|
Volvo Logistics has been appointed as the winner of the Big Logistics and Transport Prize 2009 in the category “Innovation of the year – rail freight”
PROBLEM DESCRIPTION
Volvo Logistics has historically made several attempts in launching an intermodal concept between Germany and Sweden. These attempts have failed due to technical problems as well as lack of available services, not suitable time tables, long lead times and too high total logistics costs.
In 2006 a project was launched to find new solutions to lower transportation costs and environmental impacts, resulting in the creation of Viking Rail. The project was triggered by the increasing cost of fuel, taxes and road tolls, combined with the hortages of drivers and vehicles as well as the environmental spects associated with emissions and traffic congestions.
Volvo Trucks is, through Volvo Logistics, challenging its ransporters to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent between 2006 and 2010. This challenge is yet another element in Volvo Trucks’ climate strategy which already aims t, amongst other things, carbon-neutral production, energy fficiency, alternative fuel technology and recycling.
Sustainable solutions, including cost efficiency, optimal performance and minimal environmental impact, are core issues for Volvo Logistics Crop.
Volvo’s logistics system is based on intermodality where different transport modes are used either together in the same assignment or in parallel and independent of each other. By doing so, the significance of respectively mode and the integration between them is utilized in forming the most efficient and sustainable total system.
The main part of the European system includes rail concepts, short sea shuttles and road concepts.
The last part of the rail concept, was introduced in autumn 2008 in order to further decrease transportation costs and the environmental impact of Volvo Logistics’ operations. However,
rail transportation alone would not suffice, but a combination of both rail and road transportation would provide the necessary mix required. The name of the new intermodal rail concept is – Viking Rail.
THE SOLUTION
In 2006 started Volvo Logistics a new project in order to develop a European train system concept that connects the Volvo Group’s production sites with the principal commercial centers. The train system will form the foundation for future oriented and future-proof material supply, and the first step is to conduct block train solution between Hannover and
Gothenburg. In the second step will connections to for instance Kornwestheim and Ingolstadt be implemented and Hannover will be a focal point for traffic bundling of different material streams to achieve economical and ecological optimization of the supply chain. Extensive use of the Automotive RailNet will secure highest priority of Volvo trains to keep lead times low. When the project was initiated the main driver was cost efficiency, but over time the environmental efficiency became ever more important, and now they are equally important.
The aim is to have a maximum lead time of 48 hrs from pick-up to delivery. Attractive routes and stable timetables are necessary to achieve the lead time aim. Innovative and market-capable equipment such as low profile train equipment is necessary to create a new cost efficient setup for transportation of trailers using the rail network. This new equipment can be loaded with Standard trailers, Megatrailers,
20 ft and 40 ft containers as well as 7,82 and 13,6 swapbodies.
Volvo Logistics has decided to use Mega trailers in the concept that can be used both on the train wagons and trucks. It is important to have a flexible solution such as the intermodal solution used due to rail transportation being much more vulnerable to interruptions. Transportation by road can easily be rerouted should there be an accident, but depending on what type of accident and where an accident occur on rail
road it could cause long stops. Should a major accident occur, then all the trailers that were supposed to be transported by rail could easily be transferred to trucks and transported by
road instead thanks to the flexible trailer solution. Contracts
with road carriers with large truck capacity have been signed to provide a backup solution to fall back on should any major issue or problem occur in the train system.
The Viking Rail project’s main goal is to reduce the impact on the environment and lower transportation costs while at the same time maintaining low lead times. Using this intermodal
solution the CO2 emissions are lowered by 63%. Initially 35-40% of the transportation volume will be transported by rail. A common conception of rail transportation is that lead times are increased when transporting by rail. This was not the case with Viking Rail. In fact the lead time is 12 hour lower for certain routes. If the project works as intended then this volume will be increased.
Major advantages:
• Reduced environmental impact
• Reduced transportation costs
• Reduced lead times
Major disadvantages:
• Reduced flexibility (fixed time slots and routes)
• Vulnerable to disturbances
• Fixed costs and need for backup solution
CHALLENGES
Challenge 1: Minimize impact of transportation cost issues and of environmental issues.
Challenge 2: Meet customer’s high demands on quality; lead time and precision.
Challenge 3: To find road carriers interested in investing in equipment (trailers) and developing the concept.
Challenge 4: Overcome capacity and infrastructural issues in rail/road networks and terminals.
Challenge 5: To find southbound volumes in order to achieve a balanced transport set-up.
Challenge 6: Future-proof the rail system to cope with growing
demand.
Challenge 7: Integrate all the different partners in the rail system concept.
Challenge 8: Secure a back-up solution in case of disturbances.
SUCCESS FACTORS
• The most important factor that made the Viking Rail project possible was the support and direct involvement of the upper management. Thanks to this support the project had all the necessary tools to be able to successfully launch Viking Rail.
• Another success factor in the intermodal setup was the technological advances in train wagon and trailer design. Previously it was harder to create new sustainable logistics solutions combining two kinds of traditional ways of transporting goods, as the practical impact of handling would make it inefficient and costly.
• Experience gained from years of working with rail transportation was necessary to achieve success in the Viking Rail project. Volvo has worked with rail freight setups between Sweden and Belgium since 1981. The complex production processes involved in railway undertakings involves many different parts of the supply chain, and therefore knowledge and experience is critical for success.
LESSONS LEARNED
• Capacity must be available in all involved transportation modes.
• Close collaboration is needed between all involved partners.
• Suitable infrastructure is necessary for enabling such an intermodal solution.
• Expensive equipment leads to lower competitiveness in short term and challenge business case sustainability.
THE BENEFITS
Economic
• Utilization of load units and load unit per transport increases and fewer vehicles are therefore needed. Additionally it is cheaper to use trains, so the actual transportation cost is lower.
• When fully implemented the transportation cost will be reduced with approx 5%.
• Enhancing old and introducing new economically efficient services with lower lead times.
Environmental
• Technological advances in train wagon and trailer design has made it possible to create new sustainable logistics solutions combining two kinds of traditional ways of transporting goods.
• Fewer trucks on the roads lead to lower noise emission.
• modal shift from road to rail by approx 16 000 truck loads per year
• Reduced fuel consumption by 3,473 million litres per year
• Reduced CO2 emissions by -63% (-15 202 tonne)
Social
• Reduction of long-distance road services helps to ameliorate the driver shortage in the road sector. At the same time drivers will need to work to a less extend on long distance road services, therefore their social conditions will be improved, since they will be able to work closer to their home bases and their families.
• The establishment of an intermodal terminal in Gothenburg generates new local employment.
• The Viking Rail hub in Hannover strengthens the position of the intermodal terminal and secures jobs, mainly within the region.
• Fewer trucks on the roads minimize the risks of accidents.
Transferables
Depending on the demands on lead times and flexibility the solution is generally applicable to many types of organisations.
Limitations
In some cases the solution is not feasible due to fact that rail road is used for transportation and there is limited capacity in rail road networks.
It can be hard to find capacity in the rail road networks and terminals. Another limitation is that it is hard to find sufficient space for temporary storage of the trailers at the terminals in Germany.
In Gothenburg there was also lack of capacity in the terminals close by which resulted in the need for Volvo Logistics to build their own terminal.
|
