Transportation Management System

Introduction:
The rapidly expanding global economy offers both opportunities and
challenges for transportation and distribution companies. As the volume of
goods being shipped around the world grows, market players face increasing
competition.Transport management, also referred to as transportation and
logistics management, studies the processes involved in the planning and
coordination of delivering persons or goods from one place to another.
Transportation managers are responsible for the complete reception and
effective shipment of cargos for a trading company. They also deal with the
safe and reliable transportation of passengers, as well as developing
shipment relationships and partnerships. The ancient Romans were arguably
the first people to employ transport managers and planners. Their extensive
network of Roman roads certainly required extensive planning and
management, and some clever centurion chap definitely decided to make
them all nice and straight.
In the modern world, transport management and planning is equally as
important. Without these guys, transport routes, systems and policies would
not be carefully planned, coordinated and improved. We would find train
lines stopping in the middle of nowhere, roads leading to brick walls, and
airplanes would just be flying around in the air not knowing where to land.
Careers in this area are beginning to change more and more, especially with
increasing concerns for congestion, land management and environmental
issues. Effectively, transport planning is concerned with the design, location,
evaluation, analysis and assessment of transport routes, infrastructure and
facilities. These important decisions are all based on expert knowledge of
environmental, social and behavioral science issues.
TRANSPORTATION ECONOMICS

Transportation Economic strategies reduces transportation cost and

increases delivery reliability through collaboration across all modes and
providers. Transportation Economics depends upon following elements:

1. FACTORS
Transportation economics are driven by seven factors. While not direct
components of transport tariffs, each factor influences rates. The
factors are:

(a) Distance
(b) Weight
(c) Density
(d) Stowability
(e) Handling
(f) Liability and
(g) Market.
The following discusses the relative importance of each factor from a
shippers perspective. Keep in mind that the precise impact of each
factor varies, depending on specific market and product
characteristics.
(a) Distance is a major influence on transportation cost since it directly
contributes to variable expense, such as labor, fuel, and
maintenance. Firstly, the cost does not begin at zero because there
are fixed costs associated with shipment pickup and delivery
regardless of distance. Second, the cost increases at a decreasing
rate as a function of distance. This characteristic is known as the
Tapering Principle.
(b)Weight The second factor is load weight. As with other logistics
activities, scale economies exist for most transportation
movements. This relationship, between weight and cost, indicates
that transport cost per unit of weight decreases as load size
increases. This occurs because the fixed costs of pickup, delivery,
and administration are spread over incremental weight. This

relationship is limited by the size of the transportation vehicle. Once

the vehicle is full, the relationship begins again with each additional
vehicle. The managerial implication is that small loads should be
consolidated into larger loads to maximize scale economies.
(c) Density A third factor is product density. Density is the combination
of weight and volume. Weight and volume are important since
transportation cost for any movement is usually quoted in dollars
per unit of weight. Transport charges are commonly quoted per
hundredweight (CWT). In terms of weight and volume, vehicles are
typically more constrained by cubic capacity than by weight. Since
actual vehicle, labor, and fuel expenses are not dramatically
influenced by weight, higher-density products allow fixed transport
cost to be spread across more weight. As a result, higher density
products are typically assessed lower transport cost per unit of
weight. The relationship of declining transportation cost per unit of
weight as product density increases. In general, traffic managers
seek to improve product density so that trailer cubic capacity can
be fully utilized.

(d)Stowability refers to how product dimensions fit into

transportation equipment. Odd package sizes and shapes, as well as
excessive size or length, may not fit well in transportation
equipment, resulting in wasted cubic capacity. Although density and
stowability are similar, it is possible to have items with similar
densities that stow very differently. Items having rectangular shapes
are much easier to stow than odd-shaped items. For example, while
steel blocks and rods may have the same physical density, rods are
more difficult to stow than blocks because of their length and shape.
Stowability is also influenced by other aspects of size, since large
numbers of items may be nested in shipments whereas they may be
difficult to stow in smallquantities. For example, it is possible to
accomplish significant nesting for a truckload of trash cans while a
single can is difficult to stow.
(e) Handling Special handling equipment may be required to load and
unload trucks, railcars, or ships. In addition to special handling
equipment, the manner in which products are physically grouped
together in boxes or on pallets for transport and storage will impact
handling cost.

(f) Liability includes product characteristics that can result in damage.

Carriers must either have insurance to protect against potential
damage or accept financial responsibility. Shippers can reduce their
risk, and ultimately transportation cost, by improved packaging or
reducing susceptibility to loss or damage.
(g)Market Finally, market factors such as lane volume and balance
influence transportation cost. A transport lane refers to movements
between origin and destination points. Since transportation vehicles
and drivers typically return to their origin, either they must find a
back- haul load or the vehicle is returned or deadheaded empty.
When empty return movements occur, labor, fuel, and maintenance
costs must be charged against the original front-haul movement.
Thus, the ideal situation is to achieve two-way or balanced
movement of loads. However, this is rarely the case because of
demand imbalances in manufacturing and consumption locations.
For example, many goods are manufactured and processed in the
eastern United States and then shipped to consumer markets in the
western portion of the country. This results in an imbalance in
volume moving between the two geographical areas. Such
imbalance causes rates to be generally lower for eastbound moves.
Movement balance is also influenced by seasonality, such as the
movement of fruits and vegetables to coincide with growing
seasons. Demand location and seasonality result in transport rates
that change with direction and season. Logistics system design
must take such factors into account to achieve back-haul economies
whenever possible.

2. TRANSPORTATION COSTING
The second dimension of transport economics and pricing concerns the
criteria used to allocate cost. Cost allocation is primarily a carrier
concern, but since cost structure influences negotiating ability, the
shippers perspective is important as well. Transportation costs are
classified into a number of categories. Variable Costs that change in a
predictable, direct manner in relation to some level of activity are
labeled variable costs. Variable costs in transportation can be avoided
only by not operating the vehicle. Aside from exceptional
circumstances, transport rates must at least cover variable cost. The
variable category includes direct carrier cost associated with
movement of each load. These expenses are generally measured as a
cost per mile or per unit of weight. Typical variable cost components

include labor, fuel, and maintenance. The variable cost of operations

represents the minimum amount a carrier must charge to pay daily
expenses. It is not possible for any carrier to charge customers a rate
below its variable cost and expect to remain in business long. Fixed
Expenses that do not change in the short run and must be paid even
when a company is not operating, such as during a holiday or a strike,
are fixed costs. The fixed category includes costs not directly
influenced by shipment volume. For transportation firms, fixed
components include vehicles, terminals, rights-of-way, information
systems, and support equipment. In the short term, expenses
associated with fixed assets must be covered by contribution above
variable costs on a per shipment basis. Joint Expenses created by the
decision to provide a particular service are called joint costs. For
example, when a carrier elects to haul a truckload from point A to point
B, there is an implicit decision to incur a joint cost for the back-haul
from point B to point A. Either the joint cost must be covered by the
original shipper from A to B or a back-haul shipper must be found. Joint
costs have significant impact on transportation charges because
carrier quotations must include implied joint costs based on
assessment of back-haul recovery.
Common Costs: This category includes carrier costs that are incurred
on behalf of all or selected shippers. Common costs, such as terminal
or management expenses, are characterized as overhead. These are
often allocated to a shipper according to a level of activity like the
number of shipments or delivery appointments handled. However,
allocating overhead in this manner may incorrectly assign costs. For
example, a shipper may be charged for delivery appointments when
not actually using the service.
CARRIER PRICING STRATEGY: When setting rates, carriers typically
follow one or a combination of two strategies. Although it is possible to
employ a single strategy, the combination approach considers tradeoffs between cost of service incurred by the carrier and value of
service to the shipper.
Cost-of-Service: The cost-of-service strategy is a buildup approach
where the carrier establishes a rate based on the cost of providing the
service plus a profit margin. For example, if the cost of providing a
transportation service is $200 and the profit markup is 10 percent, the
carrier would charge the shipper $220. The cost-of-service approach,
which represents the base or minimum for transportation charges, is
most commonly used as a pricing approach for low-value goods or in
highly competitive situations.

Value-of-Service: An alternative strategy that charges a price based

on value as perceived by the shipper rather than the carrier cost of
actually providing the service is called value-of-service. For example, a
shipper perceives transporting 1000 pounds of electronics equipment
as more critical or valuable than 1000 pounds of coal, since electronics
are worth substantially more than the coal. Therefore, a shipper is
probably willing to pay more for transportation. Carriers tend to utilize
value-of-service pricing for high-value goods or when limited
competition exists. Value-of-service pricing is illustrated in the
premium overnight freight market. When FedEx first introduced
overnight delivery, there were few competitors that could provide
comparable service, so it was perceived by shippers as a high-value
alternative. They were willing to pay a premium for overnight delivery
of a single package. Once competitors such as UPS, and the United
States Postal Service entered the market, overnight rates were
discounted to levels reflecting the value and cost of this service.
Combination: A combination pricing strategy establishes the
transport price at an intermediate level between the cost- of-service
minimum and the value-of-service maximum. In practice, most
transportation firms use managerially determined midrange pricing.
Logistics managers must understand the range of prices and the
alternative strategies so they can negotiate appropriately.
Net-Rate: By taking advantage of regulatory freedom generated by
the Trucking Industry Regulatory Reform Act (TIRRA) of 1994 and the
reduced applicability of the filed rate doctrine, a number of common
carriers are experimenting with a simplified pricing format termed netrate pricing. Since TIRRA eliminated tariff filing requirements for motor
carriers that set rates individually with customers, carriers are now, in
effect, able to simplify pricing to fit an individual customers
circumstance and need. Specifically, carriers can replace individual
discount sheets and class tariffs with a simplified price sheet. The netrate pricing approach does away with the complex and administratively
burdensome discount pricing structures that became common practice
following initial deregulation. Established discounts and accessorial
charges are built into net rates. In other words, the net rate is an allinclusive price. The goal is to drastically reduce a carriers
administrative cost and directly respond to customer demand to
simplify the pricing process. Shippers are attracted to such
simplification because itpromotes billing accuracy and provides a clear
understanding of how to generate savings in transportation.