Transportation and strategic distribution

Résumé du document

Urban logistics is a major issue for both the logistics industry and transportation systems. The noise in cities is becoming a real issue, especially for people living in bars or shopping areas. Why today, more than never, we hear about people complaining about noise. Several reasons could explain this rise of noise level. First, the development of businesses, there are more and more people living in cities, creating more needs and more shops to meet the expectations of inhabitants. Secondly, the rise of consumption, due in part to the interest of the population for new products. Finally, we have to consider the level of expectation of consumers. People want their fresh products at the first hours of the day which implies night deliveries. All these reasons makes the traffic level rise. For example, in Paris, 15% to 20% of traffic concerns goods transportation during day as well as at night, and that the night deliveries are more problematic in terms of noise pollution. Furthermore, they are encouraged by cities regulations that forbid access during the day to trucks in order to facilitate passenger traffic.

Extraits

[...] This way of transport, over its advantages described before, is also a way to communicate with people and show that the brand is concerned by environmental issues. There are nevertheless some disadvantages relative to the delivering tricycle. Capacities are limited, the maximum weight is approximately 200 kgs, and distances of delivering are limited too. It does not concern all the goods, but it remains a step forward for a cleanest logistics in urban areas. Pipelines: The port of Rotterdam has settled a network of pipelines that permits the transport of oil and chemical. [...]

[...] Gaz emissions As the traffic rises, pollution rises. Actions undertaken by governments concerns in harmonization of traffic during the day and the night, to avoid peak of pollution and keep a good quality of air for inhabitants. Vehicles manufacturers are more and more taking into account this parameter when building their engines, but the problem is the time-lag in this industry between an innovation and the general use. Governments are already fighting against it throughout vehicles inspections, which do not tolerate too much emissions. [...]

[...] We can think on using that for projects like major construction sites, but on a temporarily basis. Use other means of transport. It's a fact; major part of the distribution is operated today by trucks, as the road network is the most developed. So what could be the means of transport of tomorrow? First, we have to separate means of transport and networks. Indeed, trucks are not the only carriers able to use the road, and especially in cities. Delivery tricycle We have seen for now about ten years the development of the delivery tricycle. [...]

[...] The principal warehouse is located at 30km of Paris (at the bottom right on the map). It delivers directly shops for the south part of Paris. It is supplied by barges coming from the port of Le Havre, as Monoprix is involved in greening its supply chain. You can also see two distribution centers closer to the city, one (on the left) dedicated to voluminous goods, and the other to heaviest goods as beverages. All the movements are operated by trucks between all infrastructures. [...]

[...] Encourage businesses to invest: The shift to an unsustainable company to a sustainable one is not without consequences. All the habits, ways of operating have to be reconsidered, having in mind the current situation (congestion, pollution). But the most important aspect is the investment needed to achieve the objectives. As we have seen for Monoprix, the investment is really substantial, and companies are naturally oriented toward the less costly solutions. If we take for example the creation of a rail connection to a warehouse, only the company would not be able to support such an expense. [...]