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It is important to evaluate the performance of industries in a growing economy like India through responsible resource use assessments. The article estimates ecological footprint (EF) to communicate the environmental effects of a paperboard and paper production unit in India based on information collected through face-to-face interview method. EF has been calculated by adopting component or bottom-up approach taking into consideration all the components of EF (land, energy, freight and employees transport, water, materials and wastes). Results show that the total EF for production and allied activities of the case study unit varies between 5,62,845 and 2,15,564 ha and EF per tonne of production varying between 23.61 and 9.03 ha. This is based on the production of 23,828 Mt of output of specialty and tissues paper, and the variation occurs due to higher and lower conversion factor for materials and water. The hotspots of EF are energy, materials and wastes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contract of carriage in road freight transport is regulated by the Convention on the Contract of Carriage in Road Freight Transport (CMR Convention). This Convention provides for a single accompanying document - the CMR consignment note. It is one of the most important documents in road freight transport. Since the adoption of the Convention, this paper document has accompanied the goods throughout the transport. Given that time goes on and everything is being modernized, digitized is no different in the case of a consignment note. In 2008, an Additional Protocol was adopted, which allows the use of an electronic consignment note instead of a paper consignment note. The aim of this paper is to analyze the most important document in road freight transport in its paper and electronic form. Another aim is to compare the paper and electronic consignment note, to explain the advantages of its introduction and also to explain why it is not widely used in modern times. The introduction to the article describes the benefits of adopting the CMR Convention. In the following chapters, the consignment note in paper and electronic form is described in more detail, their significance, and their course of use. The article also presents the main advantages of introducing an electronic consignment note and the reasons why the electronic consignment note is not used as much as paper consignment note. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, more than ever, our world is facing supply chain constraints that threaten the basics of current market dynamic on all levels and in every economic field. From economic sanctions limiting commercial trade, the COVID-19 crisis, post-pandemic economic stagnation, the ongoing conflict in the Ukraine, the global chip shortage, as well as the effects of the current Israeli- Palestinian war and its impact on freight transportation in the Red Sea have all exposed the vulnerability of today's global supply chains. The purpose of this paper is to review how supply chain must be designed to ensure their flow and deliverables in complex, uncertain, and everchanging environment. The paper will study how supply chains must be resilient by addressing current challenges through agility to meet both socio-economic and political volatilities, and sustainable through their transition to socio-ecological compliant economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to identify complementary strategies for urban freight logistics in a low emission zone (LEZ) that can be implemented in downtown Medellin, Colombia. The strategies will be executed by identifying the characteristics and problems of the business establishments in the area and the entrepreneurs’ opinions. Design/methodology/approach: First, a literature review is performed to identify global and complementary strategies for the future LEZ, which is the study subject. Then, a “pilot” zone (a main corridor) of downtown Medellín is selected, and the business establishments of the area are identified to spot problems and evaluate possible strategies for the future LEZ. This identification and evaluation phase is conducted by interviewing logistics managers in 105 establishments selected in the corridor for analysis. Findings: One of the outstanding findings concerns the specificity of the logistics and mobility problems in downtown Medellin, located in Colombia, a developing country. The main issues are traffic congestion, lack of regulation and control in loading and unloading areas, as well as inadequate infrastructure for these operations. These obstacles significantly impact business activities and air quality in the area. The proposed solutions to complement the LEZ strategy for freight transport focus on improving regulation, establishing specific loading and unloading areas, exploring sustainable transportation options such as the cargo bike, and supporting small and medium-sized businesses. This emphasizes the situation’s complexity and the need for a comprehensive approach to address these logistical and environmental challenges. Originality/value: This study analyses urban freight logistics strategies that complement the traffic flow restriction policies imposed by low-emission zones. Unlike other studies that address these two issues independently, this paper specifically examines how to improve a LEZ as a comprehensive strategy to reduce the environmental impact of freight transport. In addition, it is noted that most publications tend to focus on passenger mobility strategies, which highlights the potential for research in the freight logistics field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of being involved with the JTE from the beginning, and thought it would be worthwhile to look back and see how the journal has evolved over the years and possibly learn some lessons that can be useful for future directions.

Technology provides the capability to automate the collection of commercial vehicle drivers' hours of service (HOS), and this can potentially lead to fewer errors. This study compares the use of paper-based and automated (or electronically recorded) hours of service for three motor carriers using process analysis. Potential errors are categorized by operations within an information-based process, and results demonstrate that a reduction of errors can be achieved with an electronic system. The analysis shows that some of the errors that occur with paper-based systems (e.g., verification of accurate records) still exist with electronic recordings, and there are some additional minor errors. However, data collection, entry, and storage are improved, as the system requires fewer steps and less manual requirements within the process. The study provides a systematic and structured comparison of the two methods, highlighting the error types that occur in both. Policymakers can consider this comparison when making recommended revisions to HOS documentation procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Logistics 4.0 is a recognised lever for improving efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability in logistics processes. Of these, the increasingly complex area of transport plays a key role in companies, as it directly impacts costs and service level. This paper investigates how Logistics 4.0 affects the design and configuration of the transportation process, so that companies can exploit the related benefits and create value. Using a systematic literature review, this study provides a framework for Logistics 4.0 in transportation, which includes the process dimensions to be taken into account when designing such a process. A maturity model complements the framework, which presents the configuration options for each process dimension in an evolutionary path from low to high implementation level. This paper is original in that it takes a novel process perspective, crucial for supporting the implementation of Logistics 4.0 in transportation, and discusses the associated opportunities for companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigates how the adoption of emerging digital technologies can provide valuable business opportunities for logistics centres in maritime supply chains. For this purpose, a systematic literature review (SLR) of prior academic studies addressing this topic is performed. The review unveils the current lack of a comprehensive framework to assess the impact of digital technologies on transport and maritime logistics, bringing insights for a promising research agenda. The paper proposes an ad-hoc conceptual framework for disentangling relevant business opportunities which originates from the adoption of cutting-edge digital technologies for each type of logistics centres. The main business benefits for logistics infrastructures which manage cargo flows in maritime supply chains (MSCs) are identified and discussed. The results suggest alternative strategic options for innovating logistics chains and increase the competitiveness of various cargo logistics centres. Managerial and marketing implications for both academics and practitioners are discussed in-depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, high-speed rail systems serve nearly 2 billion passenger-km daily. By virtue, they are a critical infrastructure like telecommunication and power networks. Accordingly, they become a catalyst for societal and economic growth stemming from the mobility business. The highspeed rail operations are very complex and interdependent, owing to the escalated demands for longdistance interconnected transportation. In recent years, there have been unreasonable delays for passengers as a new norm due to unfortunate train cancellations and relaxation of mobility performance requirements. Therefore, accurate measurements, monitoring and prediction of disruptive impacts and service performance metrices are indispensable. Within the scope of high-speed rail services, this paper examines how agent-based and multi-agent-based models are utilized to address such the challenges. Our findings reveal that the current use of agents or multi-agent models has some limitations for practical applications. Previous studies showed that mathematical methods to assess the resilience of critical infrastructures, railway scheduling, and vehicle dispatching can yield more satisfactory outcomes, although the approaches can be relatively time-consuming. In contrast, agent-based and multi-agent-based models can shorten processing time and uncover disruptive events more promptly. The paper thus showcases several emerging concepts, including i) the utilization of big data for crisis management, ii) interconnectivity analysis of high-speed rail infrastructures, and iii) enhancement of transport resilience. In addition, our findings identify the most influential agents and their possible applications to enhance systems resilience of highspeed rail networks when dealing with unforeseen physical and cyber threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the optimal operation of ocean container ships, this paper presents a two-level planning model that takes into account carbon tax policies. This model translates the CO2 emissions of ships into carbon tax costs and aims to minimize the overall operation costs of the ships. In top-level planning, the model considers factors such as speed, cargo load, and energy consumption to establish an objective function and optimization strategy. In bottom-level planning, the model involves ship stability and imposes corresponding constraints. By integrating the two levels of planning, a ship operation optimization model that considers multiple factors is obtained. With practical ocean container ships as cases, through numerical examples and sensitivity analysis, the constraint, stability, and structural feasibility of the constructed model are confirmed. The research results of this paper provide a decision-making basis for optimizing the operation of oceanic container ships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart cities need energy-efficient and low-emission transportation for people and goods. Most studies focus on sustainable urban-transportation systems for passengers. Freight transportation in cities has increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to greenhouse gases emissions and negative externalities, such as traffic congestion. The purpose of this paper is to identify through a systematic literature review which innovations (hardware and software) applied by logistics service providers (LSPs) in sustainable urban freight (SUF) are suitable to support the transition to energy-efficient smart cities. We propose to classify the existing innovations in last-mile delivery for SUF into categories: (1) urban freight consolidation and/or trans-shipment; (2) the Consumer as a Service Provider (CaaSP); (3) choice of transportation modes. We introduce the concept of CaaSP as an innovative solution in last-mile delivery (LMD), where customers take over some transport operations with the use of smart technologies, and thus reduce the energy demand. We consider the modes of transportation, such as: drones, autonomous delivery robots, autonomous vehicles, cargo bikes (including e-cargo bikes, e-tricycles), electric vehicles (mainly vans), and combined passenger-and-cargo transportation rapid-transit systems. From the analyzed dataset, we find that energy-efficiency in smart cities can be improved by the consolidation of parcels in micro-depots, parcel lockers, and mobile depots. We analyze smart technologies (the Internet of things, big data, artificial intelligence, and digital twins), which enable energy efficiency by reducing the energy demand (fuel) of SUF, due to better operational planning and infrastructure sharing by logistics service providers. We propose a new IEE matrix as an actionable tool for the classification of innovations applied by LSPs in SUF, according to the level of their interconnectivity and energy efficiency. Additionally, this paper contributes to the theory by exploring possible future research directions for SUF in energy-efficient smart cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient city logistics is essential to build smart sustainable cities where inhabitants' well-being is a priority. Meanwhile, despite the great importance of city logistics processes, their improvement is problematic for many cities. Although solutions from the field of emerging technologies are more and more often used, the question is whether implementing technological tools and filling cities with sensors is a sufficient solution that can solve the problems of intensely growing urban freight transport. The aim of the paper is to examine the role of knowledge management in city logistics and identify barriers to the implementation of knowledge-based city logistics. A key element of the research procedure was an expert survey, to which 31 international experts specialising in city logistics issues were invited, characterised by extensive experience working on research projects in the area of interest. Four knowledge management processes have been transferred to the city logistics area. The results of the study show that the difficulties are observed mainly in the processes of data gathering and knowledge acquisition. The main reason for difficulties in that area is the reluctance of city users, retailers, transport and logistics operators to share information. Identifying these processes as the most problematic is a valuable hint for logistics managers, municipalities and academics. To improve knowledge-based city logistics, it is therefore necessary to focus on these processes and look for the best solutions and new forms of organisational and business support. The solution to the problems identified in the study is the proposal to create a city logistics collaborative knowledge base which is a combination of an IT tool ‐ the CL knowledge management platform, and the Freight Quality Partnership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maritime transport helps the development of the economy of countries. Improving the current situation in this type of transport requires the application of modern software tools for assessment, analysis and forecasting. The aim of this paper is to suggest an approach for an in-depth analysis of marine traffic near to independent ports. This approach is tested and validated for the Varna and Constanta ports for the period 2004–2021. Data from Eurostat are used. This paper proposes a new methodology for an in-depth analysis and forecasting of marine traffic of independent nearby ports using public data. Correlations, multiple regression, graphical methods, seasonality and trendlines are used to test and validate the proposed methodology. The results show that the proposed methodology may be applied for other independent ports and periods. The results show some interesting facts about the analyzed ports of Varna and Constanta. Our initial assumptions that these two independent ports have similar seasonality is rejected. The novelty of the paper refers to a new methodology for the in-depth analysis and forecasting of marine traffic of independent nearby ports using public data. Using the methodology in this paper (for an in-depth analysis of marine traffic of independent nearby ports) similar research may be done for other nearby ports and periods. Other research may focus on finding the specific types of cargo for each port influencing the differences in seasonality. Nearby ports with separate management may use the proposed methodology for better cargo planning and investment planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Airfreight transport refers to the shipment of goods by air from one location to another and is often perceived as a contributor to global carbon emissions. The environmental impacts associated with airfreight are of notable and genuine concern. Such concerns have often led to calls for measures to ban or limit air freight as a mode of transportation for goods. Whilst the majority of these calls are perceived to be well placed, it is nevertheless essential to acknowledge the climate justice implications associated with such measures, particularly in the context of perishable products like fresh produce. Methods: The aim of this study is to thoroughly examine the socioeconomic implications of banning air-freighted fresh produce and to recommend practices that can minimize the environmental impacts. Utilizing Blue Skies Holdings Ltd., Pitsford, UK as a case study, this paper undertakes a comprehensive analysis of the potential climate justice ramifications associated with the prohibition of air-freighted fresh produce. Results: The analysis highlights the intricate interplay between the environmental and socioeconomic dimensions of the issue. By investigating the carbon emissions attributed to aviation and air logistics in particular and meticulously scrutinizing the possible consequences of an airfreight ban in relation to vulnerable communities within developing economies that are heavily reliant on fresh produce exports, the study contributes insights to guide policy discourse and the decision-making processes within commercial entities with respect to their carbon emissions reduction strategies. Conclusions: Accordingly, this study provides a number of recommendations for various actors, particularly commercial stakeholders, who deal with air-freighted fresh produce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of poor delivery schedules is one of the logistical problems that much more companies face than we should think at the first glance. But many companies may not realize this without the use of lean tools. This paper describes the role of procurement and supply management in dealing with a site scheduling problem, covering the concepts, history, responsibilities, sub-roles, and types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the Cyclic Production Routing Problem (CPRP). The CPRP is an extension of the well-known NP-hard Production Routing Problem (PRP), which is a hard-to-solve combinatorial optimisation problem with numerous practical applications in the field of freight transportation, logistics and supply chain management. Under the PRP setting, a manufacturer is responsible for determining production decisions, as well as the timing and quantity of replenishment services offered to a set of geographically dispersed customers over a multi-period time horizon. The problem calls for jointly optimising the production, inventory, distribution and routing decisions. In this paper, the basic PRP model is modified to generate repeatable cyclic production and delivery schedules. A two-commodity flow formulation is proposed along with valid inequalities. Extensive comparisons between the basic PRP and the proposed cyclic variant on well-known benchmark instances are provided. The new variant is significantly harder to solve, especially when the vehicle fleet is limited. From a managerial perspective, the generation of cyclic production-routing schedules significantly increases all costs, whereas the number of vehicle routes required to implement a cyclic schedule is higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Globalisation, elimination of trade barriers, lower tariffs, and industrial revolutions along with technological advancement, have changed the way for freight transportation. This Special Issue on I Modelling and Analysis of sustainable freight transportation i covers all aspects of design and analysis of freight transportation model in supply chains decision-making, such as: We extracted the 10,000 papers using Scopus API since 1991-2018 using three keywords: "freight transportation", "sustainable transportation", and "sustainable freight transportation". This special issue focused on modelling and analysis of sustainable freight transportation to address various issues such as vehicle routing, intermodal transportation, reverse logistics, and green supply chains. [Extracted from the article]

In the port domain, quayside container cranes are an indispensable component of maritime freight transport. These cranes are not only costly but also associated with safety accidents that often result in casualties and property loss, severely impacting port operations and the surrounding environment. Given their complex operational environment, rapid technological updates, high dependency on human factors, and the challenges of maintenance and inspection, the safety of quayside container cranes is a significant concern for port enterprises and managers. This paper, based on the operational modes and structural characteristics of the cranes, divides them into five main systems and identifies twenty-eight safety evaluation indicators, covering a comprehensive range of risk factors from equipment integrity to operator behavior, as well as environmental factors. However, numerous pain points exist in the safety risk evaluation process of quayside container cranes, such as fuzziness, uncertainty, and complex multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) environments. These issues make traditional safety evaluation methods inadequate in accurately reflecting the actual safety conditions. Therefore, this paper proposes a safety evaluation method for quayside container cranes based on the Best–Worst Method (BWM) and Pythagorean hesitant fuzzy VIKOR. This method effectively overcomes the uncertainties and fuzziness of traditional safety evaluation methods by integrating the decision maker's preference information from the BWM and the fuzzy handling capability of Pythagorean hesitant fuzzy sets, enhancing the accuracy and reliability of the evaluation results. A case study was conducted on a quayside container crane at a specific port. Through empirical analysis, the feasibility of the proposed method was validated. Overall, the safety evaluation method for quayside container cranes based on the BWM and Pythagorean hesitant fuzzy VIKOR proposed in this paper enriches the theoretical research on the safety risk assessment of quayside container cranes and offers a new approach and tool for port enterprises and managers in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportation is the key carbon emission source after energy supply and industrial production. Under the vision of carbon peak and carbon neutralization, the pressure of reducing carbon emissions in transportation will be greater in the future. This paper constructs a model that takes transportation carbon emission as the main target and freight transportation utility value as the auxiliary target. The constructed model satisfies the constraints of freight turnover in the whole society, freight economic and social benefits, and the ecological constraints of the freight system. With MATLAB, the freight turnover of roadways, railways, and waterways (excluding ocean transportation) in 2030 is solved by using the adaptive genetic algorithm. The results indicate that (I) compared with the current freight structure of China, the roadway freight sharing rate in 2030 will decrease by 8.07%, and the railway freight sharing rate and the waterway freight sharing rate (excluding ocean transportation) will increase by 0.93% and 7.13%, respectively. (II) After optimization, the energy consumption and carbon emission are reduced by 42,471,500 tons (10.3%) and 91,379,400 tons (10.2%) of standard coal, respectively. (III) The adaptive genetic algorithm outperforms the traditional genetic algorithm in terms of convergence speed and accuracy. (IV) As the weight coefficient of carbon emission increases, the utility value of freight transportation consistently decreases, and the sensitivity increases. Meanwhile, as the carbon emission weight coefficient increases, carbon emission keeps decreasing, and the sensitivity decreases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the pressing need to reduce the negative environmental impact of freight transportation we argue that it is essential to take account of the organization of the freight transportation system when considering how to address various individual activities and parts of the system. To support a transition to a more sustainable freight transportation system this paper examines the way in which different parts of the system interact and the way this can impact the scope for profound change. Taking loosely coupled systems (Weick, 1976) as a starting point, we scrutinize the couplings within and between three system layers of the freight transportation system: the supply chain layer, the transportation layer, and the infrastructure layer. In addition, we address two interfaces connecting these layers: the market for transportation services, and the traffic using the infrastructure. We find that tight couplings dominate in the supply chain and infrastructure layers and that these couplings depend on loose couplings in the transportation layer and the two interfaces. The pattern of couplings identified in the freight transportation system can explain several positive outcomes, such as flexibility and efficiency. But there are also major negative aspects of the loosely coupled nature of the system that create resistance to change and present a barrier in the drive for increased sustainability. The paper concludes that the identified couplings and system features have important implications for policies aiming to change the freight transportation system in ways that lead to significant reduction in the reliance on oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to present a new multidimensional performance measurement model calculating the overall sustainable performance value applied to the road freight transport sector. The measurement system presented considers five main dimensions including economic, social, environmental, operational and stakeholder. This paper justifies the choice of these dimensions and details the calculation approach through the presentation of the different minimum conditions algorithms leading to the final global performance value. The model is then generalized here by means of the artificial neural network (ANN) which is found to be the most relevant modeling technique used in a variety of scientific domains. In this study, ANN is used to predict the value of the global multidimensional performance in road freight transport estimated following the machine learning of the program on a labeled database. The data on which the program trained emerged from our multidimensional performance measurement model. A model mainly designed for the sole purpose of quantifying the sustainable performance of a supply chain. To this end, we have identified five main dimensions recurrently cited in the literature, namely: economic, environmental, social, operational, and stakeholders. The dimensions' respective performances are obtained by employing a minimum condition algorithm, which returns the global multidimensional performance. The suggested model is general and may be applied to different disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper examines what facilitates the swift reconfiguration of freight movements across transport modes in the wake of a major disaster. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research approach focussing on the New Zealand (NZ) domestic freight transport operations in the wake of the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake is used with data collected through 19 interviews with 27 informants. The interviews are thematically analysed by using the framework method. Findings: The paper provides rich and detailed descriptions of the ability of a freight transport system to recover from a disaster through rapid modal shifts. This paper identifies nine factors enabling modular transport operations and highlights the critical role of physical, digital, operational and inter-organisational interconnectivity in the aftermath of a disaster. Originality/value: Although the management of freight disruptions has become a prevalent topic not only in industry and policy-making circles, but also in the academic literature, qualitative research focussing on the ability of commercial freight systems to adapt and recover from a disaster through rapid modal shifts is limited. This qualitative study sheds light on the mechanisms underlying the continuity of freight operations in the wake of a disaster and provides a comprehensive understanding of modular transport operations and the ability of freight systems to keep goods moving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The objective of this paper is to evaluate whether the data from consignors, logistics service providers (LSPs) and consignees contribute to the prediction of air transport shipment delays in a machine learning application. Design/methodology/approach: The research database contained 2,244 air freight intercontinental shipments to 4 automotive production plants in Latin America. Different algorithm classes were tested in the knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) process: support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), artificial neural networks (ANN) and k-nearest neighbors (KNN). Findings: Shipper, consignee and LSP data attribute selection achieved 86% accuracy through the RF algorithm in a cross-validation scenario after a combined class balancing procedure. Originality/value: These findings expand the current literature on machine learning applied to air freight delay management, which has mostly focused on weather, airport structure, flight schedule, ground delay and congestion as explanatory attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to assess whether condensation will occur on the shipside of a bulk grain cargo hold during transportation at sea, this paper has established a ventilation model for the bulk cargo hold of the ship, and optimized the model according to the characteristics of the solid bulk grain stowed on a moving ship at sea. The temperature field, micro-airflow field and relative humidity field of the bulk grain in a cargo hold are simulated by using fluent software (v.2020). Incorporating the impact of grain moisture exchange, the Equilibrium Relative Humidity (ERH) method is introduced alongside the Dew Point (DP) method to determine the condensation on the shipside of the cargo hold. The results of simulation are in agreement with the practical observation results obtained from an actual ship with a heavy cargo damage claim. Conclusively, this paper finds that the risk of the condensation on the shipside of a bulk grain cargo hold always exists if the inner part of the shipside is directly in contact with the grain. Meanwhile, when the grain temperature near the shipside decreases, the moisture in the cargo hold will migrate to the shipside due to the temperature gradient. Furthermore, the longer the voyage, the more obvious the migration of moisture from the central part of the bulk grain to the shipside, and the greater the risk of condensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper systematically evaluates the existing literature of innovations in freight transport, including all modes, to uncover the key research themes and methodologies employed by researchers to study innovations and their implications in this industry. It analyses the role of transport and the impact of innovations during crises, such as COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the innovations in freight transport unravels the pre-requisites of such endeavours in achieving a resilient and sustainable transport network that effectively and efficiently operates during a crisis. The authors performed keyword co-occurrence network (KCON) analysis and research focus parallelship network (RFPN) analysis using BibExcel and Gephi to determine the major resulting research streams in freight transport. Findings: The RFPN identified five emerging themes: transport operations, technological innovation, transport economics, transport policy and resilience and disaster management. Optimisation and simulation techniques, and more recently, artificial intelligence and machine learning (ML) approaches, have been used to model and solve freight transport problems. Automation innovations have also penetrated freight and supply chains. Information and communication technology (ICT)-based innovations have also been found to be effective in building resilient supply chains. Research limitations/implications: Given the growth of e-commerce during COVID-19 and the resulting logistics demand, along with the need for transporting food and medical emergency products, the role of automation, optimisation, monitoring systems and risk management in the transport industry has become more salient. Transport companies need to improve their operational efficiency using innovative technologies and data science for informed decision-making. Originality/value: This paper advises researchers and practitioners involved in freight transport and innovation about main directions and gaps in the field through an integrated approach for evaluating research undertaken in the area. This paper also highlights the role of crisis, e.g. COVID-19, and its impacts on freight transport. Major contributions of this paper are as follows: (1) a qualitative and quantitative, systematic and effective assessment of the literature on freight transport through a network analysis of keywords supplemented by a review of the text of 148 papers; (2) unravelling major research areas; (3) identifying innovations in freight transport and their classification as technological and non-technological and (4) investigating the impact of crises and disruptions in freight transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The constant and significant growth in containerised cargo has put tremendous pressure on many customs administrations around the world. Cambodia is no exception, and Sihanoukville International Port (SIP) Customs faces increasing challenges in achieving its objective of ensuring effective customs control while promoting trade facilitation. This paper examines the IT system, risk management system, and relevant legislation to identify the main barriers preventing Customs from achieving this objective. It concludes that while significant efforts have been made by the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia (GDCE) to address generic challenges, several more specific and practical solutions are required to effectively manage the particular issues being faced at SIP. The paper concludes by providing practical recommendations to deal with the identified challenges in accordance with international standards and best practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban freight transport is central to urban societies, and yet urban authorities have traditionally left it to private actors to resolve freight challenges. Urban authorities rely on different governance strategies to address freight that result in fragmented freight governance, as many solutions are fixed in time, sector, or place. Drawing on Bulkeley and Kern’s typology of four modes of governance – self-governing, governing through enabling, governing by provision, and governing by authority – this paper asks: in what ways do urban authorities use different modes of governance in the case of urban logistics? Empirically, the paper looks at the modes of freight governance through an explorative workshop, document analysis, and interviews from Norway’s four largest cities – Bergen, Stavanger, Oslo and Trondheim. It finds that these cities are limiting themselves to ‘less confrontational’ modes based on accommodating freight activities, which hinders institutionalisation of knowledge and prevents public governance from serving as a coordinating factor for urban logistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vehicle electrification has shown the potential to reduce environmental impacts and greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector. As electric vehicles (EVs) become increasingly prominent, the efficient placement of charging infrastructure poses a complex challenge that demands careful consideration. This paper delves into the investigation of how travel and parking patterns, derived from empirical data on freight vehicles, influence the optimal distribution of charging infrastructure across the freight network. This paper presents a node-based approach to optimize the allocation of charging infrastructure tailored explicitly for freight transport. The study identifies optimal locations for operator-owned charging infrastructure by leveraging GPS-based data collected from a fleet of freight vehicles operating in the greater Gothenburg metropolitan area. This research aims to enhance our understanding of the charging infrastructure requirements inherent in the freight transport system and provide decision support to logistics companies contemplating the shift from conventional fossil fuel vehicles to electric freight vehicles. The proposed model holds the potential for seamless adaptation to diverse freight transport systems, offering valuable insights to expedite the transition toward fossil-free freight transport on a broader scale. • Complexity in charging infrastructure placement for freight transport. • Empirical data from a fleet of freight vehicles in Gothenburg metropolitan area. • Investigation of travel and parking patterns of freight vehicles. • Node-based optimization approach to allocate charging infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a conceptual framework proposal for integrating urban freight initiatives (UFIs), or city logistics initiatives, into urban planning and urban management (UPUM) land use and infrastructure systems. As a novel approach, this framework integrates three components: Firstly, a conceptual basis on three economic geography theory principles—location, agglomeration, and urbanisation. Secondly, spatial analysis and subsequent clustering integrate companies' spatial positions, their proximity to other companies, their freight intensity, and the characteristics of the zonal road infrastructure; these clusters are defined as freight traffic zones (FTZs). Thirdly, a functional yet strategic UFI clustering or grouping is proposed to work in an optimised and integrated manner with the FTZs' opportunities for efficiency and reduced externalities. It is expected that the integrated result of these three components can serve to optimise freight initiatives and road infrastructure from a city governance perspective, reduce freight externalities, and function as a stakeholder cooperation tool from government-led, policy-driven perspectives. This research also identifies and characterises various variables influencing the emergence and existence (planned or organic) of FTZs and shows how these could be incorporated into high-level UPUM processes. Although it is deemed that the principles and methodological approach followed here could be common to urban areas, an example for the Metropolitan Area of the Aburra Valley (MAAV), in Colombia, is presented as an initial case study. Conclusively, this paper introduces a pioneering methodology for integrating UFIs into city or metropolitan governance, offering guidance for policymakers to promote sustainable freight systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global maritime emissions, a 3% contributor to greenhouse gases, anticipate a surge of 90–130% by 2050. Regulatory challenges persist due to international governance gaps. Legislative strides, including the EU Emission Trading System, highlight global efforts. In the U.S., despite legislative commitment, consensus hurdles impede cross-regional carbon management. Prevailing top-down emissions estimation methods warrant scrutiny. This paper unveils U.S. maritime emissions intricacies, focusing on carbon accounting, transfer, and compensation for cargo and tanker vessels. Leveraging AIS data (2018–2022), an activity-based/bottom-up approach navigates emissions calculations, aiming to reshape understanding and foster strategic reductions. The study bridges gaps in U.S. maritime emission research, promising insights into transfer and compensation dynamics. By concentrating on high-impact vessel types, it contributes to emissions mitigation strategies, steering towards a sustainable U.S. maritime future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sorting out the requirements for intelligent functions is the prerequisite and foundation of the top-level design for the development of intelligent ships. In light of the development of inland intelligent ships for 2030, 2035, and 2050, based on the analysis of the division of intelligent ship functional modules by international representative classification societies and relevant research institutions, eight necessary functional modules have been proposed: intelligent navigation, intelligent hull, intelligent engine room, intelligent energy efficiency management, intelligent cargo management, intelligent integration platform, remote control, and autonomous operation. Taking the technical realization of each functional module as the goal, this paper analyzes the status quo and development trend of related intelligent technologies and their feasibility and applicability when applied to each functional module. At the same time, it clarifies the composition of specific functional elements of each functional module, puts forward the stage goals of China's inland intelligent ship development and the specific functional requirements of different modules under each stage, and provides reference for the Chinese government to subsequently formulate the top-level design development planning and implementation path of inland waterway intelligent ships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a research paper that provides a critical review of the first ten years of the Great Britain Government's "transport key performance indicator (KPI)" programme which benchmarks the efficiency of road freight operations. The paper reviewed data from nine benchmarking surveys and combined it with programme's implementation to assess the general approach. The findings of the research indicates that implementation of benchmarking programme in government policy in increasing awareness of best practice in freight transport and potentialefficiency gains.

Transportation is a broad multidisciplinary science concerned with the study of transportation network design, vehicle application engineering, as well as transportation operations and management. Due to the breadth of the topic and the increasing complexity of the decision processes involved in managing transportation operations, transportation has become a fertile field of study for operations research. Inspired by this, we have compiled this special issue of the Annals of Operations Research comprising of 24 new research contributions and two systematic literature reviews supporting and categorizing the current state of transportation research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining which ports to call at in a maritime loop is considered as an important determinant factor for shipping companies which impacts not only on efficiency, and productivity but also on transportation costs. The port selection process becomes more challenging and sensitive if the market is for perishable goods such as fruits and vegetables. Specifically, this paper aims to develop an efficient maritime supply chain for reefer cargo. A case study of refrigerated cargo trade between West-Africa and West-Europe is investigated for which the main objective is to minimize the trade route's supply chain costs. To do so, the paper analyzes various scenarios based upon the different types of cargo (transshipment and non-transshipment), commodity types (dry and reefer), and a combination of different (un)loading ports in and the Rotterdam–Gibraltar range. Four African ports, namely Tema (Ghana), Douala (Cameroon), Abidjan (Ivory Coast), and Dakar (Senegal), are considered for the outbound leg (Africa–Europe), while several ports in the E.U. and the U.K. are selected as inbound leg. The analysis is initiated by applying a data-gathering strategy to get the relevant container flow from European ports to West-African ports. Then, a chain cost modelling approach is used to determine what the sailing schedule of the vessel should be. By performing the import/export cargo volume and maritime and supply chain costs are calculated, which can be used by the involved stakeholders to decide which ports are the best to call on a specific route. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological development is rapidly having an impact on the road freight transport system. In parallel, there are suggestions for new types of business models to approach the network and complex features of business. In this paper, we raise the question of what this means in the road freight transport business from a truck manufacturer's perspective. The purpose is to analyse the contents of and developments in networked business models for road freight transport in Sweden with the overall aim to contribute to sustainable transport solutions. The paper builds on a qualitative case study methodology of a truck OEM. The results display three forms of networked business models: business models in stable, established and emerging networks. The stable business model is based on the present situation with the truck at the centre. The established business model is partly based on the present and partly on the future with the focus on uptime of the trucks. The emerging business model is future-oriented and contains technological development of connectivity, electrification and automation. Managerial implications regard that coping with the emerging business is necessary but result in great uncertainty regarding how to interact, which resources to invest in and how to coordinate activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of trucks is very diverse, but the main purpose is freight transportation. When cargos are transported, the truck's suspensions are heavily loaded, so failures also occur most often in the suspension elements. For axles of trailers - tubular construction failures occur, they crack. Axle failure investigations are required to determine the cause of the failure. The paper analyses three-axle truck trailer suspension. Axle failure analysis and axial deformation modelling were performed to determine trends and causes of truck trailer suspension axle failures. Different cases with axles of tubular construction with wall thicknesses of 9 and 11 mm were modelled. The paper presented visual failure analysis of truck trailers suspension axles and finite element modelling results of axle's deformation of different geometrical parameters. The results were discussed and conclusions were drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Active transportation referring to non-motorized modes of transport is promoted and popularized both in practice and in the scientific literature, while their use for urban freight transport has been largely neglected. Thus the main scope of the paper is to indicate the development potential of micromobility use in urban freight transport and to check its influence on urban sustainability. Methods: The authors have hypothesized that active means of transport, with a focus on micromobility, have great development potential in freight transportation in cities. The implemented methods for analyzing the relationship between users' characteristics, micromobility, and its impact on urban sustainable development, were logit and probit modelling. The authors' system includes an analysis of factors connected with the topics of sustainability and micromobilty, that have met an essential scientific gap that this paper addresses. Logistic (logit) regression is used mainly for binary, ordinal, and multi-level outcomes to find the probability of success (i.e. occurrence of some event). Probit regression, however, is primarily used in binary response models and assumes the normal distribution of data. Results: The main finding of the article has led the authors to the statement that active means of transport, including micromobility have great development potential in freight transportation in cities. Conclusions: Knowledge of the acceptance of micromobility solutions is essential for municipal authorities in shaping the development of urban transport systems. Thus proper strategies and actions need to be prioritized to leverage the sustainability-related co-benefits of active transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]