This paper compares the performance of three competing corridors serving landlocked SADC countries (Beira, Dar es Salaam, and Durban) based on total economic cost from the perspective of ...transporters, retailers, and manufacturers. The motivation for the research is the paradox that, while Beira is closest to the hinterland served by these corridors, it attracts the least cargo. Historical research compares corridors in terms of both direct costs and time delays, but without translating time delays and variability in time delays into the economic costs experienced by corridor users. Unpredictable time delays reduce the competitiveness of cargo owners forming part of global just-in-time value chains. Our novel TEC model includes direct costs and the cost impact of delays and variability in delays and quantifies the relative contributions of ports, border posts, and road travel. The Port’s efficiency proved to be the biggest differentiator between these corridors, followed by border posts and road links. We found that while the Beira corridor has the lowest cost if only average travel time is considered, the Durban corridor proves to be the most competitive when variability in time delays is also considered, explaining why Durban enjoys the largest share of cargo transported to the landlocked hinterland.
Motion estimation of RFID tags has been shown to be possible using phase information, while position estimation is possible using received signal strength (RSS). This article combines phase and RSS ...information using a Kalman filter as sensor fusion technique. It compares the combined RSS and phase fusion Kalman filter technique for motion estimation with the phase only Kalman filter, exponential smoothing filter and raw phase motion estimation excluding a Kalman filter. The influence of frequency hopping broadcasting regulations on the performance of these techniques is investigated, an aspect that has not been properly addressed before. The primary factors found in real-world scenarios that have an effect on motion estimation techniques are identified as multipath reflections and the presence of multiple tags. The influence of such non-ideal environments are characterized and specific vulnerabilities of these techniques are investigated. Finally, the shortcoming of these techniques as well as advantages and possible environments where this technique can be successfully used are discussed.
There is a lack of overall efficiency in Sub-Saharan Africa’s logistics systems, with a large contributor to this problem being inefficient customs processes and unnecessary customs delays. Many ...comparisons have been drawn between the levels of efficiency of different countries and regions, especially in recent trade facilitation research, and some models have been developed to demonstrate how the efficiency of a customs operation can potentially be improved. The development of effective policies, strategies and operational procedures, supported by business intelligence and predictive models, however, depends on an in-depth understanding of the reasons for long delays in the customs process. There are multiple factors impacting the customs and logistics process; in order to progress towards improved solutions it is essential to identify the areas of worst performance, their common denominators and the underlying causes that contribute to low observed performance. This requires exploratory analysis of a large set of data representative of an overall customs operation. This article describes the first attempt to analyse transaction-level data and derive exploratory statistics representative of customs operations as implemented in South Africa. The most important process outcomes from the perspective of both trade and customs are defined, the key input factors are identified, and performance measures are extracted from data exchanged between the customs authority and cargo consignors during the period September 2014 to September 2016. The time duration per category for the completion of the customs process was measured, as well as the effectiveness of the customs authority in screening consignments for inspection. The study indicates that, for the selected dataset, of all shipments delayed by customs, more than 90 per cent were delayed unnecessarily, indicating inefficient risk identification in the South African customs process. This study highlights the need for improved customs processes in the southern African context to ensure more efficient trade.
Southern Africa critically depends on increased exports to enable economic growth and job creation. Logistical inefficiencies, however, are hampering exports, with cross-border freight delays a key ...contributor that adds cost and unpredictability to the supply chain, making South Africa an unattractive participant in global just-in-time value chains. The detention of cargo consignments at border posts is intended to reduce the risk of customs duties not being paid and to prevent the smuggling of illegal contraband. These risks must be weighed against the risk to trade caused by unpredictable time delays, and the resulting harmful impact on the economy. The increased use of ICT technologies has been proposed to enable a more attractive compromise between customs and trade risks. This study investigates the impact of the proposed new measures, including the use of technology, on the efficiency of cross-border freight movements. The research approach will combine the analysis of historical electronic transaction data exchanged between customs and consignors, with the simulation of different scenarios for the ICT support of customs processes. The expected impact of the proposed measures on exports within and from the SADC region, and the direct impact on corridor users, are estimated and compared against the estimated cost of the proposed measures. It is shown that implementing the proposed improvements should represent an attractive investment for the regional economy.
Freight transport is a core element of global logistics value chains. In order to comply with JIT (just-in-time) principles much effort is spent towards the improvement of logistic performance, both ...in terms of reducing delivery times as well as the variability in delivery times. In this paper we study the performance of different shipping lines responsible for maritime transport of tyres from a variety of ports of loading to South Africa. We measure the operational performance of all shipping lines and conduct comparisons between those shipping lines operating between the same ports in order to determine the potential for performance improvement. We then proceed to construct a model that translates operational performance into economic cost impact on the operations of the cargo importer. Different models are used for retail and manufacturing operations as the consequences of late deliveries are not identical in both cases. This allows the performance of logistics service providers to be objectively compared in economic terms, with economic cost impact differentials expressed as fraction of the value of landed goods. We also quantify the sensitivity of economic cost with respect to various economic variables, like interest rates and buffer stock sizes.
The sub-Sahara African economy is suffering from the inefficient management of trade corridors. Long delays experienced at weigh bridges and border posts are a big contributor towards the slow ...average movement of freight. Weigh bridge and cross-border operations are complicated by the conflicting law-enforcement objectives of authorities versus efficiency objectives of transport operators. It furthermore suffers from illegal practices involving truck drivers and officials. This paper provides proof that the efficiency of trade corridor operations can be improved based on the availability of more accurate and complete information supported by currently available tracking technologies. We firstly quantify the size of the problem and estimate the potential economic benefits that will be created by improved trade corridor operations. Secondly we propose a combined GPS/RFID system that can provide the required level of visibility to support improved operational management, resulting in a simultaneous increase in the efficiency of law enforcement and commercial freight operations. A cost-benefits analysis is performed to show that an attractive return on investment can be achieved if the majority of industry players will participate in such a system.
Empirical model for truck route fuel economy Hoffman, Alwyn J.; van der Westhuizen, Marius
2019 IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Conference (ITSC),
2019-Oct.
Conference Proceeding
Road freight transport is of critical importance for economic growth in Sub-Sahara Africa due to lacking rail infrastructure. Fuel represents the single biggest operational cost for road transport ...operators; improved fuel efficiency is therefore a priority to achieve global competitiveness in corridors that link the hinterland with the global economy. This paper quantifies the factors that impact fuel utilization with the aim of correctly estimating fuel consumption for new routes. These factors include driver behavior, engine size, vehicle fabrication, payload, traffic conditions and route inclinations. Fuel usage data was collected for a fleet of more than 400 trucks covering major routes in Southern Africa over a complete calendar year. This data was categorized based on driver identity, route and vehicle model. We determined the impact of each input factor on consumption in order to select suitable inputs to allow the development of a route fuel consumption model. A linear regression model was then extracted from a training set to predict consumption based on the selected inputs. The model was applied to a set of unseen test data, and found to possess significant out-of-sample predictive ability, allowing the fuel cost for new routes to be estimated before actual fuel consumption data has been generated.
Compliance enforcement for freight trucks is a non-trivial challenge, as it involves many facets, including safety, security, and environmental impact. Compliance systems relying on static ...measurements, like static weighbridges and road worthiness centers, cause long delays and add costs to a very competitive industry. This paper describes a novel system that leverages loT and data analytics to verify in-transit behavioral compliance of truck drivers using the highway between Durban and Johannesburg. It combines GPS tracking, ANPR camera, weigh-in-motion scale, truck-stop and toll plaza data to detect incidents of non-compliance in real time. ANOVA and other statistics techniques are applied to incident data to identify non-compliant drivers, enabling enforcement actions against the minority of drivers causing most non-compliant behavior. Compliance outcomes are accessible through a cloud-based web dashboard, enabling both fleet owners and road authorities to observe behavior and take corrective action in real time.
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