International Freight Research Articles

A pathway design framework for national freight transport decarbonization strategies

ABSTRACT National and international freight transport emissions represent about 40% of global transport emissions, with demand expected to triple by 2050, which will increase emissions further. However, to meet the 1.5°C climate goal, a rapid decrease in transport emissions is required, along with the achievement of zero emissions as soon as possible around mid-century. Given this context, long-term low-emission national development pathways provide a strategic instrument to align short-term action with long-term objectives and to reduce national freight transport emissions. However, current transport-energy modelling studies often exclude the structural and systemic mitigation options that influence the industrial production and supply chain structure, as well as modal and logistics choices, and instead focus mainly on the technological options related to road freight vehicles and fuels. In addition, such studies lack relevant policy and stakeholder-oriented explanations of the barriers and enablers associated with these options. In this paper, we introduce a new framework to design and compare long-term national and sectoral decarbonization pathways for freight transportation, facilitating the consideration of all decarbonization options and the organization of stakeholder-oriented policy dialogues. The development of this sectoral framework builds on the general Deep Decarbonization Pathways (DDP) framework and a first implementation in France. It is then applied and tested in three emerging countries: Brazil, India and South Africa and the results show that the linking of systemic and technological changes could reduce emissions per tonne-km by at least 60%, and up to 100% by 2050, while also reducing energy consumption and supporting national development.

Global Freight Transport Emissions Responsibility.

The transportation of freight by land, sea and air underpins the complex network of global trade in physical commodities. Greenhouse gas emissions from freight transportation are a significant component of global emissions and are predicted to grow in coming decades. However, the inclusion of freight transport in emissions accounts and environmental impact studies is often incomplete. Both data availability and difficulties in allocating freight emissions to specific commodity trades contributes to this. In this study, international freight movements by transport mode are estimated from the bottom-up by imputing global freight transport routes. Emissions are estimated from these freight movements and integrated with a global multiregional input-output model. This enables the calculation of carbon footprints that are complete with respect to freight emissions. We estimate that global freight transport emissions contributed 2.8 Gt CO2-equiv in 2012, or about 41% of total transport emissions. In general, freight footprints contribute about 9% to national emissions footprints. While trade in physical commodities (such as construction materials, food and fossil fuels) are associated with the largest embodied freight emissions, services (such as public administration, education and health) also require significant freight transport. Using a consumption-based allocation of freight transport emissions allows the decarbonisation of other sectors to be complementary to the decarbonisation of transport through reduction in demand, for example through material efficiency strategies. To drive decarbonisation in maritime transport it is critical to include bunker emissions in national emissions inventories, thereby completing the system boundary.

ВПЛИВ ВІЙНИ НА МІЖНАРОДНІ ТРАНСПОРТНІ ПЕРЕВЕЗЕННЯ УКРАЇНИ

The article found that the full-scale war in Ukraine had a strong impact on international transportation. The structure of the volume of cargo transportation and the number of transported passengers were analyzed. It was determined that there is uncertainty in the market of international freight transportation of Ukraine during the studied period. On the one hand, the war had a negative impact on the country's economy and led to a decrease in the volume of cargo transportation. On the other hand, Ukraine is an important transit country through which key logistics routes connecting Europe and Asia pass. It was established that the blocking of air transport and sea trade, with the exception of the "Grain Initiative", led to a radical change in the structure of domestic import/export and the leadership of land corridors. Global transformations in world trade caused by the war in Ukraine also affected the configuration of existing supply chains, Ukrainian exports were completely reoriented towards the EU. It is indicated that Ukraine's signing of an agreement on visa-free transport cooperation with the European Union has opened up new prospects for bilateral international road transport, freeing Ukrainian carriers from the need to obtain permits for flights to EU countries. However, there are also negative trends that affect the growth of transport services and, as a result, decrease the competitiveness of transport companies. A list of legislative and regulatory innovations and organizational measures aimed at improving international transportation is given. It is argued that a successful solution for the recovery of the country will be the integration of the Ukrainian economy into the EU economic system with the help of various European logistics and infrastructure projects. It was determined that the key factors in the normalization of transportation were: the conclusion of the "Grain Initiative" with the UN and Turkey, which allowed to unblock the ports of Great Odesa; signing the Agreement on the Liberalization of Road Freight Transportation with the EU; development of border infrastructure, in particular, increasing the capacity of existing road and railway checkpoints, as well as the opening of new ones; increasing cargo handling in the ports of the Danube port cluster.

Determinations of employee engagement and employee performance at international freight forwarding company

Determinations of employee engagement and employee performance at international freight forwarding company

An Integrated Framework for Estimating Origins and Destinations of Multimodal Multi-Commodity Import and Export Flows Using Multisource Data

Estimating origin-destination (OD) demand is integral to urban, regional, and national freight transportation planning and modeling systems. However, in developing countries, existing studies reveal significant inconsistencies between OD estimates for domestic and import/export commodities derived from interregional input-output (IO) tables and those from regional IO tables. These discrepancies create a significant challenge for properly forecasting the freight demand of regional/interregional multimodal transportation networks. To this end, this study proposes a novel integrated framework for estimating regional and international (import/export) OD freight flows for a set of key commodities that dominate long-distance transportation. The framework leverages multisource data and follows a three-step process. First, a spatial economic model, PECAS activity allocation, is developed to estimate freight OD demand within a specific region. Second, the international (import and export) freight OD is estimated from different zones to foreign countries, including major import and export nodes such as international seaports, using a gravity model with the zone-pair friction obtained from a multimodal transportation model. Third, the OD matrices are converted from monetary value to tonnage and assigned to the multimodal transportation super network using the incremental freight assignment method. The model is calibrated using traffic counts of the highways, railways, and port throughput data. The proposed framework is tested through a case study of the Province of Jiangxi, which is crucial for forecasting freight demand before the planning, design, and operation of the Ganyue Canal. The predictive analytics of the proposed framework demonstrated high validity, where the goodness-of-fit (R2) between the observed and estimated freight flows on specific links for each of the three transport modes was higher than 0.9. This indirectly confirms the efficacy of the model in predicting freight OD demands. The proposed framework is adaptable to other regions and aids practitioners in providing a comprehensive tool for informed decision-making in freight demand modeling.

EXAMINING THE EFFICIENCY OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION DURING A SPECIFIC TIME PERIOD

The aim of this study is to determine the efficiency values of the Republic of Turkey State Railways (TCDD) in national and international freight transportation between 2010 and 2019. Additionally, the study aims to identify the years in which the company operated more efficiently, process this information, and provide reference years and recommendations to relevant institutions.Since railway investment costs are very high, the efficient use of resources is of great importance. This study is significant in terms of guiding the efficient use of railway resources. Moreover, the use of different input and output variables over a specific time period distinguishes this study from other scientific research, as it incorporates both national and international data. For efficiency measurement, output (tonne-kilometres) and input variables (amount of freight transported, main line length, and number of freight wagons) were used, following the relevant literature. The data used in the research were obtained from the activity reports of TCDD and the Turkish Statistical Institute. DEAP (Data Envelopment Analysis Program) software, based on Productivity Time Analysis, was used to analyze the research data. As a result, the average efficiency in national railway freight transport decreased by 1.8%, while the average efficiency in international railway freight transport decreased by 22.4%. The reference year for both types of transport was 2010. Although efficiency in international railway freight transport showed partial improvement in certain years, it generally exhibited a continuous downward trend.

Assessing the impact of China Railway Express operations on the development of Chinese cities: China-Europe freight routes evolution and city development analysis

The operation of the China Railway Express (CRE) has diversified freight transportation between China and Europe, expanding the international freight channels in Chinese cities where CRE operates. However, the relationship between the evolution of China-Europe freight routes and the development of Chinese cities remains unclear. Therefore, we propose a potential model to assess the evolution of CRE routes and develop an indicator system to measure city sustainability. We employ a coupled coordination degree model (CCDM) and structural equation modeling (SEM) to determine the impact of CRE on the development of these cities. Findings reveal several key insights. Firstly, CRE has facilitated the expansion of China-Europe freight routes in Chinese cities, significantly enhancing the accessibility of China-Europe integrated inland transportation. Secondly, the growth of freight routes between China and Europe has exerted a substantial influence on the long-term development of Chinese cities, particularly inland cities. The positive relationship between route evolution and city development has strengthened over time. Lastly, the expansion of China-Europe freight routes indirectly contributes to the development of inland cities, primarily through stimulating innovation, industry scale, financial growth, and international trade. In contrast, coastal cities mainly benefit from the direct promotion of the international trade levels.

An Observation of Organizational Behaviour Differences Between White and Blue-Collar Transportation Roles

This project aims to provide a detailed overview and observation of the organizational behavioural differences found between on-site, blue-collar, and off-site, white-collar workers within the transportation industry. The observation will be drawn from personal experiences found between the two industries and the use of researched articles. The differences found will include studies of communication, delegation and autonomy, morale. and ethics between the two fields. The observations draw from my own experience as both a residential and commercial mover to contrast the behavioural differences between one industry to provide variabilities found within similar blue-collar roles, and my current role as an international freight forwarder, a white-collar position coordinating transportation in a global scope. Researched roles include a 10-ton linehaul truck driver and a trucking company dispatcher—both roles I am not directly familiar with to provide further insight beyond my experiences.

Analysis of the use of logistics-telematics systems for cost reduction in a transport company

Purpose: The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which real-time monitoring of vehicles and the collection of operational data about them through telematic systems can contribute to the reduction of operating costs in a transport company. The study focuses on specific factors such as the driver's actions, which can affect the vehicle's technical condition and diesel consumption levels. Methodology: The research is based on an analysis of operational data obtained from the vehicles of a transport company engaged in international freight transportation. The data were primarily analyzed for an indicator related to total fuel (diesel) consumption while driving. Linear models were created using the least squares method, and the best-fitting models were selected to draw conclusions about the impact of telematic systems on the company's costs. Results: The study found that the introduction of a telematic system can have a positive impact on a transport company's operations and help reduce costs associated with the execution of transport orders. The analysis of the data showed that individual factors, such as driving time, average axle load, and average travel speed, can affect the total driving fuel consumption of all vehicles and contribute to the overall cost reduction. Theoretical contribution: This paper contributes to the understanding of the role of telematic systems in the optimization of fleet planning and management, which is a crucial aspect of the logistics of transporting goods. The research provides insights into the potential of real-time monitoring and data collection for improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of transport companies. Practical implications: The findings of this study can be useful for transport companies looking to improve their operations and reduce costs. The research highlights the importance of using telematic systems in the right way to carry out the transportation of goods and suggests that real-time monitoring and data analysis can be key to minimizing costs and maximizing profits.

Navigating Pakistan's Maritime Industry potential in context of blue economy: An analysis of the necessity for ratification of maritime labour convention 2006

The maritime sector of Pakistan has a rich history and vast potential; however, it has yet to ratify the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC-2006). This paper provides a comprehensive overview of Pakistan's maritime sector, labour market, and an introduction to its potential in the context of the blue economy as a flag state, port state, and seafarers-supplying state. The study primarily focuses on why Pakistan needs to ratify the MLC-2006 to adhere to international standards for seafarer welfare and protection. The paper examines the impact of the MLC-2006 on the sector, along with the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) of Pakistan ratifying the MLC-2006. The paper concludes that ratifying the MLC-2006 could offer significant benefits to the government, ship-owners, and seafarers in Pakistan by safeguarding their rights, enhancing operational efficiency, and improving the country's reputation in the maritime industry. Lastly, the paper suggests that the adoption of the MLC-2006 could greatly benefit Pakistan's maritime sector. It would enhance seafarers' rights, improve working conditions, promote high training standards, and create a transparent and accountable industry. This would attract investment, enhance competitiveness, and encourage youth participation in the profession. Compliance with the MLC-2006 would also secure Pakistan-flagged vessels and attract more international freight to its ports.

The impact of China railway express on foreign direct investment inflows in Chinese central and western cities

Capital needs transportation channels. Following successful communication and cooperation with Central Asian and European states, the China railway express (CRE) has been built by central and western cities. This new international freight service will greatly enhance the transport conditions in the central and western cities. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct an in-depth analysis of the impact of CRE operations on foreign direct investment (FDI) flows in the central and western regions. For analyses, a panel data of 152 Chinese cities from 2008 to 2020 is used and staggered difference in differences (DID) model is applied as a quasi-natural experiment. The results demonstrated that the operation of the CRE had a positive and significant impact on FDI inflows in the central and western cities, particularly in western cities, large cities, and non-resource based cities in China. Mechanism analysis shows that CRE operations can enhance the ability to attract foreign investment in the central and western regions through the promotion of industrial agglomeration and the expansion of market size. Therefore, the government should actively optimize the layout of CRE transportation routes and establish an inter-regional coordinating mechanism for freight sources, thus allowing the radiating effect of CRE central cities to reach out to peripheral cities.

Automation and digitalisation of transport forwarding services or logistics

With the spread of globalisation, the transition of various states to common standards, including in the field of international freight transportation, becomes especially relevant. The purpose of this work is to assess the effectiveness of logistics in examples of countries that are members of the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as the USA, to compare them and identify key trends in the development of the field of road freight transport. In this work, methods of statistical analysis and forecasting were applied, graphs of the logistics efficiency index of the countries studied were drawn up and the most promising international transport and logistics projects were identified. As a result, logistics performance indices were obtained in the context of indicators from 2007 to 2023, and the average Commonwealth indicator was determined and compared with a similar indicator of the USA. Also, key innovations in the field of transport services were considered, allowing Western companies to have a significant advantage in the development of logistics efficiency. The prospects of Commonwealth countries in the leading Eurasian transport corridors and the advantages of such integration in comparison with intra-union projects were determined.

Modeling and simulation analysis of optimal layout scheme of aviation logistics park based on genetic algorithm

AbstractAs an important component of modern logistics industry, aviation logistics parks address the problems of unreasonable layout and low efficiency in traditional planning and construction methods. The study first constructed a grid model for optimizing the layout of functional areas in the aviation logistics park, and selected the layout scheme with the highest comprehensive correlation as the optimal planning. At the same time, three important model parameters were determined: prediction of cargo throughput, size of functional areas in the park, and comprehensive correlation values between functional areas. Subsequently, in response to the optimization problem of functional area layout in aviation logistics parks, a cosine adaptive genetic algorithm based on adaptive reversal operation was introduced to solve the model. According to the findings, the research mention algorithm has an average utilization rate of up to 69.64% in the international freight zone, which is a 12.38% improvement over the conventional genetic algorithm. Additionally, it has an average domestic cargo area utilization rate of 67.93%, 11.24% greater than the genetic algorithm. This demonstrated that the functional area layout scheme of the aviation logistics park produced by examining the suggested algorithm is extremely viable and offers new ideas and techniques for the planning and designing of aviation logistics parks.

Шляхи вдосконалення діяльності транспортно-експедиторських підприємств в умовах розвитку інформаційних технологій

The aim of the article is to highlight possible ways to improve the activities of transport and forwarding enterprises in the context of the development of information technology. In the course of the study, it was found that in the scientific sphere there is an active coverage of the introduction of information and innovative technologies in the field of transport and forwarding activities and it is emphasized that the dynamic and rapidly changing environment requires additional and constant updating in accordance with the latest trends. It is determined that the basis for the development of transport and forwarding activities is the growth of international trade and the expansion of the e-commerce industry around the world. The structure of export-import operations of Ukraine for 2023 is presented and it is noted that, in accordance with the current legislation of Ukraine, forwarding services are provided to the client for export, import, transit, as well as for domestic transportation through the territory of Ukraine. The services that can be provided by transport and forwarding enterprises are directly allocated, and the specifics of their activities are described. International organizations (UNCTАD, FIATA) are presented, which were among the first in the market to focus on the importance of introducing information technology in order to create a single international data exchange system for all participants in the transport and logistics market. The advantages of creating a single information space and digitalization of business processes of transport and forwarding enterprises are indicated. The latest trends in the international freight transportation market, which have simplified the procedures for issuing transport and accompanying documents due to their digitalization, are highlighted. The directions of use of blockchain technologies in the field of management of transport and forwarding enterprises are considered. It is determined that today not all enterprises are ready for the introduction of modern information technologies, which is caused by the outdated management culture, technological barriers, etc.

Is logistics service quality a pathway to customer loyalty in the international freight forwarding industry

Is logistics service quality a pathway to customer loyalty in the international freight forwarding industry

Railway Freight Corridors in the European Union

With the approval of four regulatory railway packages of the European Union, the development of railway traffic, the opening of the goods and passenger transport market, the expansion of liberalisation, the removal of barriers, and the gradual establishment of a single European railway area have been achieved. The competitiveness and efficiency of freight railways in Europe have been accomplished by establishing international freight corridors. The Alpine–Balkan rail freight corridor was established for more accessible and better-quality goods transport services between Central and Southeast Europe with a connection to Turkey.

Стратегические направления и перспективы развития в РФ логистической информационной платформы LOGINK

The directions of digital transformation of unimodal and multimodal freight transportation are being studied within the framework of the Superservice 22 project, the state information system of electronic transportation documents (GIS EPD), the automated ETRAN system, and the INTERTRAN project. The strategic goals of creating a national digital transport and logistics platform in Russia are determined. The experience of the phased construction of the LOGINK transport and logistics public information platform in China is summarized and investigated. Three stages of the development of the LOGINK information platform are distinguished and characterized: the stage of internal standardization; the stage of regional integration; the stage of international promotion. The types and flows of information exchange on the LOGIN transport and logistics platform are identified. The dynamics of the development of the LOGIN platform's international cooperation with seaports, leading shipping companies and global logistics operators is considered. The cooperation of the LOGINK transport and logistics platform with international organizations and institutions that set standards in the field of logistics and freight transportation is being studied. Strategic directions for using the LOGINK platform are being established within the framework of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative in order to increase China's influence on international freight transportation and global supply chains. Proposals are being developed to change the strategy of “international promotion” of the LOGINK platform and enhance its cooperation with logistics operators of alternative container transportation routes and cross-border transit routes, in particular with Russian ports, rail carriers and leading logistics companies in Russia. The stages of the implementation of the strategy of “international promotion” of the LOGINK information platform in the Russian market of transport and logistics services are determined and characterized in a meaningful way. The expediency of combining the LOGINK information platform with the ecosystem of digital transport corridors of the Eurasian Economic Union is substantiated.

Analysis of Incoterms and Relational Resources to Improve Competitive Advantage: A Study of Freight Forwarders Company in Indonesia

This study aims to analyze the impact of Incoterm and relational resources on the competitive advantage of Indonesian Freight forwarders. The measurement methodology uses structural equation model (SEM) analysis with SmartPLS software to analyze the impact of Incoterms and relational resources on competitive advantage. Through social media, online questionnaires were sent to gather research data. The Likert scale of 5 was used to create the questionnaire. Companies that provide freight forwarding services were the respondents in this study, chosen by simple random sampling. Online questionnaires were distributed to 75 companies to answer questions submitted. The data analysis step is validity tests, reliability tests, significance tests, and hypothesis tests. Based on the data processing results, it is found that Incoterm and relational resources positively affect competitive advantages. The novelty of this study is a model of the relationship between the effect of Incoterm and relational resources on the competitive advantage of freight forwarding companies. The research's theoretical implication is that Freight forwarder companies' management should select appropriate incoterms and implement relational resource policies to encourage increased competitive advantage. One of the limitations of this study is that the sample size used is only a small number of companies engaged in international Freight Forwarder services, only 75 companies.

Competency Modeling at an International Freight Forwarding Company in Bangkok, Thailand

This study presents a competency modeling exercise conducted at a company located in Bangkok, Thailand. The company provides international logistics and freight forwarding services. The findings of this study include the key competencies and competency gaps, as well as the organization development methods to fill those competency gaps. The study identifies the need for competency modeling and management based on the company’s strategic plan. Based on the review of the literature and the identification of one in-depth interview and multiple focus groups as the data collection method, a competency modeling process is devised. Referring to the data collected from the in-depth interviews and focus group discussions; the authors present the competency modeling process and identify the gaps for each job category. In the latter part of the study, the authors present the organization’s development methods, recommend ways to fill the competency gaps, and indicate the relevance of updating the competency scorecard every year. This study will be helpful for human resource managers, line managers, and supervisors in the logistics and supply chain industry. Moreover, the findings of this study will be helpful for the employees of such companies and their leadership and management alike. Considering the changes brought about by the pandemic, this study can be used by other logistics service providers as a benchmark for competency management.

Analysis Competency, Employee Resilience, and Leadership Impact on Organization Performance the Freight Forwarding Company

This study aims to see the relationship between variables and analyze the factors that cause a decrease in organizational performance. This research uses a literature review study to systematically review previous articles to see the correlation with the current research, the results are there is a relationship between all independent variables on the dependent variable. This finding can really be a novelty in qualitative research, organizational performance can increase with competency, employee resilience, and leadership at a company's international freight forwarding. In previous research, there are many other independent variables that can improve organizational performance but they are not mentioned in this study. Within a limited time frame, the researchers determined which independent variable was most dominant.