Category: Transportation

 
Business A new European law is set to be introduced to the United Kingdom, which will affect haulage companies throughout the country. While its primary purpose is to protect the environment, it will also indirectly give fleet managers the opportunity to accurately assess a vehicle’s potential fuel consumption before purchase. This in turn will incentivise manufacturers to produce a truck that burns minimal fuel. The New Law The law requires truck manufacturers to produce vehicles with reduced levels of fuel consumption, as well as reduced CO2 emissions. What’s more, the government will require the data to be published so that fleet managers can use it to inform their purchase decisions. MEPs have already passed the law, and it is likely to be implemented next year as part of a push to transform the transport sector in Europe and to move towards a greener future within the industry. There are several detailed reports that will be mandatory, ranging from the aerodynamic performance of the tractor unit to the fuel efficiency score of the engine.

The latter is calculated with the Vehicle Energy Consumption Calculation Tool (VECTO), a device that measures the vehicle’s fuel, load and mission profiles so that a relative measurement that is unique to the vehicle and a specific delivery job can be determined. The Benefits The new law looks to have several advantages for fleet managers. Firstly, it is believed that an increase in manufacturer transparency will increase points of competition between brands. Those buying vehicles will benefit from the technological improvements and from the lower prices that are likely to arise from the increase in competition. In addition, it will be easier to identify which trucks are most economical to operate by analysing comparative fuel consumption data. The Response The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has welcomed the new legislation, although it recommends that vehicles manufactured prior to the implementation of the new laws should not be banned if they are still in good condition but have higher levels of CO2 emissions and fuel consumption. Retroactive implementation of these measures could put hauliers and managers under unnecessary pressure.

Everyone knows and accepts that environmental improvements are not cheap, but changes that cost small businesses and independent owner drivers money need to be introduced gradually. There is no value in undermining the smaller operators in an industry that is already struggling to find staff to meet demand. Only time will tell exactly how this new law will affect the British haulage industry. If the predictions are correct, haulage companies can expect better value for money when purchasing new trucks. As drivers and company managers are aware, the more that they can contribute towards reducing the harm that vehicles do to the environment, the more sustainable their industry will be in the long term. Author Plate Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry. Connecting professionals across the UK and Europe through their website, Haulage Exchange provides services for matching haulage companies or self-employed drivers with jobs in road transport and haulage work. Over 5,000 member companies are networked together through the Exchange to fill empty capacity, get new clients and form long-lasting business relationships.

 
Business If you are thinking about entering the food industry business, a very common question that is quite likely to come to your mind is whether you want to invest in a sit-down restaurant or should you indulge in a food trailer, cart, or truck. With an increase in the expenses, busy schedules, mobile lifestyles, and demand for food-on-the-go, food trucks or carts have become immensely popular especially amongst the youth. Most of the restaurant businesses fail due to bad location, inexperience, lack of funds, or inventory mismanagement. And food trucks serve finger-licking food which is easy to carry on your way to work or convenient for the simple lunch or dinner takeaway. So, if you want to take the plunge into running a business of your own in the food industry, you should purchase a well-built, beautifully designed, and functional airstream which can bring your food dreams to life on wheels. There are several companies that can offer you good quality airstreams, and you can personalize your own airstream according to your needs and taste.

Not only are they sturdy and made of weather-resistant materials so that you can run your business even in the adverse weather conditions which are a must for mobile businesses like this, but the airstreams also have well-decorated interiors equipped with latest and modern facilities that will further enhance your food business. So, here we have put together a few reasons why you must invest in a custom airstream for your food truck business. Take a look.  1. Low Investment Compared to a sit-down restaurant, a food truck in an airstream is a much lower investment because you don’t need to buy the land or farm. All you have to do is outfit your airstream with the right equipment such as grillers, heat lamps, exhausts, or other cooking equipment that you may need. Moreover, you will also have a low operation cost when it comes to an airstream. You don’t need to hire a lot of staff such as servers, cleaners, kitchen managers, cashiers, and several cooks. You just need to pay for one chef, food supplies, and gas when it comes to major expenses. And your property taxes will also be much lower.

And furthermore, maintaining a restaurant including its furniture, electrical appliances, decor, pipe works, etc require a lot of time and money, which is much lower in an airstream.  2. Attractive Food Concept Along with the good food quality which also varies from business to business, a food truck has become a rage nowadays owing to the attractive and cool appeal it exudes. And an airstream can further contribute to this unique idea. You can just find a company offering a custom airstream for sale and then design your airstream in any which way you want. Usually, food trucks or trailers should not be as decorated in a sleek manner like the upscale, sophisticated restaurants of posh neighborhoods. They should have a fun-loving, casual, and more street-style attitude that makes you more approachable to the customers. And that is why running your food business on wheels can be an intriguing idea that draws a lot of attention from people.  3. Changing Locations The lifeline of restaurants is dependent on the location. There are plenty of restaurant businesses that have shut down due to a poor choice of location. But with food trailer or truck business that is implemented with the help of an airstream, you need not worry about the location because this makes your business mobile. You can choose any location you want and the best part is you can again move to some other location to test your chances of higher profits. So, get started on food truck or trailer business today by quickly purchasing the right airstream from a reputed company. Author Bio: Ben Hill, a lifestyle blogger, here writes on how a custom airstream can be the best way to run your food truck business. He suggests resorting to a company offering a custom airstream for sale at the earliest.

Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation (rail, ship, and truck), without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and losses, and allows freight to be transported faster.

Intermodal freight transportation involves moving freight by using two or more modes of transportation. Typically, transportation modes include truck, railroad and steamship. Although transportation by air also is possible, the method is costly. Intermodal freight transportation positively influences our global economy by controlling the way we move our goods. Nevertheless, some factors need to be kept in consideration to avoid restricting the value of intermodal fright transportation.

A truck moves an empty container to the shipper. The shipper loads the container with goods. The truck transports the loaded container to port. At the port, the container is loaded onto the steamship, which is forwarded to the port of destination. The container is driven to the warehouse of the receiver shortly after being discharged at the port of destination. Intermodal freight transportation gives you flexibility with how you want to move your freight. Additionally, you have the opportunity to be creative in finding the most efficient way to move your freight. Generally, this process involves at least two modes of transportation. The more efficiently you plan, the more money you will save. Intermodal freight transportation may be costly depending on the number of modes of transportation.

Some downfalls to intermodal freight transportation involve the high costs that are associated with moving freight by using several types of modes of transportation. Lack of communication and idle time of equipment will increase transportation costs. Similarly, equipment that moves from one location to another empty also adds to the costs. A supply chain is defined as three or more organizations that are directly linked upstream or downstream in the flow of products or services as they move from the source to the customer.

Intermodal freight transportation plays a major role in enabling organizations in a supply chain to respond to market changes by providing them with options. Organizations within a supply chain use intermodal freight transportation to cooperate and assist each other in maximizing profits. This cooperation is achieved by sharing information and communicating their needs to each other.