Sustainable Freight Transport Research Articles

TRENDS AND STRATEGIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MULTIMODALITY

The construction of highways facilitated the adaptation of an economy to the road network, so that only a small proportion of industrial facilities were located near railway lines or canal networks. In addition, the competitiveness of rail transport is reduced due to a lack of flexibility on timetabled routes. This is in stark contrast to the freedom and flexibility of road transport, which is able to synchronize the freight movements and manufacturing and warehousing operations much better. In the Studies for the TRAN Committee Modal change in European transport: the way forward , multimodality is identified as a potential solution to the question of sustainable freight transport. KEYWORDS: Freight, Strategies, Transport, Trends, Tariff, Import Duty, Customs Authorities, Maritime Shipping

Synchromodal transport re-planning: an agent-based simulation approach

In the rapidly evolving global marketplace, the logistics sector faces a multitude of challenges that demand implementation of more resilient solutions to respond to any future disturbance. Synchromodal transport, which is viewed as an extension of multimodal transport, is known as a key answer to this issue, as it provides more flexible and sustainable freight transport and also focuses on collaboration between different logistics players. We consider synchromodal transport as a collection of agents that not only have their own characteristics and behaviors, but also interact with each other, which impacts the entire system. In this paper, we study the system using an Agent-Based Modeling approach. The network represents the combination of long-haul and drayage transport, where pre-haulage and end-haulage are done only by truck, and the rest can be done by trucks, trains, or barges. A numerical experiment is conducted to evaluate cost savings and emissions reduction under different logistics service providers’ relation and re-routing scenarios. Our findings show that synchromodal scenarios are more economically and environmentally efficient, and that they lead to higher flexibility and reliability compared to business-as-usual scenarios. Additionally, our model verifies that the cost saving is considerable when logistics service providers collaborate with each other. The results of sensitivity analyses show consistent overall trends when comparing the different scenarios. Therefore, the conclusions drawn from the original experiment appear to be applicable, not only for that specific instance, but have broader relevance and applicability.

Sustainable supply chain design: A case of collaborative wholesale distribution

We assess the cooperative network design's efficiency outcomes in Morocco's food wholesale distribution. Before joining the collaborative coalition, we provide decision-makers with an initial preference instrument to assess the environmental and financial effects of cooperative freight distribution. We assess the practicality of incorporating decisions from the Facility Location Problem (FLP) and Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) into partnerships for sustainable freight transportation. The coalition utilizes a 3PL provider's fleet of cars, therefore the Vehicles are exempt from having to go back to the consolidation depot; as a result, the fundamental issue becomes an open location routing problem (OLRP). Although there have been several studies on open location-routing problems, their application to horizontal shipper collaboration is new. For diverse collaboration scenarios, our computational approach is founded on two-echelon OLRP under a multiple objective and periods’ framework. Every shipper involved in the partnership needs to receive gains. Therefore, evaluating the benefits to each individual shipper is essential for an effective and durable collaboration. This study addresses the issue of profit allocation to determine the collective and individual shipper's savings. By considering not just economic variables but also environmental factors, the Open LRP may help firms plan and optimize their collaborative supply chains in a more sustainable manner.

Decarbonization through modal shift using a synchromodal platform: A case study in the Great Lakes

This paper offers an empirical study to explore the relationship between transportation modalities and environmental concerns, promoting the adoption of synchromodality as a strategic pathway to achieving sustainable freight transport. The study uses a synchromodal freight transportation platform to analyze the impact of carbon tax policy on modal shift and environmental sustainability. The synchromodal platform is based on an optimization model using Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP), incorporating carbon tax as a surrogate measure for environmental costs. A sensitivity analysis is conducted across four distinct scenarios in a case study in the Great Lakes region, focusing on the Canada-US transborder trade. The results of this study illustrate the considerable potential for increasing the utilization of more environmentally sustainable transportation modes in this region. While the addition of carbon tax entails increased total transportation costs for each unit of cargo, the synchromodal-enabled modal shift promises to mitigate transportation’s negative externalities, including congestion, environmental impacts, and noise pollution. The results also highlight the role of synchromodality as a catalyst for sustainable freight transport decisions in the context of a carbon-conscious world.

Enabling sustainable freight transport with longer, heavier vehicles in India

This groundbreaking study focuses on understanding the environmental impacts of longer, heavier vehicles (LHVs) in India's transportation system. Through a comprehensive life cycle assessment using the OpenLCA program and ecoinvent database, the research reveals that LHVs have lower negative life cycle impacts than conventional trucks. Increasing the modal share of LHVs by 40% in India's road freight transportation significantly reduces the overall environmental harm compared to the current freight transport mix. Additionally, the study demonstrates that even without market expansion, a 40% increase in LHVs' presence leads to a remarkable 12% reduction in global warming effects. The findings emphasize LHVs' potential as a sustainable and eco-friendly solution for India's freight transportation while highlighting the need for infrastructure development to capitalize on these benefits fully. Although the study acknowledges limitations related to data sources, it offers valuable insights into shaping a greener and more efficient transport system for the nation's future.

Opportunities for Multimodal Transport Development to Promote a Sustainable Environment

The rapidly growing global production and trade increase the demand for transport and logistics, leading to the establishment of increasingly more new companies providing these services. This also results in a much larger number of vehicles, which is not always a positive thing. Excessive vehicle traffic leads to an increase in environmental pollution, noise and traffic accidents, which have a highly negative impact on society and, more specifically, on human health. The negative impact on the environment has been increasing, and therefore representatives of national politics, the transport and logistics sectors should be alarmed and take action to reduce the environmental pollution. The development of the transport system should be carefully planned and geared towards achieving green and sustainable transport. In order to create a sustainable freight transport network, certain alternatives that could help to stop or at least reduce the process of environmental pollution should be pursued. One of such alternatives is the use of multimodal transport, which involves several different modes of transport for transporting one freight. This both distributes and reduces the burden on the currently dominant road transport mode, which contributes significantly to environmental pollution and is not sufficiently sustainable.

Real-Life Synchromodality Challenges: A Qualitative Study in Flanders

The search for more sustainable freight transport has been the focus in the last decades. In this way, the concept of synchromodality was built considering the collaboration of shippers and logistic service providers to enable real-time switching between transport modes and mode-free transport bookings, encouraging more flexible and sustainable freight transportation. However, there are several challenges to its implementation in real life, which is the focus of this paper. To achieve this, in addition to a literature study, a case study was conducted in Flanders, using a combination of qualitative methods, i.e., focus groups (FG) and expert interviews, aiming to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Challenges such as real-time decision making, limited infrastructure capacity, and the need for stakeholder collaboration were emphasized. Expert insights highlight the need for a forecast-based approach to facilitate mode shift decisions, particularly from roadway to inland waterway transport (IWT). The analysis underscores the potential benefits of the proposed synchromodal technology while acknowledging the requirements needed to make it real.

Evaluation of benefits due to adoption of enablers of unimodal road to intermodal railroad freight transportation

The adverse environmental consequences arising from road-based logistics operations have prompted stakeholders, including transport service providers, logistics managers, and shippers, to initiate a modal shift from unimodal road to intermodal railroad (IRR) freight transportation. However, the adoption pace of IRR in developing nations is slow. Modal shift enablers (MSEs) facilitate IRR adoption, while modal shift benefits (MSBs) signify favorable performance outcomes from MSEs' application. The main objective of this study is to rank the MSBs resulting from the adoption of MSEs in IRR freight transportation. This study proposes an integrated multi-criteria decision-making framework utilizing the spherical fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (SF-AHP) to evaluate MSEs' weights and the spherical fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (SF-TOPSIS) to rank the MSBs. The case study performed in the Indian logistics sector reveals that ‘government policies and legislation enablers’, ‘infrastructural enablers’ and ‘strategic and management enablers’ are the most significant MSEs, whereas reduction in vehicular pollution and related negative externalities as well as reduction of the freight transport costs including storage and handling charges are most crucial MSBs realized due to adoption of MSEs. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to assess the stability of the ranking. The results help decision-makers in implementing MSEs for MSBs and develop effective IRR adoption strategies. This study also promotes sustainable freight transportation and provides logistics practitioners, researchers, and policymakers with a precise, systematic, and practical decision-support tool.

Multi-criteria assessment and ranking framework for the potential of cargo cycle operation: Using New York city as an example

Making deliveries in crowded urban areas can be challenging for commercial vehicles, producing additional negative externalities. In recent years, cargo cycles, including bicycles and tricycles, either man-powered or electric-powered, are considered as a promising alternative for making last leg delivery. However, research on this mode is largely lacking. This research proposes a multi-criteria assessment framework to evaluate the potential index of implementing cargo cycles, using New York City (NYC) as an example. The new framework integrates consideration of both the supply and the demand sides. Cargo cycle network density, linkage ratio, circuitry, and topography are all considered. The paper also redefines accessibility and incorporates land-use patterns and freight demand factors into the assessment for the first time. A multi-criteria ranking process is developed to derive road network potential by considering all dimensions of measurements. The results from this work show the ideal places for cargo cycle operations, and can be used to guide the planning of cargo cycle system implementation, promoting sustainable freight transportation in metropolitan areas.

Increasing the Efficiency of the Transport of Single Wagon Consignments – A Tool for Sunsaitable Freight Transport

Abstract The segment of transport of single wagon consignments is specific in comparison with the transport of complete trains in terms of significantly higher technological complexity, which increases the capacity requirements for means of transport, railway infrastructure, consumption of traction energy, employees involved in this transport, and ultimately the cost of transport. In many EU countries, the transport of single wagon loads is supported by the State on the basis of the Community Guidelines on State aid to railway undertakings. This aid may be granted as aid for the use of infrastructure or aid to reduce ancillary costs. This aid is allowed by the EU with a view to achieving sustainable freight transport if it is demonstrated by a study that the transport of single wagon loads has lower ancillary costs than alternative modes of transport. In the long term, there is a need to increase efficiency in this transport segment. One option is to change the technology of the operator. This paper uses a case study to show how a change in technology can reduce the carrier’s cost of transporting single carload shipments and thus increase the overall economic efficiency of this transportation segment.

Improving Freight Exchange Business Models – Considerations and Recommendations

The article delves into the economic and business considerations of implementing freight exchange platforms. It emphasises the importance of developing such platforms to accomplish the European Transport Policy Goals, foster eco-friendly transport, and create a sustainable freight transport industry. To assess the viability of current platforms, it is essential to establish suitable institutional, financial, and business structures. To establish a successful transport business, it is crucial to identify all potential stakeholders affected by the business operations. This includes customers, suppliers, employees, and local communities. Once identified, it is important to analyse the interests and needs of each stakeholder group to incorporate them into the business models. This could involve adapting the business strategy to meet the unique requirements of each stakeholder group or finding ways to align the interests of all stakeholders. The transport business can establish a strong foundation for sustainable growth and long-term success by prioritising stakeholder engagement and incorporating their interests into the business models. Through retrospective analysis, comparative and content analysis, and generalizations, the study sought to enhance the business models of freight exchange platforms. The article presents an overview of the most used freight exchange platforms in Bulgaria, along with their specific functionalities and applicable business models. These research findings provide reliable evidence for making well-informed decisions regarding the future development of existing and new freight exchange platforms and motivated recommendations for adopting new business models that align with stakeholders' needs. The article culminates with a comprehensive framework for implementing business models. Upon scrutinising the framework's five key components, appropriate e-commerce models for various freight exchange platform priority areas are structured, and potential enhancements are suggested. The research on viable business models is delineated, and effective methodologies for economic analysis, such as data collection and processing via surveys, interviews, and simulation modelling, are summarized.

A structural equation modeling framework for studying sustainable freight transportation indicators in emerging economies

The movement of commodities in emerging economies is largely facilitated by freight transit. The major obstacle to developing sustainable freight transportation systems in emerging economies are multiple dynamic uncertainties and inherent sustainability risks. This study determines the major indicators responsible for the sustainability of freight transportation. Initially, 16 Sustainable Transportation Indicators (STIs) are identified through literature and discussed with experts under five sustainability parameters: reputation, overall service quality, resilience, economic model, and job satisfaction. The identified STIs are categorized under the economic, social, environmental, and risk categories. Later, a hypothetical conceptual Structural Equation Model (SEM) is employed to analyze and verify the data. The results from the study show that STIs such as Reputation, Employment Benefits, and Infrastructure and Technology are crucial for the development of sustainable freight transport in emerging economies as they can enhance the efficiency and productivity of transportation systems and, hence their importance must be considered for future deployment of freight transportation in these economies.

Spillover effects from inland waterway transport development: Spatial assessment of the Rhine-Alpine Corridor

Inland waterways have the potential to enhance port-hinterland connectivity and foster sustainable freight transport. Their development as transport corridors is highly dependent on geography, yet spatial spillovers of port throughput are often overlooked. In Europe, the configuration of inland container terminals can lead to cross-border spillovers. This paper analyzes inland container throughput between 2007 and 2021 in the Rhine-Alpine Corridor to quantify its spatial dependence and economic spillover effects. The assessment involves 43 regions from Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Luxemburg, and Switzerland. A Spatial Durbin Model is developed accounting for economic conditions, fixed effects, and time trends. The results suggest that throughput exhibited spatial concentration patterns, which intensified after water levels dropped in 2018. Second, the spatial dependence is heterogeneous between transport performance in tonne-km vs. TEU-km. Third, technological resources and population density were positively associated with throughput, while the opposite was found for employment and motorways. Notably, the spillovers of technological resources and employment were considerably higher than the local impact. Based on these findings, the paper advises on spatially oriented policies to address low water levels, workforce decline, and the need for new business models.

Optimizing Hydrogen Fueling Infrastructure Plans on Freight Corridors for Heavy-Duty Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles

<div>The development of a future hydrogen energy economy will require the development of several hydrogen market and industry segments including a hydrogen-based commercial freight transportation ecosystem. For a sustainable freight transportation ecosystem, the supporting fueling infrastructure and the associated vehicle powertrains making use of hydrogen fuel will need to be co-established. This article introduces the OR-AGENT (Optimal Regional Architecture Generation for Electrified National Transportation) tool developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which has been used to optimize the hydrogen refueling infrastructure requirements on the I-75 corridor for heavy-duty (HD) fuel cell electric commercial vehicles (FCEV). This constraint-based optimization model considers existing fueling locations, regional-specific vehicle fuel economy and weight, vehicle origin and destination (O-D), and vehicle volume by class and infrastructure costs to characterize in-mission refueling requirements for a given freight corridor. The authors applied this framework to determine the ideal public access locations for hydrogen refueling (constrained by existing fueling stations), the minimal viable cost to deploy sufficient hydrogen fuel dispensers, and associated equipment, to accommodate a growing population of hydrogen fuel cell trucks. The framework discussed in this article can be expanded and applied to a larger interstate system, expanded regional corridor, or other transportation network. This article is the third in a series of papers that defined the model development to optimize a national hydrogen refueling infrastructure ecosystem for HD commercial vehicles.</div>

Adoption of hydrogen‐fueled freight transportation: A strategy toward sustainability

AbstractFreight transport is critical to the development of the global economy, but it also increases greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As a result, global challenges, such as climate change, must be addressed. Hydrogen‐fueled transportation could be a viable, sustainable alternative by providing a clean, efficient, and long‐term alternative to fossil fuels, resulting in significantly lower GHG emissions. However, the usage of hydrogen as a fuel is still in its nascent stage, and different nations have initiated strategizing its production and consumption. Understanding the factors that may affect hydrogen's adoption as a fuel in the transportation and logistics sector becomes crucial. The present study attempts to fill this gap by identifying, categorizing, and prioritizing those factors. Initially, the factors have been identified from the literature and further finalized with the consultation with domain experts using the critical success factor theory. Further, relevant factors have been finalized and categorized using exploratory factor analysis. Afterward, the grey–ordinal priority approach is applied to determine the priority weights of the categories and their factors. The findings indicated that operational and environmental are the two most prioritized categories. Specifically, “Substituting Energy Dependency,” “Storage and Infrastructure Costs,” and “Ability to Mitigate Harmful Gases” are the top three prioritized factors for the adoption of hydrogen‐fueled transportation among stakeholders. According to the findings, the management of related businesses can collaborate as a business strategy to develop a robust hydrogen supply chain and secure the market stability of hydrogen fuel to ensure sustainable freight transportation.

A game theoretic approach to sustainable freight transportation: competition between green, non-green and semi-green transportation networks under government sustainable policies

A game theoretic approach to sustainable freight transportation: competition between green, non-green and semi-green transportation networks under government sustainable policies

Optimizing Long Term Hydrogen Fueling Infrastructure Plans on Freight Corridors for Heavy Duty Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The development of a future hydrogen energy economy will require the development of several hydrogen market and industry segments including a hydrogen based commercial freight transportation ecosystem. For a sustainable freight transportation ecosystem, the supporting fueling infrastructure and the associated vehicle powertrains making use of hydrogen fuel will need to be co-established. This paper develops a long-term plan for refueling infrastructure deployment using the OR-AGENT (Optimal Regional Architecture Generation for Electrified National Transportation) tool developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which has been used to optimize the hydrogen refueling infrastructure requirements on the I-75 corridor for heavy duty (HD) fuel cell electric commercial vehicles (FCEV). This constraint-based optimization model considers existing fueling locations, regional specific vehicle fuel economy and weight, vehicle origin and destination (OD), vehicle volume by class and infrastructure costs to characterize in-mission refueling requirements for a given freight corridor. The authors applied this framework to determine the ideal long term public access locations for hydrogen refueling (constrained by existing fueling stations and dispensing technology), the minimal viable cost to deploy sufficient hydrogen fuel dispensers, and associated equipment, to accommodate a growing population of hydrogen fuel cell trucks. The framework discussed in this paper can be expanded and applied to additional electrified powertrains as well as a larger interstate system, expanded regional corridor, or other transportation networks.</div></div>

MEDIATING ROLE OF EMPLOYEES’ SOCIETAL BEHAVIORS AMID SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY ORIENTATION AND OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE: A SEM APPROACH

By addressing issues & well-being of key stakeholders, social sustainability may offer operational advantages and benefit society at large. However, due to gaps in current knowledge, it is challenging to determine which practices will be beneficial and which managerial orientations will maximize effect of these practices upon operational performance. Study aimed to determine the mediating role of societal behaviors of employees amid social sustainability orientation and operational performance of freight forwarders. It recognizes strength of forces that oppose social change. Data was collected on complex questionnaire from freight forwarders, managers across developing country and analyzed through SEM using AMOS (23). Paper confirmed the mediating role of employee societal behavior amid socially sustainable freight transport orientation and operational performance. Findings suggest that SSI should be designed and implemented through positive behavioral changes, with the organization's employees themselves as primary target. It is the employees’ positive attitudes and behaviors that translate SSI into effective operational performance.

Last mile distribution using cargo bikes: a simulation study in Padova

The recent growth of e-Commerce has induced an increasing freight demand, which could lead to negative externalities, in particular in urban areas. To foster sustainable development of cities and increase their livability, many local authorities are implementing urban vehicle access regulations, such as low-emission zones, banning the circulation of polluting vehicles. These measures prompted the adoption of new sustainable freight transport solutions for last mile deliveries, such as cargo bikes. The aim of this paper is to describe the study for the implementation of such a system. The procedure was tested (1) to define the location of a transshipment facility where parcels are moved from vans to cargo bikes, (2) to estimate the environmental and economic sustainability of the system, and (3) to quantify the effects of uncertainty in the final results. The framework was applied to the city center of Padova (Italy), where two sets of delivery system were considered: the first with traditional vans starting from an existing urban consolidation center and the second with manual and electric cargo bikes starting from a micro-depot. In particular, demand of home deliveries was estimated for a typical weekday; routes of freight transport means were defined by an optimization procedure; these data were used as input to a Discrete Event Simulation model. A sensitivity analysis was carried out modelling the potential uncertainty associated with load/unload times and travel speed of means, due to traffic congestion. Several scenarios were tested considering three locations as potential transshipment points. Outcomes of the simulations were used to estimate key performance indicators, evaluating the environmental and economic effects of the two delivery schemes. Results highlighted the potentiality of cargo bikes as a sustainable delivery system, and the impacts of uncertainty on the ranking of alternative options (i.e. micro-hubs).

Bi-Level Fleet Dispatching Strategy for Battery-Electric Trucks: A Real-World Case Study

Driven by new regulations concerning greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transportation sector, battery-electric trucks (BETs) are considered one of the sustainable freight transportation solutions. In this paper, a dispatching problem of the BET fleet is formulated as a capacitated electric vehicle routing problem (VRP) with pick-up and delivery. As the BET dispatching problem is NP-hard, the performance of existing approaches deteriorates in large instance problems, especially when the customers have different preferences and constraints. This article proposes a bi-level strategy that incorporates routing zone partitioning and metaheuristic-based vehicle routing to solve the large-scale BET dispatching problem, considering the delivery types, limited travel distances, and cargo payloads. We apply this strategy to a real-world fleet dispatching scenario with around 300 customer positions for pickups and drop-offs. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed bi-level strategy can reduce total travel distance and travel time by 24–31%, compared to the baseline strategy implemented in the real world.