The Study of Drop and Pull Transport Mode Based on Low-carbon Transport
Organization
Hong-xiang Qi
Department of Transportation Management, Nanjing Communications Technical College, Nanjing, China
(E-mail:qhx@njci.cn)
Abstract - Drop and Pull transport is the transportation
organization mode which has played the important role in
Low-carbon transport industry. Several pilots to implement
Drop and Pull transport in Jiangsu province have achieved
the positive effort. However, many aspects still need to be
considered when putting the mode into practice. This paper
compared the different Drop and Pull transport modes with
each other. It discussed the efficiency of them from
viewpoint of the theory, transport tool, management
regulation, political guidance, manpower, and resource and
environment protection. Based on the case study, this paper
addressed the effect and advice of the application of Drop
and Pull transport.
Keywords - Drop and Pull transport, Low-carbon
Transport, Highway, SWOT
I BACKGROUND
Since the 1960s, several problems such as the global
warming, air pollution, water pollution and land
desertification have led to the serious and terrible
consequences. China met the same problems. To pursue
and achieve a rapid economic growth, the mode of “high
investment with low output” has led to the serious
negative impact to the environment. Sustainable green
economy has been promoted, in order to enhance the
ability of the socio economic sustainable development, to
improve the ecological environment, the efficiency of
resource usage. Low-carbon economy has been one
solution of implementing the green economy as well.
A research report published by the Oslo Climate and
Environmental Center for International Studies at the
beginning of 2009 addresses that the releasing of used gas
is one cause of global warming [4]. The report is noted
that the world's total carbon dioxide emissions have been
increased by 13%, and the growth rate of carbon
emissions from transport has been grown up to 25% in
the past 10 years. Carbon emissions from transport have
been increased by 21%. The development of low carbon
transport has become the inevitable choice of "green
recovery". State Council executive meeting held in the
Copenhagen Climate Conference announced that the
control targets , in which the carbon dioxide emissions
per unit of GDP in 2020 should be decreased to 45%
compared to 2005, and appropriate statistics will be
developed as a binding target, monitoring and evaluation
methods. The conference stated that China should "speed
up building the construction of low-carbon system", and
"speed up building the formation of low-carbon green
lifestyles and consumption patterns.
This article compared and analyzed the Drop and
Pull transport mode carried out in the typical regions of
Jiangsu Province. Scientific theory, modern technology
tools, the implementation of scientific management
system and work force management are discussed in the
argument.
II DROP AND PULL TRANSPORT OPGANIZATION
MODE BASED ON THE LOW-CARBON TRAFFIC
Development of efficient transport, Drop and Pull
transport, multi agent transport, bulk cargo and container
terminal transport should be promoted. Urban public
transport, the network layout of the passenger lines and
station should be optimized; the process of integration of
urban and rural passenger transport should be improved;
the road transport networked ticket system should be
developed. The urban bus priority strategy, the
low-carbon travel and energy-saving driving project
should be effectively implemented.
Energy-saving measures and emission reduction of
road traffic rely on the economic structure, energy
structure, and social policy environment of different cities
in Jiangsu Province. By now, Drop and Pull transport is
an effective mode with the most extensive range of
applications.
Drop and Pull transport mode includes a series of
different transport measures by adopting the Drop and
Pull transport technology; it is the optimized transport
thinking. In general, the premise of Drop and Pull
transport is the separation of trailer and tractor; under the
guidance of the different transport routes and transport
planning, a tractor brings more than one trailer and
conveys them from one point to another.
Drop and Pull transport contains several types of
modes:
A Single loading and unloading nodes: This
transport mode addresses that the transport tool (such as
the tractors and trains) travels between one loading and
one unloading nodes, which is called a transport system.
There are a number of tractors settled in the system, and
the transport tools carry out the drop and pull work
between the two points. For example:
The Drop and Pull transport operations are carried
out in the loading or unloading nodes. In this case, there
will be drop and pull operations only in the loading or
unloading node.
The Drop and Pull transport are carried out in both
the loading and unloading nodes. In this case, there will
be drop and pull operations in the loading and unloading
nodes. It is suitable for the back-and-force transport of
short distance and large amount of cargos, in which the
loading and unloading nodes are fixed.
B Cycle Drop and Pull transport: The cycle Drop
and Pull transport are carried out in a closed cycle
transport line, and several loading and unloading nodes
are located among the transport line. There are a number
of containers or trailers in each loading and unloading
point. The arrival containers cargos will be firstly
unloaded from the tractors, and then the prepared
containers or cargoes will be loaded onto the tractors.
This can be done in each loading and unloading nodes.
C Multi points and Single line Drop and Pull
transport: This transport mode requires that the transport
tool load the cargos under the planned sequence at the
starting location. The principle such as “cargos unloaded
lately should be loaded in front” should be followed.
This mode is suitable for the transport system with multi
loading and unloading transport nodes.
D Multi lines linked with one node: In this case,
several transport lines will be linked with one node (The
cross node), and the Drop and Pull transport operation
will be finished by sequence. The cross node will prepare
the planed cargos before the transport tools arrive. The
tractor will unload and then load the prepared cargos
when it arrives at each node. This mode it suitable for the
multi loading corresponding with single unloading
process as well as the multi unloading corresponding with
single loading process.
Drop and Pull transport has several merits: reduce
the waiting time of loading and unloading tractor,
enhance the turnover efficiency, improving the transport
efficiency and labor productivity; save cargo storage
spaces and reduce the logistics costs; support the
organizing of multi mode transport; reduce the invalid
vehicle transport, reduce energy consumption and
emissions; promote the development of an integrated
transport [3].
Drop and Pull transport has been widely promoted
and used in the international arena, and has become very
common in modern transportation organizations. The
development of Drop and Pull transport would be of great
significance in reducing logistics costs, and promoting the
energy reduction, improving the overall quality of
economic operation [5].
There are several aspects of transport which need to
be considered:
1 Transport equipment and technologies: The tractor
and trailers can be separated, so the multi location
transportation by one truck can be handled.
2 Mode of transport: Drop and Pull transport relies
on the resources of road transport, the ability of the road
passage.
3 Transport individuals: The terminal unit of the
Drop and Pull transport is individual transport vehicles,
driver of tractor and loading and unloading persons which
would operate the tool.
4 The platforms: To promote the Drop and Pull
transport, facilities such as logistic park or plant need to
be established with a moderate scale, function, and
positioning and maintenance team.
5 Business modes: The types of creative
transportation mode would be value-added, such as one
vehicle with multi trailers, multi cars in three sections and
so on.
6 Policies: The policy of Drop and Pull transport
could fully fill the logistics parks, logistics centers and
the rural logistics station. For example: building a
logistics center, settling down the passage right and
cutting the tolls, all of these would affect the efficiency of
several logistics nodes in direct or indirect way.
III CASE STUDIES
As an efficient energy saving mode, several pilots of
Drop and Pull transport have achieved the great success
[6]. For example:
A Suzhou
Suzhou International Container Transport Co., Ltd.
implements the Drop and Pull transport mainly from the
following aspects:
1 Fees policy to support the Drop and Pull transport
Based on the market investigation, the measures of
trailer road maintenance, cargo surcharge, traffic
insurance protection charge were conducted. Road
maintenance mode reference to which of the Fujian mode,
the collection of the main vehicle, tractor or trailer were
adjusted, and the trailer is free for road maintenance fee.
2 Improve the organization.
Container transport and roads rapid freight combined
the advanced product and transport equipment. Drop and
Pull transport is the main organization of technical.
3 To guide logistics enterprises to carry out Drop and Pull
transport.
Based on the policy, a number of large-scale
transport enterprises were organized to carry out the work
of Drop and Pull transport. The operability of transport
was improved through the actual operation. Some key
areas such as IT products, dangerous goods, biological
products, high value-added supply market, can fully make
use of the advantages of Drop and Pull transport. [2]
4 To simplify the management measures.
The documents of Drop and Pull transport vehicles
should be adjusted for the annual inspection, the age and
other management issues. It is recommended to simplify
the handover process of documents with tractor and trailer.
The tractor can be detected separately from the trailer. It
is appropriate to reduce the annual number of detections
of the trailer; trailer service detection should be done once
a year.
B Nantong
Nantong Transportation and Logistics Group
business implements the following Drop and Pull
transport modes [8]:
Organization of vehicles: Nantong Transportation and
logistics group started the Drop and Pull transportation in
2008. The number of tractors and trailers has increased up
to 95 and 200, and the branch transport companies are
organizing the special vehicles. The total amount of
tractors is 125, normal amount of normal trailer 205. The
amount of container trailer is 90. The ratio of number of
tractor and trailer is 1:2.36, similar to the proportion in
North America, Western Europe and developed countries.
The special transportation lines up with Drop and
Pull transport such as Nantong- Shanghai line, Nantong –
Ningbo line, Nantong – Qingdao line, Nantong – Beijing
line, Nantong – Suzhou line, Nantong – Changzhou line
and Nantong - Yangzhou line have been carried out. The
transport modes of door-to-door and 24-hour-service have
been provided [10].
In future, the Nantong Transportation and Logistics
Group will spend 200 million RMB planning and
constructing a logistics park, which covers a range of
14,400 square meters with modern warehouse and
ancillary facilities, in order to provide the customers with
warehouse, transportation, distribution and processing
services.
IV THE ANALYSIS OF DROP AND PULL
TRANSPORT BASED ON THE LOW-CARBON
TRANSPORT MODE
SWOT analysis was adapted to analysis the pilot
Drop and Pull transport:
A Advantages: The utilization of single vehicle in the
pilot companies has been increased from 60% to 75%.
Energy consumption was decreased by 20%.
Drop and Pull transport reduces the cost of logistics
enterprises in terms of expanding. The procurement of
advanced positioning equipment, the reduction of
circuitous transport, repeated transport and convective
transport enhance the strength of the logistics efficiency.
The number of tractors is reduced as well as the
emissions, fuel consumption, which has played a leading
role in reduction of energy emissions.
The knowledge and ability of employees are
improved with the systematical test of theory and
operation. The impact of multi Region transportation was
displayed. By promoting the multi line transport in
different regions, significant benefits were showed among
different cities.
B Disadvantages: Since the Drop and Pull transport
refers to many different aspects such as transportation,
traffic control, highway maintenance, the pilot companies
tried the drop and pull policies at the beginning. However,
the policies could take good effort only within the ranges
of cities, the "point-to-point transport cannot play the role
of the network transport.
The cost of implementing the Drop and Pull
transport in different regions is different, which may lead
to the obstacles during the combination of two systems.
For example, the cost to implement the Drop and Pull
transport mode in Yangzhou region is more than that in
Nanjing, because the traffic base and highway network of
transport is weaker in Yangzhou.
Procurement and the elimination of the vehicles
would cost a lot in the Drop and Pull transport. The lack
of infrastructure and equipments is common problem.
Some of the energy-saving vehicles could not be used in
the drop and pull mode. Some vehicles could not be used
for the purpose of multi agent transportation. Thus, the
pilot companies have to spend more money buying the
valid tractors and trailers. Since the energy-saving
emission vehicles may not have the ability to pull
transport. Meanwhile, there are many transport tools
which cannot play the role in Drop and Pull transport in
the original places, and have to be eliminated without the
full usage. That is also a big waste of recourse.
Therefore, if the government can focus on arranging
and reusing the eliminated vehicles, and re-assign the
vehicle recourse for different cities based on different
drop and pull modes, the energy and cost waste could be
efficiently avoided.
C Opportunity: Drop and Pull Transport is a
transportation mode with strongly onsite and offsite
control, which is strongly needed in company and
government. The transport supporting equipments can
provide enough supporting only with the good planned
schedule and correct information. Therefore, in the
process of promoting the technology model, company and
government will be able to improve the ability of their
information control and logistics management.
By promoting the Drop and Pull transport, the
policies, information system, the standard of different
cities and companies can be arranged, which will enhance
the transport effect in the whole system. It is good to
achieve "seamless transport".
The development of Drop and Pull transport can also
drive the promotion of a series of logistics IT. Logistics
solutions can be more professional and supportable;
logistics equipments can be developed and produced. The
logistics industry can therefore be promoted.
D Risk: The promotion of the Drop and Pull
transport by equipment, technical extension, management
and marketing should be gradually done. Transport modes
should be integrated. The process of implementation of
work should be well planned, in order to reduce the cost
of transport and the operation risk.
Drop and Pull transport should be implemented
under a stable policy environment. If the regulations and
requirements changes from time to time, the construction
and management work are difficult to be promoted.
Drop and Pull transport can be analyzed by SWOT
approach, which is shown in Figure 1:
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This research was supported by the traffic scientific
research projects in Jiangsu Province---<The optimize
research of low-carbon transportation organizations in
Jiangsu>and Research and Development Center of road
transport energy saving engineering projects in Jiangsu
Province---<Research of Drop and Pull transport mode in
Jiangsu Province>(item number: JN201107)
REFERENCES
[1] Logistics Group Co., Ltd. Nanjing distant, “The effect of
Fig 1 SWOT Analysis of Drop and Pull transport
Based on the Cross-analysis of the Drop and Pull
transport market, the basic transport enterprises in the
province can be divided into four categories. Compared
with the above four categories, economic strategies of
Drop and Pull transport can be summed up.
Inside
Strength(S)
Weakness(W)
The
Opportunity
The Turning
improvement
(O)
Strategy
Strategy
Outside
Threaten
Pluralistic
Recovery
(T)
Strategy
Strategy
Fig2 the Management Strategy based on SWOT
Strategies of SWOT
By analyzing the 4 types of strategies, there are
some solutions for the Drop and Pull transport mode,
which are showed in Figure 3:
Fig 3 Drop and Pull transport Enterprise Operation Analysis Strategies
V CONCLUSION
This paper studied the Drop and Pull transport
organizational mode based on low-carbon transport, parts
of the pilot were conducted with appropriate comparison
and analysis, the advantages and risks of implementing a
Drop and Pull transport was finally summed up.
Government and companies could make the fully analysis
on local economy, policy, resources and environment and
combination before carrying out this mode. The progress
of this mode should be carefully discussed and proved by
the consideration of the surround area; the promoting of
transport scheme should be logically implemented. When
policies and mode environment are stable and protective,
the Drop and Pull transport in the individual enterprises
can be independently explored. The judgment, analysis
and comparison of Drop and Pull transport in different
companies can be carried out in future.
vehicle modification technology, alternative fuel
technologies and information systems management
technology
on
the
road
transport
energy
saving” .2011.(Chinese)
[2] Motor Transport Group Co., Ltd. of Suzhou, “The
application of the G-BOS wisdom operators,” 2011.
(Chinese)
[3] Office of Freight Management and Operation, Freight Facts
and Figures 2007[R], U.S, Department of Transportation
[4] The Huaian public transport,““Oil to gas” emission
reduction projects –“CNG vehicle” transformation and
promotion,” 2010. (Chinese)
[5] Fan Yang, “The method of developing the Drop and Pull
transportation under the new economic policies,” The
Research of Logistics and Purchasing, 2009(15), 93-94.
(Chinese)
[6] Jiang Wen, “Drop and Pull transport pilot projects
determined in Jiangsu Province,” Modern Logistics, 2011.8.
(Chinese)
[7] Kenneth D. Boyer, “Principles of transportation economics
[M],”US: Addison Longman, 1997.
[8] Liu Yinfen, “The development analysis of Drop and Pull
transport for Nantong containers based on the "12th
Five-Year Plan,” Nantong Shipping College, 2011.2.
(Chinese)
[9] Shen Lin, “Pilot enterprises should make a greater
contribution to Drop and Pull transport,” The world of
transport economics, 2011.01. (Chinese)
[10] Xiang Jinlong, Zheng Binghua, “Research of Suzhou Drop
and Pull transport Development Strategies,” Hei Longjiang
Communications
Science
and
Technology,
2009.09(Chinese)