Discussion-Week 3-Cost Analysis
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Industrial Engineering
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Feb 20, 2024
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Why has the provider of choice shifted from rail to motor modes? With the shift to motor freight carriers, the amount of traffic accidents has skyrocketed, please give your opinion of the reason for this.
1)
There are 7 key differences as why motor modes are more effective and efficient than rail in several situations.
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Cost: even though rail is cost effective for longer distances and a larger cargo, motor modes are more appropriate for shorter distances due to cheaper shipping
charges. Also, road transport includes FTL, LTL and LTL consolidation.
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Distance: as mentioned before, road transportation is more effective for shorter distances, and it provides a door-to-door service.
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Transit time: road transportation is faster as it takes a shorter amount of time to load and unload trucks. However, it is subject to delays depending on the weather, traffic, and road infrastructure.
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Safety: road transport is more exposed to accidents as trucks share the road with private use vehicles. Also, truck drivers do stop more often. Rail transport provides less handling of the cargo.
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Flexibility: unlike rail, trucks can be dispatched as needed which has made it a preferred method of transport in modern times.
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Capacity: rail can move a higher volume of cargo compared to road transportation which makes it appropriate for certain types of goods.
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Coverage: rail is limited regardless its coverage since it can only be loaded and unloaded at specific points. On the contrary, road transportation uses roads which makes it faster and more accessible. In conclusion, even though rail and motor modes have specific advantages and disadvantages depending on the goods to be transported, motor modes provide more flexibility and coverage, which results in being cost-efficient in the long run. 2)
In my opinion, the trucks driven for freight carriers are large and heavy which makes it more difficult to slow down or stop. I believe that also many motorists drive aggressively instead of defensively which gives truck drivers a shorter reaction time. Also, these trucks are not only large and heavy, but they are also not very aerodynamic. It is not uncommon to see semi-trucks coming off their lane even if the driver is awake. I believe they are just more difficult to maneuver.
According to the National Safety Council, there has been a 18% increase in fatal crashes where large trucks were involved, from 2020 to 2021. Even though 18%
does not seem to be a huge increase, it is when we take into account the total number of large trucks
https://www.tms-transportation.com/blogs/rail-vs-road-which-transportation-
mode-is-more-efficient-cost-effective/
https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/road-users/large-trucks/
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