Bart Wiegmans

Port and terminal selection by deep-sea container operators

This paper deals with the importance of port choice and container terminal selection for deep-sea container carriers. The paper focuses on the research question: on what basis do deep-sea container operators select container ports (strategy) and container terminals (financial reasons) in the Hamburg–Le Havre range over others? In answering this research question, three dimensions are addressed in detail: the buying decision characteristics; port choice strategy; and terminal selection. The results show that strategic considerations at company level are important. For port choice the most important criteria from a carriers perspective are: availability of hinterland connections; reasonable tariffs; and immediacy of consumers (large hinterland). In addition to these criteria, shipping lines attach great value to often neglected factors, such as feeder connectivity, environmental issues and the total portfolio of the port. The study reveals that port selection and terminal selection are not the same with terminal selection criteria mainly depending on: handling speed; handling costs; reliability; and hinterland connections. The analysis also brought forward that the decision making is different per container carrier, per trade and per port type, implying that a one size fits all approach is not relevant.

INTERMODAL FREIGHT TERMINALS: AN ANALYSIS OF THE TERMINAL MARKET

Intermodality has become a major goal in modern transport policy. The improvement of combined transport within the European Union includes the refinement of freight terminal services. A freight terminal is a nodal place where goods are transhipped between any two or more transport modes. In this paper we describe and analyse the freight terminal market with the help of Porters model of five competitive forces. The central question is: who are the stakeholders in the terminal market? We will particularly address the critical decision factors faced by terminal operators in terms of strategic importance, location and network configuration of freight terminals by employing Porters competitive focus. First, the industry competitors in the freight terminal market will be analysed. Second, the buyers of the freight terminal services will be described, followed by the suppliers of the terminal infrastructure. Other competitive forces are the potential entrants into the terminal market and the substitutes for th...

Evaluation of Potentially Successful Barge Innovations

Abstract The challenge in this paper is to examine to what extent increased barge transport offers an alternative for road transport. To increase barge transport, innovations are needed. The central issue is as follows. Which barge innovations can be implemented successfully? The paper reviews the most important academic literature (some of which is scarce) on barge transport. The literature has been used as input to evaluate the potential of barge innovations for broad market‐based introduction. Furthermore, the innovations have been evaluated on their potential to enlarge the barge market. The analysis leads to a number of conclusions. The most promising innovations for a successful broad‐based market introduction are the catalyst and filter systems Z‐drive, Tempomaat, air‐lubricated barges, model shift scans, Distrivaart, dedicated barges and sea–river transport. Besides the innovation having a success potential in terms of broad‐based market introduction, it is important that the innovation enlarges the market for barge transport. Only three of the potential successful innovations (Distrivaart, dedicated barges and sea–river transport) also show the potential to enlarge the market for barge transport.

Can Innovations in Rail Freight Transhipment Be Successful

Abstract The central place of transhipment in rail transport solutions and the lack of successful innovations is the focus in this paper. Based on a questionnaire and interviews, several conclusions can be drawn. First, the respondents value the product characteristics of the different innovations as neutral. However, there appear to be a number of ways to make the innovations more attractive (e.g. reduce uncertainty/risks, increase the compatibility and decrease the complexity). Second, the respondents value the user requirements of the innovations concerned as neutral. However, several different opportunities can be identified to make the innovations more attractive on the user requirements side (e.g. flexibility). Third, concerning the user requirements, the costs of the innovations are perceived as high. This probably is one of the major barriers to the successful adoption of the innovations in the rail transhipment market. In this market, costs are very important and cannot always be recovered through charging higher prices. A last conclusion is that user requirements can be analysed from two points of view: first, the user of the innovation is the terminal operator and the innovation must meet his criteria; and second, the actual user is the rail transport company (and ultimately the shipper of the freight). The innovations are then evaluated on their increase in performance for the total intermodal transport solution.

Enablers and Barriers to the Adoption of Alternatively Powered Buses

Abstract This paper seeks to identify enablers and barriers that stimulate or prevent the adoption of alternatively powered buses (APBs) in cities. The research method concentrates on an in‐depth analysis of 21 European demonstration case studies of APBs. Considerable differences exist between these cities due to the different reference situation. The type of measurement and the situation in the demonstration cities influence the exact fuel consumption and emission reduction. Variables that could enable the adoption of all types of APBs are: (1) the compatibility with previously introduced ideas; (2) the already available necessary supporting infrastructure in the city; (3) a changed external appearance of the APB; (4) the acceptance of the APBs by passengers and bus drivers; and (5) political support in the city regarding the APBs. The main variables that could be determined as barriers are: the relative economic advantage (the outline of costs is higher than that of conventional buses); and the understanding of the APB for bus drivers and mechanics (because special training is needed for both groups).

Intermodel freight terminals: marketing channels and telecommunication networks

This paper seeks to highlight the importance of modern telecommunications networks in combined transport marketing channels deployed for intermodal terminals. To develop a customer-based and broadly applicable framework for studying combined freight transport in Europe, the use of the marketing channel theory is advocated. The central research question addressed in this paper is: which opportunities do telecommunications networks offer to intermodal freight terminals in order to function more efficiently in combined transport marketing channels? After a description of the information sector and telecommunications networks, recent developments in these booming sectors are pinpointed and the opportunities offered to intermodal freight terminals and combined transport are mapped out. The central focus is on intermodal freight terminals in combined transport marketing channels in which different types of flows are employed (e.g. payment, ordering, promotion, etc.). All these marketing channel flows are, in principle, customer-driven and require a lot of tailor-made information and, thus, also the use of proper telecommunications networks. This paper describes the changing scene of intermodal freight terminals with a particular view to the opportunities-service change, service development, market development, diversification-for intermodal freight terminals to improve their competitive position by using the information and communication technology sector. The main message is that there are numerous opportunities for intermodal freight terminals to function more efficiently.

Benchmarking deep-sea port performance in the Hamburg-Le Havre range

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on answering the following research question: “How efficient are deep-sea ports in the Hamburg-Le Havre (HLH) range compared with each other?” Design/methodology/approach – Input-oriented (and output-oriented) Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) results demonstrate that the deep-sea port of Vlissingen is perfectly efficient and also that the port of Amsterdam is quite efficient. These DEA results are underligned by the single-point benchmarking results. Findings – The Dutch deep-sea ports are the most efficient ports in the HLH range. Finally, relatively smaller deep-sea ports (with a market share of about 5 percent, such as Amsterdam, Vlissingen, and Zeebrugge) are relatively more efficient than larger deep-sea container ports (such as Antwerp, Hamburg, and Rotterdam). It can be observed that especially in these larger ports, the container sector is (very) important as compared with the smaller ports. Furthermore, Dutch ports are relatively more efficient and r...

Container terminals and utilisation of facilities.

In this article, the authors outline production frontiers and efficiency coefficients for container terminals. The authors stress that efficient operations of container terminals are important in order to realize high productivity and low costs per unit of output. The authors report on a technical efficiency analysis study based on a database of European maritime, rail, and barge container terminals. The study include the terminal equipment, four forms of handling systems, the terminal berth, personnel, size of the container terminal, production process bottlenecks, and terminal activities. Results show large differences in terminal efficiency among maritime container terminals. Those terminals that specialize in containers only perform better than terminals that also handle non-containerized goods. When rail terminals and maritime terminals are compared, results show that the variation in the technical efficiency for maritime terminals is larger. In addition, terminals in larger ports are shown to be more efficiency than terminals in smaller ports. No systematic differences per country are found.

A renaissance in understanding technology dynamics? The emerging concept of transition management in transportation

Abstract For the last five years the technology factor (by which is meant both process and product innovation) has received renewed attention in the transport sector as society is confronted with new challenges. This leads to a call for change and transitions. Technology is considered as a potential answer to new needs and new problems, like the reduction of CO2 and the supply of alternative energy. It is important that there is a theoretical basis for the way of thinking on innovation and diffusion when it comes to technology dynamics. This paper, based on a literature study, addresses the question to what extent the theory of transition management can be considered as a new application of technology dynamics. The theory of technological innovations in the broad sense is analysed and applied to the transport sector.

Container terminals in Europe: their position in marketing channel flows

This paper aims to address the linkage between logistics (in particular, the management of marketing channel flows) and transport markets, while also the interaction between these two markets and inter-modal container terminals is analysed. The marketing channel theory is used to describe all relevant actors and flows that run through marketing channels, starting with customer needs and ending with customer satisfaction. Porter’s theory of competitive advantages is used to review competitive forces in both markets. Finally, a competitor analysis is performed for the logistics and transport market. These theories are applied so as to be able to determine the competitive position of inter-modal container terminals with a view to the management of marketing channel flows and the physical transport of freight flows. Hence, the central question of this paper is: Which markets are served by inter-modal container terminals and with whom are they competing? At present, neither the maritime container terminals nor the continental container terminals appear to have a significant influence in the logistics service market; they concentrate mainly on the physical movement of containers (transshipment). Furthermore, maritime container terminals and continental container terminals are not dominant players in the transport service market. Our conclusion is that continental terminals are predominantly competing with unimodal road transport, with neighbouring continental terminals and with barge transport companies.