DRIVERS FOR SELECTING THE TYPE OF TRANSPORT IN THE MODAL SHIFT: COST, TRANSIT TIME AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ANALYSIS

Abstract

An increasing freight demand is putting pressure on the freight transport network, forced to pay high costs to ensure compliance with the conditions and delivery times, as well as to grow towards environmental sustainability. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the main drivers for choosing the type of transport in the planning of distribution logistics through the application of the Multinomial Logit Model (MLN) under the objective of CO2 emission minimisation in order to identify the most sustainable transport solution as a function of distance along the same lines as Hoover’s diagrams. The approach has been applied to a real case study (the logistics department of an Italian manufacturing company) in order to define the mode of transport that minimises the quantity of carbon dioxide emitted and therefore to analyse the effect that this modal shift strategy has on the other selection drivers. The results were encouraging in guiding the application of a modal shift strategy and the change to more sustainable transport modes: 62.5% of the company’s transport shipments should be transferred from road to a different mode, with an overall reduction of 41% of CO2 emissions, without any impact on costs and delivery time.