Links between production systems and transport : the example of German and French industries

Changes in transportation are closely linked to the economic and logistical characteristics of the production system. The aim of this paper is, on the basis of data on the economic context and surveys conducted in France (the 1988 Shipper survey and the 2004 ECHO survey) and in Germany (the 2005 DLR survey), to show the major changes that have occurred in the two countries at both micro- and macro-economic levels and how these have affected transport demand. The first level of analysis relates to changes in the economic fabric. In particular, we have demonstrated the growing proportion of small and medium-sized firms at a time when large production units, which are those that are best able to concentrate their freight and use modes other than the road, are becoming fewer and fewer. At the same time, economic links are becoming more complex and, in the case of France, we have shown the increasing role played by wholesale traders in the distribution of goods. The constant reduction in transport costs and the opening up of markets is another structural factor whose impacts in both France and Germany we have also analysed. In addition to these economic changes, the internal modes of production of firms have also changed. Production is becoming more diversified and Just-in-time practices are spreading. The fragmentation of freight flows is thus occurring both in space and in time, which also has a major effect on the characteristics of the flows generated by firms and changes in transport. In the case of all these changes we have attempted to show the differences and similarities between the ways transport has changed in the two countries.TRANSPORT DE MARCHANDISES ; ALLEMAGNE ; FRANCE

Container freight rates and the role of surcharges

This paper demonstrates that the structure of ocean container freight rates has become more complex. A growing number of surcharges are being imposed by the carriers on their customers, surcharges that are not only adding significant extra costs but are highly variable over time. These elements are examined based on a data set of export rates from ports on the Northern European Range that have been compiled from a major global carrier. The paper compares the surcharges to the base rates and discusses some of the implications for shippers who face increasing uncertainty in planning supply chains. Some of the issues for academic research on freight rates is also examined and points to the need to clearly identify what is included in the freight rate data employed. In addition, questions are raised concerning the suitability of many of the variables traditionally used to explain or predict freight rates

Dessaisissement et décentralisation portuaires : analyse comparative Canada-France

Il s'agit d'étudier, dans le domaine du transport des marchandises, les modifications institutionnelles et réglementaires et les évolutions qu'elles provoquent dans la stratégie des acteurs, tant privés que publics, ainsi que les modifications induites sur les territoires . Le travail sur la relation entre changement de statut et évolution portuaire exige la prise en compte des différents fonctionnements portuaires. Il est nécessaire de comprendre comment les ports décentralisés répondent aujourd'hui aux besoins des clients locaux et d'évaluer le rôle joué par la communauté d'intervenants locaux dans la planification, l'exploitation et le développement des ports. Plus précisément, les objectifs consistent à : évaluer les défis et les opportunités engendrés par ces nouvelles organisations ; comprendre l'organisation des besoins d'investissements lourds nécessaires au maintien et à l'expansion des équipements ; comprendre l'impact de ces changements de statut sur l'évolution des trafics (volume, produit, marché)ADMINISTRATION (GESTION);FLUX DE MARCHANDISE;TRANSPORT MARITIME;PORT;ETUDE D'IMPACT;DECENTRALISATION;CANADA;FRANCE

Les lignes maritimes et le transport terrestre : Quels enseignements peut-on tirer du cas " Rail Link " ?

Against a background characterized by railways liberalization and by politics will to reduce road transport externalities, most major shipping lines have made announcements of their intention to integrate the inland segments of the intermodal chain of transport. What does it mean really? Why should the inland legs attract such intense attention from sea carriers? How will they adjust their strategies in each particular country where progress towards rail deregulation and privatization differ so widely? Such are the issues we propose to address in this paper.Our analysis will be based on a case study: Rail Link ( RL) which is a CMA-CGM subsidiary engaged in the development of rail extensions to the maritime core business of the company. The case is interesting because RL operates in two European countries, the UK and France, which are reacting to deregulation in opposite ways. We highlight the motivations lying behind the strategies which are developed in the UK and France. In both of these countries operators adopt a policy of co-operation and not of integration. On the one hand under the UK "liberal" concept, long-term contracts are being introduced and the commercial risk exposure is shared between the combined operator and the client. At the same time all the parties will derive benefits from the cost reductions, but the risk will exist that smaller shipping companies and smaller ports could be ousted. On the other hand in France, the commercial risk exposure remains on the combined operator’s side, and the conditions of contracts are clearly playing in favor of the clients.Dans un contexte marqué par la volonté de libéralisation et de report modal, la plupart des grandes compagnies maritimes ont annoncé leur intention d’intégrer les segments terrestres de la chaîne de transport intermodal. Quelle est la réalité de ces annonces ? Pourquoi les dessertes terrestres attirent-elles tant l’attention des armateurs ? Comment ajustent-ils leurs stratégies aux contextes particuliers de chacun des pays en fonction du degré de libéralisation effective des chemins de fer ? Où en sont-ils réellement de leur implication dans le transport ferroviaire ? Ce sont les questions auxquelles nous essaierons de répondre dans cet article.Notre analyse se base sur l’étude du cas de Rail Link (RL), filiale de la compagnie maritime CMA-CGM engagée dans le développement ferroviaire. Le cas est intéressant parce que RL opère dans deux pays européens, Royaume-Uni et France, qui ont réagi de façon totalement opposée aux directives de libéralisation des chemins de fer. Nous mettrons en valeur les motivations qui conduisent à la définition des stratégies développées respectivement au Royaume-Uni et en France et les politiques de coopération mises en place au contraire de l’intégration qu’on aurait pu attendre. On assiste bien à une intégration des services, un seul opérateur est capable de proposer l’ensemble du service, mais pas à une intégration des moyens de production - aucun ou de très faibles investissements.Derrière le " concept libéral " du Royaume-Uni, des contrats long terme sont introduits et la prise de risque commercial est partagée entre l’opérateur de transport combiné et le client. Toutes les parties tireront des avantages des réductions du coût, mais le risque existe pour les plus petites compagnies maritimes et les plus petits ports d’être évincés. En France, le risque commercial repose sur l’opérateur combiné plutôt que sur le client et finalement sur l’entreprise ferroviaire et le gestionnaire d’infrastructure, et les conditions des contrats jouent clairement en faveur des clients

Transport and Logistics Demand: New Input from Large Surveys of Shipper in France

Freight transport is closely linked to industrial and commercial activities and can be seen as a fully integrated element of the production process. Shipper production and logistic constraints play an important role in the choice of transport solutions. However, there is little statistical data on which to base an analysis of the relationship between transport and its production and logistics related determinants. For this reason two large national surveys were undertaken in France to provide us with new empirical data. The paper presents the methodological aspects of these surveys (the 1988 Shipper Survey and the 2004 ECHO Survey). The use of 'the shipment' as the measurement unit instead of the usual tonne or tonne-kilometre approach is one of the major innovations of these surveys which provide a new statistical insight. Another particularity is the tracking of the shipment and the identification of each transport leg and operator involved in the shipment. The whole transport chain is described, from both the physical and organizational standpoint. A selection of results, indicators and trends, is presented with a focus on the main changes that have occurred in recent years based on a comparison between the two datasets. Special attention is paid to the relationship between transport choices and the production characteristics of sites and the increasing spatial and temporal fragmentation of shipments which makes the choice of modes other than the road increasingly difficult

L'intermodalité aux Etats-Unis: Evolution des réglementations et des pratiques

Analyser la réglementation américaine 25 ans après le coup d'envoi officiel de la déréglementation des transports peut paraître paradoxal. Pourtant, ce qu'on appelle déréglementation est davantage une réforme des réglementations qu'une suppression des contraintes qui pesaient sur les exploitants. De plus, le transport maritime très présent dans notre analyse puisque nous parlons des conteneurs maritimes, reste le mode le plus réglementé actuellement. L'OSRA, Ocean Shipping Reform Act, de 1998 a renforcé les obligations des NVOCC (non vessel operating common carriers) et des transitaires maritimes, tout en assouplissant les conditions d'ententes entre transporteurs. Les réformes révèlent aussi, a contrario, l'importance des carcans réglementaires antérieurs, qui s'avèrent parfois plus pesants que ce que l'on peut ou pouvait trouver, en Europe. En effet, jusqu'en 1977, date de l'Air Cargo Deregulation Act, on ne peut guère parler de libéralisme en matière de transports aux Etats-Unis. Par ailleurs, le transfert du conteneur du navire au wagon est souvent techniquement compliqué et coûteux. Il a donc fallu, en sus de ces assouplissements réglementaires, que le dynamisme de certains acteurs surmonte les obstacles et permette les débuts de la croissance du transport intermodal

Enquête auprès des chargeurs : pour une nouvelle approche de la description des flux de marchandises

A survey of 1740 shippers, industrialists and merchants, was conducted by INRETS in 1988. New methodological devices led to a breakthrough in the knowledge of commodity transportation:- a systematic coverage of all agents involved in the transport led to a full description of the transport chain;- rather than tons and ton-kilometers, the basic unit is the shipment;- systematic questions on the consigner and consignee economic characteristics bring a better understanding of the role of transportation in the economic process.Beyond the 1740 shippers, specific questions were asked to more than 5 000 carriers or transport agents.The second part of the paper presents some interesting results, which could not have been obtained through the currently available statistical data. They include a typology of transport chains, a description of how the various carriers and agents are connected, an analysis of what for, and to what extent computers are used in transportation.Une enquête, réalisée par l'INRETS en 1988 auprès de 1740 chargeurs industriels et commerçants en gros, a été l'occasion d'innovations méthodologiques qui éclairent d'un jour nouveau le transport de marchandises. L'article présente d'abord les trois innovations essentielles :- la connaissance de la chaîne de transport de bout en bout, par l'interrogation de tous les professionnels intervenant dans le transport ;- la quantification du transport en termes d'envoi (et non plus seulement tonnes et tonnes-kilomètres) ;- enfin la possibilité de connaître l'insertion du transport dans l'économie, c'est-à-dire pouvoir relier les chargeurs, leurs caractéristiques, leurs demandes et l'offre de transport correspondante.En plus des 1740 établissements industriels et commerciaux «chargeurs», quelques 5000 «intervenants transport» ont été interrogés.Dans une deuxième partie, quelques résultats nouveaux sont présentés qui mettent en évidence les apports de l'enquête, par rapport aux sources statistiques existantes.Les résultats portent notamment sur les configurations des marchés par l'analyse séquentielle des chaînes de transport, le rôle et l'articulation des professions de transports et l'utilisation de l'informatique

Container Freight Rates and Economic Distance: a new perspective on the world map

The paper goes on discuss this spatial structure in the context of three issues that have been raised in the literature: the relationships between rates and physical distance; the role of market conditions and rates; and, the relationships between rates and economic development. From this examination, questions are raised involving long held assumptions about distance and rates, competition and pricing, and rates and economic development

The boundary between public and private interests and the balance between local and national claims: the French experience.

This paper will begin by attempting to give an account of existing research and new methodological approaches with regard to port governance and performance and then go on to propose an analytical grid. This grid defines the factors that have to be considered when analyzing port projects and detailing the various stages involved in their implementation. The analytical grid serves as a basis for developing a port model that allows us to analyze the concerns of each of the partners with regard to the geographical scale in question for the implementation of a new port project. The case of Le Havre's new port, Port 2000, is used to illustrate the situation in France. Section 2 describes the context that explains how Port 2000 came into being, including the crisis situation and the loss of support for the port that occurred in the 1990s, and the shortcomings of the facilities and services available at the port, especially in comparison with those provided by the port's northern European competitors. In Section 3 the port model is employed to describe the Port 2000 project, which contains many unique features, including the ability to retain local involvement port operations, while ensuring the port improves its global relationships