Efficiency of freight transport

In praise of double-deck trailers

Article

Column in Logistics Manager Magazine February 2022

  Short article portraying the double-deck trailer as the 'unsung hero of UK logistics'. copy with weblinks to literature ...

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Maximizing Capacity Utilization in Freight Transport

Chapter

McKinnon, A.C. in Global Logistics; New Directions in Supply Chain Management. 8th ed. edited by Sweeney, E. and Waters, D., Kogan Page, London (2021) pp.119-141

This book chapter updates and extends earlier book chapters that I have written on this subject, taking a cross-modal perspective on the subject, reviewing recent literature on the subject and expanding the sections on collaboration and digitalization. Details of the book Chapter ...

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Opportunities for Improving Vehicle Utilisation

Chapter

McKinnon, A.C. in Green Logistics . 3^rd ed. edited by McKinnon, A.C., Browne, M., Piecyk, M. and Whiteing, A. , Kogan Page, London (2015)

 This book chapter begins with a review of the metrics that can be used to assess how well the carrying capacity of road freight vehicles is actually used.  It then examines the numerous constraints on vehicle loading, classifying them into five categories: market-related, regulatory, inter-functional, infrastructural and equipment-related. ...

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Increasing Fuel Efficiency in the Road Freight Sector

Chapter

McKinnon, A.C. in Green Logistics . 3^rd ed. edited by McKinnon, A.C., Browne, M., Piecyk, M. and Whiteing, A. , Kogan Page, London (2015)

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Optimising the Movement of Freight by Road

Chapter

McKinnon, A.C. in Global Logistics . 7^th ed. edited by Waters, D. and Rinsler, S. , Kogan Page, London (2014)

This book chapter examines the various ways in which vehicle utilization can be assessed, considers the reasons why so many trucks run empty or only partially loaded and outlines a series of measures that companies can take to attain higher levels of vehicle fill. ...

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Technology Adoption in Small and Medium-sized Logistics Providers

Article

Evangelista, P., McKinnon, A.C. and Sweeney, E. Industrial Management and Data Systems. vol 113, no.7 pp. 967-989 (2013)

Smaller logistics service providers (LSPs) have often been accused of being slow to adopt innovations in information and communication technology (ICT), despite the fact that they bring a host of efficiency and service benefits. This research examined the adoption of ICT innovations across a sample of 153 small and medium-sized logistics providers in Italy. ...

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Energy efficiency practices among road freight hauliers

Paper

Liimatainen, H., Stenholm, P., Tapio, P. and McKinnon, A Energy Policy, 50, 833-842 (2012)

The reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) is a highly prevalent public policy goal among European Union member countries. In the new White Paper on transport, the role of road freight transports in this is strongly emphasized. This far, however, the efficiency practices utilised in logistics firms are less studied. ...

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Analysing Global Energy Trends in Road Freight Transport

Paper

Piecyk, M.I. and McKinnon, A.C. Supply Chain Perspectives, 11 (2) 11-18 (2010)

This article is based on research done for the International Energy Agency and reported in Chapter 6 of the IEA report entitled ‘Transport, Energy and CO2: Moving Toward  Sustainability’ (Paris, 2009).  It maps the complex interrelationships between key logistics variables and the total energy requirements of road freight transport.  ...

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Innovation in road freight transport: achievements and challenges

Chapter

McKinnon, A.C. Report for International Transport Forum seminar on Innovation in Road Transport:Opportunities for Improving Efficiency. Lisbon, 2 October 2009

 This report begins by asking what drives innovation in the road freight sector. It then presents a classification of innovations in this sector and provides brief reviews of the main innovative developments affecting the movement of freight by road and / or likely to exert a strong influence in the future. ...

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Benchmarking road freight transport: Review of a government‐sponsored programme

Paper

McKinnon, A.C. Benchmarking: an International Journal, 16, 5, 640-656 (2009)

The purpose of this paper was to provide a critical review of the first ten years of the UK Government's “transport key performance indicator (KPI)” programme which benchmarks the efficiency of road freight operations. Documentation on nine benchmarking surveys is reviewed and combined with direct experience of programme's implementation to ... ...

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The potential for reducing empty running by trucks: a retrospective analysis

Paper

McKinnon, A.C. and Ge, Y. International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, 36,5, 391-410 (2006)

The aim is to examine the recent trend in empty running by trucks in the UK and assesses the potential for a further reduction in empty running in the food supply chain using a new technique. Data from the UK Government's main road freight survey and other studies are used to investigate the causes of the decline in empty running. ...

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Use of a Synchronised Vehicle Audit to Determine Opportunities for Improving Transport Efficiency in a Supply Chain

Article

Alan C McKinnon and Ge, Y. International Journal of Logistics: Research and Applications, 7 (3), 220-238 (2004)

The benchmarking of freight transport efficiency was a key element in the UK government’s sustainable distribution strategy. It  sponsored several road transport benchmarking exercises. This paper summarises the results of the second major key performance indicator (KPI) survey of road transport in the food supply chain carried out in 2002. ...

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Analysis of Transport Efficiency in the UK Food Supply Chain

Report

McKinnon, A.C., Ge, Y. and Leuchars, D. Report of Logistics Research Centre, Heriot-Watt University (2003)

This is the final report of the second Transport KPI benchmarking survey conducted in the UK Food supply chain with the support of the UK government and Cold Storage and Distribution Federation. Like the original survey in 1998, it took the form of a ‘synchronised audit’ of five sets of ... ...

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Running on Empty

Paper

McKinnon, A.C. and Leuchars, D. in ECR Journal, 3, 1, 72-82 (2003)

In the UK food industry, trucks on average spend just 28 per cent of their time actually running on the road and are empty on nearly 20 per cent of the distance travelled. Putting all journeys together, the average vehicle carries just over half its full potential load. ...

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Vehicle Utilisation and Energy Efficiency in the Food Supply Chain: Full Report of the Key Performance Indicator Survey

Report

McKinnon, A.C. Report of Logistics Research Centre, Heriot-Watt University (1999)

In 1998 the UK government and Cold Storage and Distribution Federation commissioned the Logistics Research Centre at Heriot-Watt University to undertake a new type of freight transport survey designed to provide a deeper insight in the efficiency of road freight operations and to allow the participating companies to benchmark to utilisation and energy efficiency of their fleets. ...

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The empty running and return loading of road goods vehicles

Paper

McKinnon, A.C. Transport Logistics, 1, 1, 1-19 (1996)

The proportion of lorry-kilometres run empty in the UK declined by 11% between 1982 and 1993, yielding significant economic and environmental benefits. This paper examines possible reasons for this trend and identifies five contributory factors: the lengthening of lorry journeys, increasing number of drops per trip, expansion of load-matching services, ... ...

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