Cargo Transport Research Articles

A seafarers’ cognitive error mining model based on IDA and TRACEr and mitigation measures for ship collision accidents

Human factor is the main cause of maritime accidents. However, the in-depth study on the mechanism of cognitive errors in seafarers’ human error needs to be supplemented. This study empirically analyzes 116 collision cargo ships along the Yangtze River trunk line. To explore the relationship between seafarers’ task errors and the cognitive process of accidents, a seafarers’ cognitive error mining model is proposed, which integrates the Information, Decision, and Action (IDA) cognitive model into the Technique for the Retrospective and Predictive Analysis of Cognitive Errors (TRACEr). According to the approach of mining from the outside to the inside, firstly, the error mode in the cognitive stage of seafarer tasks are identified. Then the fine-grained main manifestation of the task errors is mined by K-means, and Apriori algorithm is employed to mine the hidden features between the external and internal error modes. The results show that there are four main problems of Yangtze River ship accidents, and seafarers have four to seven corresponding causal chains from psychological error mechanism to performance shaping factors for each major issue in the cognitive stage. On the basis of the results, this study summarizes the guiding principles of accident prevention and seafarer management measures to provide decision support for water traffic safety.

Assessing the carbon footprint of soybean transportation in Brazil: a network equilibrium model approach.

Brazil has historically invested few resources in its transport infrastructure, leaving gaps and reducing its efficiency. The country presents a high dependence on road transport, which results in increased operational costs and higher greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Consequently, the performance of cargo transportation in Brazil has been deteriorating, accompanied by a rise in the consumption of fossil fuels and noteworthy levels of GHG emissions. This article assesses the carbon intensity of soybean transport operations within Brazil. Utilizing a network equilibrium model, this study estimated the soybean transportation flows that minimize the total cost of transporting this product across the origins and destinations within the grain handling system. The modeling also calculated the GHG emissions in transportation. The results show that the transportation of soybeans produced 2.74 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually, with road transport accounting for 81.7% of these emissions. The state of Mato Grosso, responsible for 44.08kg CO2 equivalent per tonne of soybeans transported, contributed almost 49% of the total emissions due to the extensive distances involved. In contrast, states like Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul, located closer to southern ports, exhibited the lowest emissions, with rates of 11.55kg CO2 eq/t and 12.52kg CO2 eq/t, respectively. The analysis highlights the significant potential for reducing GHG emissions by increasing the use of rail and barge transport, particularly in high-emission regions such as Mato Grosso.

Evaluation of the strength of the truck tractor’s frame under emergency braking conditions

Authors carried out a theoretical study of the force impact during emergency braking on the strength of the frame of a truck tractor as a part of a road train with a semi-trailer in order to build a model of the dependence of the safety factor index of the frame on the geometric and weight parameters of the car, semi-trailer, transported cargo and the type of the pavement. Using D'Alembert's principle, a generalized calculation scheme of the frame of the semi-trailer and the truck unit after reaching a steady deceleration during emergency braking while maintaining straight-line movement and adhesion of all wheels to pavement was made. Through a static calculation, the dependences for the unknown reactions of the car frame constraints were obtained, its dangerous cross-section was established, and the condition for the static strength of the longeron was determined. Using this condition and the obtained ratios for active and reactive loads, a model of the dependence of the safety margin coefficient of the car frame on the road train parameters was built. By the example of a road train consisting of a KrAZ-6446 truck tractor and a VARZ-6006 semi-trailer the application of the constructed model for evaluating the strength of the car frame and determining the permissible safe zone location of the center of gravity of different weights cargo in the plane of the road train is demonstrated. The method proposed in this work and the built model can be used to study the strength of the frames of truck tractors and semi-trailers of other manufacturers and types and to establish safe schemes for the placement and fastening of loads to ensure the operational reliability of the vehicle and the safety and security of cargo transportation.

The study of design and optimisation for CFRP combined pier anti-collision device

A CFRP honeycomb combination anti-collision device with a larger anti-collision level, greater crashworthiness, and longer service life was designed to safeguard the ship and piers in the event of an unintentional collision. Taking large-tonnage cargo ships and common bridge piers in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River as the research objects, the energy conversion response, impact force response and impact depth response of the collision were studied considering the collision conditions between the ship and the bare pier and the collision avoidance device. On this basis, the response surface method, variance analysis method and efficacy coefficient method were further used to take the shell thickness of the collision avoidance device and the thickness of the internal steel structure as the design parameters. The multi-objective optimisation design of the CFRP composite anti-collision device is carried out by selecting the ship impact force, the total internal energy absorbed by the anti-collision device, the total mass, and the inner diameter of the honeycomb steel structure as the optimisation objectives. The results show that the impact force reduction rate reaches 82.7%, the overall mass is greatly reduced, the maximum deformation is within a reasonable range, and the collision resistance is optimised.

Actual tasks of the development of river container transportation

The article is devoted to proposals within the framework of strategic objectives for the development of multimodality in river cargo transportation. The introduction describes the current state of river port infrastructure, assesses its readiness for containerization and provides statistics on such transportation. The materials and methods formulate strategic objectives for solving the problems of effective functioning of river transport in modern conditions. The results show the technology for reloading container cargo with portal cranes. results of calculating the travel time of container cargo along the route St. Petersburg - Kazan, taking into account transshipment by water and rail transport. The authors included scientific and practical recommendations for the discussion on the formation of a container line and the composition of ports on it. In conclusion, it was concluded that container transportation has prospects for development on river highways, which will contribute to both achieving the strategic goal of developing multimodality in transport and logistics schemes involving inland water transport, and can also lead to an increase in cargo traffic, improving the quality of transport services for clients and increasing competitiveness of river highways, which is especially important in the current conditions of the breakdown of traditional logistics connections.

An overview of the constructions of conveyors for moving bulk materials, comparison and study of their parameters

The production of concrete mixes, along with their use in the production of building materials and structures, is one of the key processes in the construction industry during the construction, restoration and repair of buildings and structures. Because of this, the need to create modern concrete mixing plants that will meet the requirements of minimum energy consumption and maximum productivity of concrete mixture production is an urgent task. Not only the main operations, which include the dosing of the components of the mixture and their mixing, but also the maintenance operations, namely operations that ensure the timely movement of the components of the concrete mixture from warehouses to the main technological equipment, affect the set rhythm of the concrete mixture production. Conveyors of various types and designs are used to move bulk materials, such as crushed stone and sand. For the rational selection of such equipment in accordance with the characteristics of the cargo to be transported, knowledge of the types of conveyors, their structures and parameters, understanding of operation issues and methods of parameter calculation are required. In addition, it is worth paying attention to the following parameters: maximum cargo transportation productivity, low energy consumption per unit of moved products, low metal content of the structure. The work reviewed the most common designs of conveyors used to move bulk materials in concrete mixing plants, analyzed the disadvantages and advantages of conveyors, as well as technical parameters. As a result, the predominant directions for the use of belt and plate conveyors at construction enterprises were determined. The advantages of belt conveyors, which contribute to their widespread distribution, are high productivity, simplicity of design, reliability, quiet operation, low specific power consumption. When choosing a conveyor, it is recommended to choose the equipment with the highest productivity and the lowest power of the drive motors, however, the performance should be clearly related to other technological equipment.

A guide to selecting high-performing antibodies for Rab10 (UniProt ID: P61026) for use in western blot, immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence

Rab10 is a small GTPase involved in cargo transport from the trans-Golgi network to the plasma membrane and endocytic recycling back to the cell membrane. It has garnered significant interest in neurodegenerative disease research, particularly due to its phosphorylation by the LRRK2 kinase. This relationship underscores the importance of Rab10 in cellular processes related to disease pathology, specifically Parkinson’s disease. The accessibility of renewable and selective antibodies against Rab10 would advance research efforts, enabling further understanding of its function and implications in disease. Here, we have characterized eight Rab10 commercial antibodies for western blot, immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence using a standardized experimental protocol based on comparing read-outs in knockout cell lines and isogenic parental controls. These studies are part of a larger, collaborative initiative seeking to address antibody reproducibility issues by characterizing commercially available antibodies for human proteins and publishing the results openly as a resource for the scientific community. While use of antibodies and protocols vary between laboratories, we encourage readers to use this report as a guide to select the most appropriate antibodies for their specific needs.

A Photocaged Microtubule‐Stabilising Epothilone Allows Spatiotemporal Control of Cytoskeletal Dynamics

AbstractThe cytoskeleton is essential for spatial and temporal organisation of a wide range of cellular and tissue‐level processes, such as proliferation, signalling, cargo transport, migration, morphogenesis, and neuronal development. Cytoskeleton research aims to study these processes by imaging, or by locally manipulating, the dynamics and organisation of cytoskeletal proteins with high spatiotemporal resolution: which matches the capabilities of optical methods. To date, no photoresponsive microtubule‐stabilising tool has united all the features needed for a practical high‐precision reagent: a low potency and biochemically stable non‐illuminated state; then an efficient, rapid, and clean photoresponse that generates a high potency illuminated state; plus good solubility at suitable working concentrations; and efficient synthetic access. We now present CouEpo, a photocaged epothilone microtubule‐stabilising reagent that combines these needs. Its potency increases approximately 100‐fold upon irradiation by violet/blue light to reach low‐nanomolar values, allowing efficient photocontrol of microtubule dynamics in live cells, and even the generation of cellular asymmetries in microtubule architecture and cell dynamics. CouEpo is thus a high‐performance tool compound that can support high‐precision research into many microtubule‐associated processes, from biophysics to transport, cell motility, and neuronal physiology.

A Photocaged Microtubule-Stabilising Epothilone Allows Spatiotemporal Control of Cytoskeletal Dynamics.

The cytoskeleton is essential for spatial and temporal organisation of a wide range of cellular and tissue-level processes, such as proliferation, signalling, cargo transport, migration, morphogenesis, and neuronal development. Cytoskeleton research aims to study these processes by imaging, or by locally manipulating, the dynamics and organisation of cytoskeletal proteins with high spatiotemporal resolution: which matches the capabilities of optical methods. To date, no photoresponsive microtubule-stabilising tool has united all the features needed for a practical high-precision reagent: a low potency and biochemically stable non-illuminated state; then an efficient, rapid, and clean photoresponse that generates a high potency illuminated state; plus good solubility at suitable working concentrations; and efficient synthetic access. We now present CouEpo, a photocaged epothilone microtubule-stabilising reagent that combines these needs. Its potency increases approximately 100-fold upon irradiation by violet/blue light to reach low-nanomolar values, allowing efficient photocontrol of microtubule dynamics in live cells, and even the generation of cellular asymmetries in microtubule architecture and cell dynamics. CouEpo is thus a high-performance tool compound that can support high-precision research into many microtubule-associated processes, from biophysics to transport, cell motility, and neuronal physiology.

Monomer Composition as a Mechanism to Control the Self-Assembly of Diblock Oligomeric Peptide-Polymer Amphiphiles.

Diblock oligomeric peptide-polymer amphiphiles (PPAs) are biohybrid materials that offer versatile functionality by integrating the sequence-dependent properties of peptides with the synthetic versatility of polymers. Despite their potential as biocompatible materials, the rational design of PPAs for assembly into multichain nanoparticles remains challenging due to the complex intra- and intermolecular interactions emanating from the polymer and peptide segments. To systematically explore the impact of monomer composition on nanoparticle assembly, PPAs were synthesized with a random coil peptide (XTEN2) and oligomeric alkyl acrylates with different side chains: ethyl, tert-butyl, n-butyl, and cyclohexyl. Experimental characterization using electron and atomic force microscopies demonstrated that the tail hydrophobicity impacted accessible morphologies. Moreover, the characterization of different assembly protocols (i.e., bath sonication and thermal annealing) revealed that certain tail compositions provide access to kinetically trapped assemblies. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations of micelle formation unveiled key interactions and differences in core hydration, dictating the PPA assembly behavior. These findings highlight the complexity of PPA assembly dynamics and serve as valuable benchmarks to guide the design of PPAs for a variety of applications, including catalysis, mineralization, targeted sequestration, antimicrobial activity, and cargo transportation.

Truncated mini LRP1 transports cargo from luminal to basolateral side across the blood brain barrier

BackgroundThe most crucial area to focus on when thinking of novel pathways for drug delivery into the CNS is the blood brain barrier (BBB). A number of nanoparticulate formulations have been shown in earlier research to target receptors at the BBB and transport therapeutics into the CNS. However, no mechanism for CNS entrance and movement throughout the CNS parenchyma has been proposed yet. Here, the truncated mini low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 mLRP1_DIV* was presented as blood to brain transport carrier, exemplified by antibodies and immunoliposomes using a systematic approach to screen the receptor and its ligands’ route across endothelial cells in vitro.MethodsThe use of mLRP1_DIV* as liposomal carrier into the CNS was validated based on internalization and transport assays across an in vitro model of the BBB using hcMEC/D3 and bEnd.3 cells. Trafficking routes of mLRP1_DIV* and corresponding cargo across endothelial cells were analyzed using immunofluorescence. Modulation of γ-secretase activity by immunoliposomes loaded with the γ-secretase modulator BB25 was investigated in co-cultures of bEnd.3 mLRP1_DIV* cells and CHO cells overexpressing human amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin 1 (PSEN1).ResultsWe showed that while expressed in vitro, mLRP1_DIV* transports both, antibodies and functionalized immunoliposomes from luminal to basolateral side across an in vitro model of the BBB, followed by their mLRP1_DIV* dependent release of the cargo. Importantly, functionalized liposomes loaded with the γ-secretase modulator BB25 were demonstrated to effectively reduce toxic Aß42 peptide levels after mLRP1_DIV* mediated transport across a co-cultured endothelial monolayer.ConclusionTogether, the data strongly suggest mLRP1_DIV* as a promising tool for drug delivery into the CNS, as it allows a straight transport of cargo from luminal to abluminal side across an endothelial monolayer and it’s release into brain parenchyma in vitro, where it exhibits its intended therapeutic effect.

Flight Schedule Optimization Considering Fine-Grained Configuration of Slot Coordination Parameters

In response to the rapid growth of air passenger and cargo transportation services and the sharp increase in congestion at various airports, it is necessary to optimize the allocation of flight schedules. On the basis of reducing the total airport delay time and ensuring the total deviation of flight schedules applied by airlines, it is necessary to consider finely configuring flight schedules with slot coordination parameters, introducing a 5 min slot coordination parameter, and optimizing airport flight schedules in different time periods. This article considers factors such as flight schedule uniqueness, corridor flow restrictions, and time adjustment range limitations to establish a three-objective flight-schedule refinement configuration model, which is solved using the NSGA-II algorithm based on the entropy weight method. Taking Beijing Capital International Airport as an example, the optimized results show that the total flight delay was reduced from 4130 min to 1142 min, and the original delay of 389 flights was reduced to 283 flights. Therefore, flight schedule optimization considering the fine-grained configuration of slot coordination parameters can effectively reduce airport delays, fully utilize time resources, and reduce waste of time slot resources.

Effect of Cell-to-Cell Internal Resistance Variations on the Thermal Performance of Lithium-Ion Batteries for Urban Air Mobility

This study examines the thermal behavior of lithium-ion battery modules intended for Urban Air Mobility (UAM), a forthcoming urban transport system designed to facilitate efficient and secure passenger and cargo transport within city centers. UAM applications necessitate batteries with high energy densities capable of sustaining elevated discharge rates during critical phases such as takeoff and landing. The battery module evaluated in this study comprises four cells arranged in series and configured as a submodule for UAM applications. A three-dimensional thermal model was utilized to analyze the impact of external temperature fluctuations and high discharge rates on the performance of the battery module. The numerical findings indicated considerable variations in temperature and internal resistance among the cells, especially under high discharge rates at low temperatures, with a maximum temperature deviation of 32.952 °C observed at an 8 C discharge rate. These thermal non-uniformities were attributed to variations in cell capacity and internal resistance, which were amplified by manufacturing inconsistencies and operational conditions. The study underscores the necessity of robust thermal management strategies to mitigate the risk of thermal runaway and ensure the operational safety and reliability of UAM systems. The results emphasize the critical role of advanced Battery Management Systems (BMS) in monitoring and controlling cell voltage and temperature to achieve consistent performance across the battery module. This research contributes valuable insights into the design of more efficient and reliable battery modules for UAM, highlighting the importance of addressing cell-to-cell performance discrepancies to enhance overall module efficacy and durability.

Magnetically Driven Quadruped Soft Robot with Multimodal Motion for Targeted Drug Delivery.

Untethered magnetic soft robots show great potential for biomedical and small-scale micromanipulation applications due to their high flexibility and ability to cause minimal damage. However, most current research on these robots focuses on marine and reptilian biomimicry, which limits their ability to move in unstructured environments. In this work, we design a quadruped soft robot with a magnetic top cover and a specific magnetization angle, drawing inspiration from the common locomotion patterns of quadrupeds in nature and integrating our unique actuation principle. It can crawl and tumble and, by adjusting the magnetic field parameters, it adapts its locomotion to environmental conditions, enabling it to cross obstacles and perform remote transportation and release of cargo.

Institutional Bases for The Formation of the Subject of Aviation Infrastructure Management in the System of Ensuring the Sustainability of the Northern Sea Route

The development of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) infrastructure is one of the priority areas of managerial thought in the development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. Commercial use of high-latitude caravan routes in the waters of the NSR should significantly change the situation with the organization of logistical maritime flows around the Eurasian continent. Ensuring uninterrupted traffic along with fulfilment of the conditions of urgency of delivery and cargo safety form the category of stability of the NSR functioning. Its northern part runs exclusively in domestic seas, and ensuring regular vessel traffic is Russia’s priority task in the competition for transporting cargo from east to west (and back) by sea. The movement of ships along the NSR falls directly under the authority of the management of Rosatom State Corporation, while the management of the infrastructure that ensures the continuous movement of transport along the NSR is carried out collegially. At the same time, such an important aspect as the management of the infrastructure complex supporting the movement of container ships with transit cargo has been assigned to three components of a single management entity: the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Russian Far East and the Arctic, and Rosatom Corporation, without clearly defining the boundaries of responsibility for interdepartmental management decisions. To date, this approach has already caused a series of organizational and technical difficulties. The aim of the study is to identify the rational organization of the infrastructure of the management subject, allowing to ensure the sustainability of the movement of passenger and cargo ships throughout the water area of the NSR; it is based on such scientific methods as induction, systematization, grouping Key results of the work may be in demand both in the course of scientific research in the field of infrastructure development in the regions of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, and in the framework of improving the existing management system of aviation infrastructure of these territories.

Vector Borne Disease Ecology and Environment: Remote Sensing and GIS for Control and Management: A Systematic Review

The prevalence of vector borne disease epidemics are influenced by the thickness of the vectors persistent to climate, landscape, and environment. Historically evidenced of triggering epidemics in both vertical magnitude and horizontal spread (spatial diffusion) of increasing vector borne diseases, such as; malaria, dengue, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis, filariasis, leishmaniases, scrub typhus, Kyasanur forest disease (KFD), West Nile virus, Lyme disease, Zika virus, and Rift valley fever in the tropical and subtropical regions, particularly, in the third world countries for the past several decades. The geographical analysis of each one VBD epidemics has a unique vector ecology and environment. The prevalence of epidemic distribution patterns and seasonal variations, and associated vector ecology were analyzed throughout the world for the past periods, in order to assess the probability of potential risk and delineate the hotspot regions susceptible to the VBD outbreaks in the country, using Remote Sensing and GIS mapping analysis. It offers a quick and efficient approach to mapping of land uses/land cover patterns and its changes over space and time, and the information on these changes linking with vector profusion and disease ecology. Vector-borne disease epidemics across the country have been evidently associated with climate factors, landscape changes, potential breeding sources; such as, water bodies, rivers, streams, and mega water resource irrigation projects, dams / reservoirs, water pools, lakes, urban agglomerations, Urban sprawl, urban dynamics, industrial developments and growths, floating population, urban migration, land use / land cover changes, wet irrigation agriculture practices, seasonal migrations on occupation, cargo shipping movements, trade and commerce, etc., and have been acted upon changing the aboriginal territories by extent of epidemic scenarios into the non-endemic regions. The integrated Earth Observation Resource Satellite data integrated with GIS has effectiveness upon proved to disease mapping, ecological niche modeling, risk assessment, spatial prediction, and offering answers to both the public health programmers and research scientists concerned on vector fecundity, and vector borne disease ecology, and thus, the geographical, ecological and environmental determinants of its range is considered to be essential for sustainable public health planning. Accordingly, prevention measures and appropriate control strategy may possibly be applied during the sporadic outbreaks situations in the new epidemic regions as well in the hot spot endemic regions regularly, so as to control the erratic transmission and prevent acceleration of epidemics early in advance successfully.

Voyage charterparty arrangement for river tramp shipping: Green and traditional vessels comparison

Voyage charterparty arrangement (VCA) for river shipping is a common agreement between a shipowner and a charterer regarding the transportation of specific cargoes from one port to another via a tramp vessel. Optimizing VCA with the essential terms such as laytime and sailing speed of the vessel, is a crucial task for both parties to reduce potential disputes and achieve win-win outcomes. This paper models the problem from two perspectives: the VCA negotiation stage and execution stage. Firstly, according to the given probability distribution of port time, the theoretically optimal laytime is obtained by using textbook formulation of newsvendor problems (NVP). On this basis, considering the concerns about the inaccuracy of the given probability distribution and the adjustment measures taken by charterers and shipowners in reality, an integrated adjustment model is constructed to determine the optimal laytime in the VCA negotiation stage. Secondly, taking into account the vessel's uncertain lock crossing time, an operations coordination model with information sharing of the berth plan is established to obtain the optimal sailing speed under a certain confidence level in the VCA execution stage. Finally, a case study of chartering tramp vessels on the Yangtze River validates the applicability and effectiveness of the models proposed in this paper, and some important management insights are derived. The results show that establishing lower optimal speed limits and relatively shorter laytime when signing a contract with the shipowner of green river vessels is reasonable for the charterer. By notifying the shipowner of the berth plan after the green river vessel crosses through the lock, the charterer can avoid higher demurrage costs due to speeding-up. Operations coordination would be mutually beneficial without abusing the contract terms. Compared to traditional river vessels, it's more reasonable to reduce the benefits allocated to charterers from the deceleration of green river vessels by shipowners.

An Approach of Integration of Contextual Data in E-Service System for Management of Multimodal Cargo Transportation

Our research area concerns the development of an intelligent e-service system to help manage multimodal transportation processes. To better respond to the requirements of sustainable development, we encourage the development of multimodal cargo transportation. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the dissemination and management of information in multimodal transportation requires more accurate information transmission and implementation for better coordination of these processes with the interaction of all process participants. Also, contextual data integration into the e-service provision processes is important for more adequate real cargo transportation management. The transition to multimodal freight transport and the increase in its activity directly impact the sustainable development of this sector as transport flows are removed from ground roads and distributed more evenly to load more railways and sea vessels. This research aims to develop an approach to developing the infrastructure of an e-service system with the ability to integrate contextual data and influence the management of multimodal transportation. The methodological approach is based on methods of conceptual representation of information and methods for recognizing the flow of needful information during multimodal freight transportation according to adaptable management processes. The e-service provision system creates benefits for cargo drivers and delivery managers with more accurate information implementation and more adequate coordination of processes under real conditions by helping them make the right decisions.

Identification and Analysis of Barriers that Impact the Sustainable Development of Brazilian Cabotage

Brazil has ideal conditions for the large-scale use of cabotage cargo transportation: a vast coastline with almost 7,400 km, approximately 70% of the population resident in a coastal range of up to 200 km from the coast and a strong concentration of activities economic along the coast. However, there is an absolute domain of road modal for the transportation of goods, and cabotage is underused. The purpose of the study was to raise the main barriers that negatively impact the performance of Brazilian cabotage. To this end, it was used to bibliographic and documentary research, based on studies already published in journals, doctoral theses, master's dissertations, congress annals, technical reports and research on government-related government agencies sites, navigation companies and entities related to cabotage. The main barriers that contribute to the low use of cabotage in Brazil were identified and analyzed, as well as possible alternatives of solution for sustainable development of this mode of transport. Such a study will certainly serve as subsidies for the definition of public policies aimed at better use of Brazilian cabotage, as well as to encourage navigation companies to invest more in the transport of goods by cabotage, in order to contribute to the reduction of trucks on highways Brazilian and for environmental preservation.

Cargo bikes for personal transport: A user segmentation based on motivations for use

Building on the success of e-bikes, sales of e-cargo bikes are rapidly increasing in several countries. Cargo bikes fill an important gap in the urban transport market by combining the advantages of cycling with the greater transport capacity of a family car. Whereas most research on cargo bikes has focused on logistics, this paper addresses their use for personal transport. It is based on a large-scale survey in Switzerland among both proprietary cargo bike owners (CBO) and users of cargo bike sharing (CBS) (N = 955). A principal component analysis finds 3 families of motivations for using cargo bikes: transporting children, staying active, and reducing car use. Based on these 3 components, we use hierarchical clustering to identify 4 user segments: cargo transporters, enthusiasts, multimodals, and sustainable parents. Our results suggest that owned and shared cargo bikes are complementary and have the potential to attract new audiences to cycling and reduce car use. They could become a central component in a low-carbon/post-car urban mobility strategy. However, user experiences indicate that lacking safety, road infrastructure and parking provisions remain barriers to wider cargo bike use. We conclude by proposing a future research agenda for cargo bike research.