Abstract
Centring on land transport, and focusing primarily on road freight, Africa’s key freight transport problems may be stated as follows: overloaded vehicles (per operating trip); under-utilised vehicles (per operating period); use of older vehicles; delayed vehicles at transit points (e.g., inland depots and ports); poorly trained vehicle operatives; low-quality local/intra-regional road networks; and high road freight transport prices. Inter-modal containerisation, via a process of freight unit standardisation, could contribute to the solution of many of these problems. For example, a standard (10 or 20 ft) container could be filled with a set quantity of standard plastic crates; this could result in high “unit load device” utilisation and prevent vehicle overloading (as containers are normally weighed before being loaded onto sea transport). Even oligopolistic pricing policies could be partially counteracted via the standardisation of the freight unit (and its component subunits) as it would result in more systematic and transparent tariff structures. All-terrain adaptations to road freight vehicles (e.g., tyres) could partially overcome a generally low quality transport infrastructure (Permanent ways comprise macadamised or concrete roads/routes). The alternative “route technology” development (which could, for example, promote the purchase of newer, more modern vehicles) has several disadvantages as an investment priority. Specifically, it is astronomically expensive—with a “time-lagged” return on investment. Furthermore, it is politically problematic and subject to a protracted, complex multi-agency decision-making process. In the short to medium term, better vehicles beat better roads every time.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Permanent ways comprise macadamised or concrete roads/routes.
- 2.
The phrase “frequencies of individual firms” refers to how often the output is generated for transport purposes.
Bibliography
Ali, R., Barra, A. F., Berg, C. N., Damania, R., Nash, J., & Russ, J. (2015). Transport Infrastructure and Welfare: An Application to Nigeria (Policy Research Working Paper 7271). Washington: Agriculture Global Practice Group, World Bank.
Alila, P. O., Khayesi, M., Odhiambo, W., & Pederson, P. O. (2005). Development of African Freight Transport: The Case of Kenya (DIIS Working Paper No. 2005), p. 6
Amjadi, A., & Yeats, A. J. (1995). Have Transport Costs Contributed to the Relative Decline of Sub-Saharan African Exports? (Policy Research Working Paper 1559). Washington: World Bank.
Audige, M. (1995). Maritime Transport Serving West and Central African Countries: Trends and Issues (SSATP Working Paper No. 16).
Brushett, S. (2005). Management and Financing of Road Transport Infrastructure in Africa. Washington: SSAPT/World Bank.
Christopher, M. (1994). The Strategy of Distribution Management. Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann.
De Bod, A., & Havenga, J. (2010). Sub-Saharan Africa’s Rail Freight Transport System: Potential Impact of Densification on Cost. Journal of Transport and Supply Chain Management, 4(1), 89–101.
Eade, D. (1997). Capacity Building: An Approach to People-centred Development. Oxford: Oxfam Development Guidelines.
Foster, V. (2009). Building Bridges: China’s Growing Role as Infrastructure Financier for Sub-Saharan Africa. Washington: Sustainable Development Department, Africa Region/World Bank.
Gouldner, A. W. (1954). Patterns of Industrial Democracy. New York: Free Press.
Havenga, J. (2010). Logistics Costs in South Africa – The Case for Macroeconomic Measurement. South African Journal of Economics, 78(4), 460–478.
Havenga, J. H. (2013). The Importance of Disaggregated Freight Flow Forecasts to Inform Transport Infrastructure Investments. Journal of Transport and Supply Chain Management, 7(1), e1–e7.
Havenga, J. H., Pienaar, W. J., & Simpson, Z. (2011). A Case for Measuring Logistics Costs on a National Level: A South African Application. Corporate Ownership and Control, 8(3), 622–631.
Hay, E. J. (1988). The Just-In-Time Breakthrough: Implementing the New Manufacturing Basics. New York: Wiley.
Mann, A. F. (1967). Implementation of a Computer Vehicle Routing Program (ORS Conference Paper).
Naude, W., & Matthee, M. (2007). The Significance of Transport Costs in Africa (United Nations University Policy Brief, Number 5).
Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. New York: Free Press.
Rabelland, G., & Macchi, P. (2008). Transport Prices and Costs: The Need to Revisit Donor’s Policies in Transport in Africa. Washington: Africa Transport Unit, World Bank.
Rabelland, G., Kunaka, C., & Giersing, B. (2008). The Impact of Regional Liberalisation and Harmonisation in Road Transport Services. Washington: Africa Transport Department, World Bank.
Runji, J. (2015). Africa Transport Policy Performance Review: The Need for More Robust Transport Policies. Washington: SSAPT/World Bank.
Slack, N., Chambers, S., Harland, C., Harrison, A., & Johnston, R. (1995). Operations Management. London: Pitman Publishing.
Van Eeden, J., & Havenga, J. (2010). Identification of Key Target Markets for Intermodal Freight Transport Solutions in South Africa. Journal of Transport and Supply Chain Management, 4, 255–267.
Wigan, M., Rockliffe, N., Thorensen, T., & Solakis, D. (2000). Valuing Long-haul and Metropolitan Freight Travel Time and Reliability. Journal of Transportation and Statistics, 3(3), 83–90.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Burl, D. (2019). Freight Transport Technology: A Cost-Effective/Time-Efficient Solution to Sub-Saharan Africa’s Logistics Problems. In: Adewole, A., Struthers, J.J. (eds) Logistics and Global Value Chains in Africa. Palgrave Studies of Sustainable Business in Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77652-1_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77652-1_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-77651-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-77652-1
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementBusiness and Management (R0)