Road freight transport is more flexible and versatile than other modes because of the availability of extensive road networks, and can therefore offer point-to-point service between almost any origin and destination. It is this flexibility and versatility that has enabled road freight transport to become dominant in most countries. Road freight carriage offers the client reliable service with little risk of damage or loss in transit. It generally provides much faster service than rail transport, and compares favourably with air carriers on short hauls. Many road freight carriers, particularly those involved in just-in-time (JIT) services, operate according to a scheduled timetable. This results in reliable transit times. Road freight carriers are therefore able to compete with air transport for small shipments – i.e. break-bulk items, or less-than- truckload (LTL) consignments – and with rail transport for larger shipments.
Careful planning and management of road freight transport operations is needed to balance between customer service and costs.
Elements
Main elements of road freight transport, are
- Assets – Road freight transport fleets consist of some very high-value assets, ranging from the tractors, trailers and rigid vehicles themselves to the drivers. Their scheduling is of prime importance. Computer routing and scheduling packages play a major role in achieving this high utilization.
- Service – Delivery transport acts as the main physical interface with the customer, so it is important that all customer service requirements are met within set delivery windows and meeting specific delivery times.
- Costs – They are costs associated with the operation of the vehicle, specifically the running costs such as fuel and tyres.
- Maintenance – Vehicles are to be maintained on a regular basis to reduce the occurrence of breakdowns.
- Driver management – Tachograph output can be used to monitor the detailed effectiveness of individual drivers.
- Replacement – It involves, identifying when vehicles need to be replaced and also which type of vehicle is the most effective for the particular type of operation.
- Security and tracking – Up-to-the-minute information to be provided to schedulers and to customers, so can help to improve operational effectiveness, security and service.
