Answer to Question #230008 in Economics for Pearl

Question

Select an existing motor carrier company operating in South Africa and answer the following. 

3. Terminal management is important in the motor carrier industry. Explain any four factors your company had to consider when deciding on the number of its terminals.

(5×4=20) please provide intext reference as well as references.

Answer 1

The most important features of the terminal system that distinguish it from the system of freight bus stations are:

a high level of inter-terminal transportation on regular schedules (up to 60-80% of all shipments); - centralized operational management of transportation.

    Terminal systems can be created:

in regions, territories and autonomous republics under the jurisdiction of the territorial association of road transport for the transportation of goods in intraregional intercity communication - a regional terminal system.

in the area of ​​operation of territorial associations of motorway communications for the transportation of goods in interregional and inter-republican communications - the main terminal system.

    The main purpose of the terminal system is to expand the scope of public transport with a sharp improvement in the use of heavy road trains. At the same time, the traditional end-to-end method of cargo delivery is not completely ruled out. But it should be used when transporting large consignments that do not require grouping, when transporting relatively short distances, etc. According to preliminary estimates, 40-60% of all cargo in the intraregional and 70-80 % in interregional and inter-republican communications.

    The efficiency of terminal systems depends mainly on the daily output of inter-terminal road trains. The greatest output can be achieved with the maximum use of the carrying capacity, the minimum waiting time for loading and unloading operations, and taking into account a number of other factors. This is possible if the principle of centralized system management is implemented.

    The terminal system contains four subsystems:

delivery and delivery of goods to terminals;

processing of goods at terminals;

transportation between terminals;

end-to-end transportation.

    With such an organization of transportation, the movement of vehicles on the supply and distribution routes is limited by the scope of the terminal. The movement of inter-terminal road trains is limited by the length of the highways between the terminals. Road trains assigned to a certain highway, as a rule, should not carry out transportation on other highways.

    Terminals should be located at the nodes of the main traffic flows of the city, district, region, region. Large industrial areas may have several terminals located at the intersection of administrative-territorial boundaries with major highways.

    The main functions of the control system in the field of terminals are:

    -control over the timely arrival of goods, semitrailers, loaded flatbed vehicles in accordance with production targets;

    -control over the state of the normative (insurance) level of the availability of goods, containers, semitrailers at the terminals;

    -regulation of cargo stocks in case of deviations from the normative;

    -control over the picking and dismantling of goods in the directions for the supply and distribution and inter-terminal subsystems.

    When managing the operation of terminals, the following main types of documents should be used:

route schedules for the movement of inter-terminal road trains (developed centrally);

route schedules for delivery and delivery vehicles;

insurance stock standards;

clientele work schedules, etc.