Operational improvement outcomes through voluntary compliance in road transport operations

Abstract: This paper presents operational improvement outcomes of the Road Transport Management System (RTMS) in South Africa. The RTMS is a voluntary, self-regulation scheme that encourages consignees, consignors and road transport operators toward best practice in road transport. The views of consignors, consignees and road transport operators were surveyed to provide insights into perceptions and outcomes of the RTMS. Respondents indicate improved safety, operational efficiency, profitability, and reduced road crashes as outcomes of the RTMS. The main obstacles to increased certification are a lack of awareness of the RTMS and a poor understanding of the requirements for becoming certified

Truck productivity, efficiency, energy use and carbon dioxide output

The Joint Transport Research Centre of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the International Transport Forum recently conducted a benchmarking study of the safety and productivity of typical highway transport trucks from various countries. This paper focuses on vehicle productivity and efficiency in regard to the movement of freight. Forty vehicles from 10 countries were examined. The vehicles were designed for longer-haul applications and were classified in three separate categories: workhorse vehicles, which are the most common and can travel on most roads; high-capacity vehicles, which may be restricted to a certain class of road; and very high-capacity vehicles, which may be restricted to specific highways or routes. The metrics used in the analysis include maximum cargo mass and volume capacity, optimum cargo density, fuel consumption, and carbon dioxide output as a function of the freight task. The study found that size and weight regulations have a significant effect on the productivity and efficiency of heavy vehicles, including fuel consumption and vehicle emissions per unit of cargo transported. Significant variations were found among the vehicles from participating countries as well as within vehicle classes. It was also apparent that, in general, higher-productivity vehicles are correlated more strongly with increased cargo volume than with increased cargo mass and that larger trucks are better suited to lower-density freight than are workhorse vehicles. The study also found that it is important to consider the freight task when evaluating vehicle fuel consumption and emissions

International Conference on Heavy Vehicles HVParis 2008 : Heavy Vehicle Transport Technology (HVTT 10)

Sommaire : Heavy vehicles and WIM technology, testing and standards. Interactions between heavy vehicles or trains and the infrastructure, environment and other system users. Heavy vehicle and road management information: measurements, data quality, data management. Freight mobility and safety. Vehicle classification, size and weight evaluation, regulations and enforcement. Traffic and road safety. WIM of road vehicles, trains and aeroplanes