ports. A unit increase in level of global attacks increases the GDP by 5745.61 units while a unit increase in local attacks against ships trading in Nigerian waters decreases the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 34587.7 units. Similarly, a unit increase in volume of cargo pilfered from the ports increase the GDP by 193.25 units. It concluded that maritime piracy and sea robbery attacks against ships have significant impact on economic growth and development in Nigeria.

Trends in Development of Chinese-Russian Relations in the Field of Railway Transport

The article analyses the nature of transport relations between Russia and China in order to identify the main trends and forecasts regarding development of cooperation between the two countries in this area.A brief excursion into the history of interaction of partners includes the retrospective of construction of mainlines that served to increase the efficiency of transportation.The emphasis in the analysis of prospects is on improvement of transit routes within the framework of «One Belt One Road» and «Eastern Polygon» projects. Information is provided on construction of new and modernisation of existing railway lines with involvement of Chinese and Russian investment, including a bridge over the Amur River, the Kerak tunnel, and development of transit transportation through Kazakhstan and Mongolia. The role of transportation for effective cooperation in the energy field is emphasised.The article considers two types of transportation - freight and passenger. In both cases, there is a steady increase in interaction since in case of cargo transportation, the partnership has a beneficial effect on energy integration, while the efficiency of passenger logistics is determined by the railway connection between the cities of Russia and China.The cooperation of Russian and Chinese companies in the field of advanced technologies and investments in the field of high­speed rail transport is noted.The conclusion is made about the mutually beneficial nature and prospects of strengthening cooperation in the field of railway transport, its role in development of the region and transport infrastructure, as well as in increasing the volume of cargo and passenger transportation.

TwinPort: 5G drone-assisted data collection with digital twin for smart seaports

Numerous ports worldwide are adopting automation to boost productivity and modernize their operations. At this point, smart ports become a more important paradigm for handling increasing cargo volumes and increasing operational efficiency. In fact, as ports become more congested and cargo volumes increase, the need for accurate navigation through seaports is more pronounced to avoid collisions and the resulting consequences. To this end, digital twin (DT) technology in the fifth-generation (5G) networks and drone-assisted data collection can be combined to provide precise ship maneuvering. In this paper, we propose a DT model using drone-assisted data collection architecture, called TwinPort, to offer a comprehensive port management system for smart seaports. We also present a recommendation engine to ensure accurate ship navigation within a smart port during the docking process. The experimental results reveal that our solution improves the trajectory performance by approaching the desired shortest path. Moreover, our solution supports significantly reducing financial costs and protecting the environment by reducing fuel consumption.

Beyond throughput: Incorporating air transport network topology in airport performance measurement

Airport ranking studies have traditionally focused on throughput criteria such as passenger and cargo volume, overlooking the importance of air transport network topology in assessing airport performance. In this work, we propose a novel approach that incorporates both traditional throughput criteria and air transport network topology criteria, such as degree centrality (direct connections) and betweenness centrality (transit connections). To ensure unbiased criteria weight estimation, we combine objective and subjective weights using Bayes’ theorem. Using our approach, we develop a Global Airport Performance Score (GAPS) to measure the performance of airports. We then apply this methodology to rank the top 50 international commercial service airports in 2019, published by Airports Council International, to validate our proposed methodology. Furthermore, we conduct a sensitivity analysis to demonstrate the robustness of our method. The results reveal valuable insights for benchmarking airports in the worldwide air transportation network. By considering both traditional throughput criteria and air transport network topology, our approach can help airport operators, policymakers, and other stakeholders make more informed decisions about airport investments and improvements.

Poverty, Youth Unemployment, Maritime Piracy, and Sea Robbery in Nigeria between 1995 and 2013: A Relationship Assessment

The study investigated the relationships between the poverty level in Nigeria and levels of global and local pirate attacks against ships on one hand; and between the unemployment rate in Nigeria and the level of local and global attack against ships, as well as the volume of cargo pilfered from Nigerian ports, on the other hand. The study employed secondary data sourced from the Nigerian Ports Authority, the National Bureau for Statistics (NBS), and the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) on the poverty rate, unemployment rate, levels of pirate attacks against ships in local and global waters, and volume of cargo pilferages in ports. The multiple regression analysis method was used to analyze the dataset obtained, using poverty rate and unemployment rate as the dependent variables in each case. It was found that poverty among dwellers is a component driver of maritime piracy and sea robbery against ships trading in Nigeria, since there is a significant relationship between the level of maritime insecurity and the rate of poverty in Nigeria. The study also found that there is a significant relationship between the level of maritime piracy/sea robbery and the unemployment rate in Nigeria. Highlights Maritime insecurity in Nigeria waterways Pirate attacks against ships trading in Nigeria waters is linked to unrest in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria Maritime piracy in Nigeria waters is correlated with Poverty, unemployment, economic hardship in Nigeria Significant relationship exist between maritime insecurity and poverty rate in Nigeria

A proposed design for 5-G fire detecting and extinguishing system: ultra-large container ship case study

ABSTRACT The containerized cargo volume reaches 168.2 million TEU. There have recently been a staggering number of fire catastrophes onboard container ships. Investigations have identified that a rapidly developing fire is one of the main challenges in container fires. On the other hand, firefighting regulations had disregarded container vessel capacity increase. The resulting financial losses and environmental catastrophes paid astronomical bills. This research elaborates on an innovative solution utilizing a 5 G wireless self-detecting and extinguishing fire-control system. The system was applied in a case study of 19,870 TEU ultra large-container ships; The results demonstrate the number and locations of the system components. The system can reduce human interference with the fires onboard. The feasibility analysis output shows a low initial cost compared to the losses of such incidents. Moreover, the time of radio spectrum signals of the proposed system is high speed; remarkably, the internal container monitoring needs around 30 seconds to detect heat and another few seconds to activate the CO2 and smother the suspicious container in its early intuition with allocation bothered alarm. The firefighting improvement technology could be a promising solution for monitoring and controlling dangerous cargo containers fire.

Research and recommend the development model of international transshipment port at Cai Mep wharf area, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province

Globalization has changed the methods and processes of port operations and forced coastal countries with deep-water ports to exert every effort to leverage their geographical advantages to serve trade flows and benefit from supply and logistics activities by establishing an international transshipment port and is an important "link" in the global value chain. In line with this general trend, the Cai Mep port area has been selected and approved for planning as an international hub port based on the decision of the Prime Minister. However, in recent years, the Cai Mep port area has mainly handled Vietnam's import and export goods, and the volume of transshipment cargo through this area only accounts for over 04 percent of the total volume of container cargo through the port, which lags far behind transshipment rate of international hub ports in the world (about 30 – 40 percent). This article is to evaluate some issues in attracting transshipment flows to the Cai Mep port area and research to propose an appropriate management model for this port area, along with suggesting several innovative mechanisms and policies to support the establishment and development of the Cai Mep international hub port.

Интенсификация использования транспортных парков зернопродуктового комплекса

Possibilities of intensification of the use of transport parks of grain products complex by increasing their technological adaptability have been studied. As a factor, in relation to which the level of technical adaptivity of trucks was considered, a variable factor of volumetric capacity of agricultural cargo was chosen. Transportation process of grain subcomplex has its own specifics and requires optimal formation and rational use of vehicles. Given short periods, seasonality and high volume of transported cargo, as well as the fact that agriculture is mainly engaged in small and medium-sized farms that can not afford to allocate a separate rolling stock of cars only for transportation of grain crops it makes sense to explore ways of increasing technological adaptability of existing cargo vehicles in the economy to variable factors of cargo volume weight. One of the most effective and economical ways of influencing the adaptation coefficient of the vehicle to the variable volume weight factor of the cargo can be considered as changing the height of the sides of the cargo body.

Analysis of the tank car market in Russia and optimization of operating models of operator companies

Background: Oil and petroleum products are still the main items of the Russian budget. This segment of cargoes is dominating in the railway transportation market. In the coming years, the study of this segment will not lose its relevance. Constantly arising shortage of wagons - petroleum tank cars, restricts sales of raw materials and products of their processing, leads to growth of transportation costs.
 Aim: The major goal is to quantify the shortage of tank cars for oil and petroleum products transportation and to develop an optimal operating model for the operator's company.
 Methods: The research data are statistical samples of oil and petroleum products transportation market indicators for the period from 2020 to the present, the indicators of efficiency of the rolling stock use by the operator companies. The research is built on the methods of statistical analysis of the market of oil and petroleum products transportation, factor analysis of dependences of the cargo volumes presented for transportation, the volume of transportation and the condition of the car fleet of operator companies.
 Results: The structured analysis of the tank car market in the Russian Federation is analyzed, and the operating model of the operator company with a full complex of logistic solutions for oil and petroleum products transportation, realized on the basis of the efficient use of the rolling stock fleet, is developed.
 Conclusion: Recommendations on optimizing operating costs for the maintenance of the rolling stock of operating companies, taking into account its maintenance in proper technical condition, ensuring traffic safety and increasing the efficiency of transportation by rail are given.

Analysis of the Impacts of Freight Subsidisation on Transport Mode Selection: An Assessment of the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme

The objective of this research is to identify the key selection criteria that form the basis of a shipper’s selection of freight transport mode. The study is undertaken in the context of sea freight. The study is localised to Tasmanian shippers who are, or are potentially, recipients of freight subsidisation through the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme. Data collected through an internet-based survey is described, and influential mode choice selection criteria are reported with the use of descriptive statistics. The findings indicate that Tasmanian shippers are conscious of cost, service, and cargo characteristics.Median responses indicate that cost, service, and cargo are equally significant in the selection process. The findings indicate that cost and cost flexibility are influential cost-based criteria. The findings also indicate that transit time, service capacity, and service flexibility are influential service-based criteria. Shipment size, cargo weight, and cargo volume are also identified as influential cargo-based criteria.This study provides insight into mode choice selection for Tasmanian shippers. In this function, it may assist existing air and sea carriers operating in the Tasmanian market to evaluate their performance and strategy by providing an analysis of shippers’ transport mode choice process. Tasmanian shippers themselves may benefit from the potential expansion of their existing freight transport mode choice process. New shippers of freight into and out of Tasmania may benefit from the perspectives of existing shippers of freight into and out of Tasmania.

Comparison of Maritime and Road Transportations in Emissions Perspective: A Review Article

The international maritime organization (IMO) in its attempt to avert a global environmental crisis continues to provide policies to mitigate anthropogenic emissions from the transport industry. The greenhouse gas emissions from the transport industry are relatively large, alarming, and continue to raise. Therefore, it is the focal point for the fight against global warming. This article centers on transport emissions from transportation modes with a particular focus on ocean-going vessels and road vehicles. The aim is to conduct a literature review that beams a search on emissions comparison between marine vessels and general road vehicles as a means to support a modal shift from an environmental perspective. Thus, it is aimed to create a source for future studies and to contribute to the literature. For this purpose, X articles published between 2012-2022 were reached with the keywords "ship emissions", "road emissions", "GHG emissions" and "environmental sustainability", and 7 articles focusing on ship and road transportation were filtered out of them. Obtained results support the conclusion that ships contribute relatively little to the transport emissions footprint, given the enormous volume of cargo carried. In other words, environmental sustainability can be achieved through a possible modal shift from road transport to ship transport.

Automation in cargo loading/unloading processes: do unmanned loading technologies bring benefits when both purchase and operational cost are considered?

The use of technologies that automate handling goods and loading units in warehouses and depots is not new. Yet, the purchase process of these technologies issues troubles and the estimation of the economic advantages brought by one or another technology to the entire chain of operations in logistics are not always known. Faults or not documented decisions put pressure on managers and prices for services. They can cause a drop in the competitiveness of warehouse operators, particularly in uncertain conditions. Academia documented the cost of warehouse storage well. Yet, little research has looked into the economic justification of implementing automatic systems for loading or unloading activities and the impact on complementary operations. For this reason, a model is needed to calculate the cost of operations when different technical equipment is used. This research further investigates the cost categories that must be considered when purchasing automated loading/unloading technologies. The model includes the purchase and operational loading costs that new technologies generate and the cost of adjacent operations to loading activity. The case study uses forklifts as the reference scenario and provides an overview of the return on investment and a break-even period when other technologies are in use. The calculation model shows that increasing cargo volume leads to a better RoI. The same observation is also made regarding the rise in labour costs. For the latter, using human operators to handle pallets on a one-by-one basis generates an exponential increase in operational cost due to delays and faults. On the other side, the cost of implementing automated loading/unloading technologies and the consideration of technology risk determine the low economic advantages. An in-depth cost and benefit analysis shows in which situation a technology generates greater benefits. Further results of this paper show that better use of trucks' loading capacity can positively impact the financial performance of automated loading technologies, as a higher volume of cargo is moved (at once) without human intervention.

Solving the mystery of discrepancies and double counting in air cargo through demand and supply big data analysis

This paper estimates and analyses the air cargo demand and supply imbalances between large geographical regions based on newly collected demand and supply data. Due to the need for more data for academics and the industry, and the lesser research interest compared to its passenger counterpart, limited empirical research on air cargo market dynamics has been conducted. Live flight and aircraft data were collected for five consecutive years to reconstruct the air cargo network and capacity. Air cargo sales tonnes data were collected and introduced as these data eliminate double counting of transfer route volumes. Both datasets were used and compared to analyse the air cargo trade imbalances. The major findings indicate an imbalance in demand on most of the 110 studied region pair combinations. The supply data indicate a high imbalance for freighter capacity, a relatively smaller imbalance for integrator capacity and a limited imbalance for the wide-body belly capacity. The data indicate that the Middle East, Northeast Asia, Russia, Central Asia, and Central America regions are all transfer or in-transit regions where a large amount of cargo passes through. However, limited cargo volumes originate or find their final destination here. Although the general assumption indicates that air cargo supply follows air cargo demand, imbalances between demand and supply in opposing directions were found for several region pairs. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is one of the first academic sources to introduce data analysis based on sales tonnes. This research assists academics and the industry in getting a better understanding of the current air cargo market dynamics. It also provides a base to enhance future air cargo market research, analysis and forecasting.

Proposal and analysis for effective implementation of new measures to reduce the operational carbon intensity of ships

The Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) requirements for international shipping regulate total annual carbon dioxide emissions (by transport work proxy using the ship's Deadweight Tonnage (DWT) instead of the actual cargo carried). It limits the accurate calculation of operational efficiency and causes an overestimation of the operational energy efficiency of international shipping. Due to lack of research on the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) CII requirements (energy efficiency based on actual cargo), the effects of CII requirements were investigated by contrasting the CII values based on DWT and actual cargo carried from data provided by the European Union Monitoring, Reporting and Verification. Results demonstrated that the CII calculated using actual cargo carried differed from that calculated using DWT by an average of 30%. Thus, future data collection must be based on actual cargo volume to apply IMO CII criteria more precisely, intuitively, and consistently.

Evaluation and ranking of battery electric vehicles by Shannon’s entropy and TOPSIS methods

In today’s culture, everyone requires transportation. Polluting vehicles like those that run on gasoline or diesel are being swiftly replaced with all-electric cars. Fully electric vehicles are much more environmentally beneficial because they emit no exhaust. The market for electric vehicles has expanded quickly in recent years, making it difficult for consumers to evaluate them and a major source of concern. Our primary responsibility in this study is to rank the fifteen different brands and types of electric automobiles that are now available for purchase globally based on the established criteria. This study evaluates fifteen different electric vehicles, according to their different ten criteria such as full charge time, purchasing price, quick charge time, maximum power, electric range, battery capacity, top speed, cargo volume, acceleration, and unladen weight. For the assessment in this study, the electric vehicle dataset was obtained from automobile manufacturers. For the evaluation of electric vehicles, we use two methods. The first method, Shannon’s entropy, is used to determine the electric car’s criterion weight, while the second method, TOPSIS, is used to rank electric vehicles. The study’s findings indicate that the quick charge time, maximum power, electric range, battery capacity, top speed, and base price aspects of electric cars gained popularity. An evaluation of electric cars serves as the foundation for the research’s validity.

Assessment of the Influence of Maritime Piracy and Sea Robbery on Cargo throughput Performance of Nigerian Ports

The study assessed the impact of maritime piracy and sea robbery on the cargo throughput performance of Nigeria ports. The central objective of the study was to determine the significances of the influences of levels of attacks against ships trading in global cum local waters and maritime insecurity induced cargo pilferage levels on the cargo throughput performance of Nigeria ports. The study used secondary data sourced from the Nigerian ports authority, and the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) on the cargo throughput, levels of pirate attacks against ships in local; and global waters, level of cargo pilferages in ports and used for the study. The multiple regression analysis method was used to analyze the dataset obtained using cargo throughput performance of the ports as the dependent variable while global attacks, local attacks and volume of cargo pilfered were used as independent variables. the model showing the effects of maritime piracy and sea robbery attacks on the cargo throughput performance of the Nigerian ports is: CARGOt= 0.729700 +0.0140GLOTAKSt – 0.0921LOTAKSt –0.0003VOCARPt ….. (2). It indicates that a unit increase in attacks in global waters increases the cargo throughput in Nigerian ports by 0.0140 units while a unit increase in local attacks by pirates within the Nigerian territorial waters causes cargo throughput performance of Nigerian ports to decrease by 0.0921 units. Similarly, a unit increase in cargo pilferage associated with maritime insecurity in Nigeria ports causes the cargo throughput performance of the ports to decrease by 0.0003 units. It is also found that that there is a significant impact of the level of maritime piracy/sea robbery on the cargo throughput performance of the Nigerian seaports.