Shipping Trends Have Trucks Confronting More Congestion
When it comes to avoiding traffic congestion, truckers are at the mercy of their customers, according to studies released at the Transportation Research Board’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C., from Jan. 9 to 13.
The trend toward just-in-time delivery means that trucks hit rush-hour traffic while making both pickups and deliveries, the studies found.
Just how big a problem congestion is depends on the type of trucking company, according to Thomas F. Golob of the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California-Irvine. Intermodal carriers, those hauling refrigerated goods and private less-than-truckload carriers were most concerned about the unreliable travel times caused by congestion. Long-haul carriers were more concerned about the frustration that congestion caused their drivers.
For the full story, see the Jan. 24 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.
 |  TT file photo |
| A study finds sectors of trucking are affected by congestion in different ways. |
“The management decision to ship today’s production today, and not stockpile it, reduces the flexibility to ship during off-peak hours,” William R. Louden of DKS Associates, Oakland, Calif., wrote in his study of businesses in Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash.
 | |
