TEK123 Freight Transport Systems

(7,5 high education credits)

Compulsory course in the: Master’s Programme in Supply Chain Management
at Chalmers University of Technology. 2^nd Quarter 2019-2020.

Division of Service Management and Logistics

Examiner:                                 Violeta Roso, Associate professor

                                                         violeta.roso@chalmers.se

Course Assistant:                Naghmeh Taghavi Nejad Deilami, PhD candidate

                                                    

 

 

Course aim and learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to characterise and analyse the systems producing freight transport services in a technical, operational, management and policy context.

After a successfully completed course, the student shall, in the domain of freight transport, be able to:

• define technical terms and explain basic technical and operational concepts
• characterise the traffic modes road, rail, sea, air and pipelines as well as combinations of them
• combine technical components and operational concepts into freight transport systems
• choose and illustrate an appropriate transport service for a specific transport demand
• review the trends and challenges for the freight transport industry
• match quantitative tools with specific problems
• solve simple route planning and transport allocation problems quantitatively

Content

The freight transport system is essential for the effectiveness and efficiency of the overall logistics system in a company. When studying freight transport systems it is crucial to understand the demand for the services as well as properties of freight transport systems and their components used in supplying the transport services, as well as the influence of policy decisions. The perspectives of transport operators, their customers and the society are taken in this course and the focus is mostly on European conditions. The course covers the following topics:

• Basic terms and concepts used in freight transport
• The actors in a transport system
• The demand for and the supply of freight transport
• The technological and economic characteristics of the different modes of transport
• Intermodal transport
• Transport networks and terminals
• Environmental aspects of logistics and transport
• Transport optimization

Course organisation

The course includes lectures, exercises, group works, assignments, seminars, guest lectures and a site visit.

Assignments and seminars:

Assignments and seminars will be introduced on Wednesday, November 6^th; detailed instructions will be available on Canvas . All the reports and the seminars will be graded by January 15^th 2020.

• Literature seminars (LS) to be done in a group (LS1) and individually (LS2) . Literature to read, reflect on, answer the questions and present at the seminar. 
• Assignment Intermodal Transport (AIT) to be solved in a group and the report handed in.
• Assignment Dry Ports (ADP) to be solved in a group, the report handed in and discussed during the seminar. 

Group work in the classroom

The task The cost structure of an intermodal transport shall be introduced and  performed in groups directly in the classroom. The students shall be divided in groups on the spot; do the task and discuss the same directly in the classroom. Bring paper and pen since calculations have to be submitted but also can be done digitally and send to Violeta during the class.

 

Site visit

Site visits are included in order to familiarize students with current industry practice in the fields of transportation. They are intended to illustrate current practices and theoretical concepts that are introduced in the lectures. The site visit is compulsory and it is very important that all students show up in time.

Port of Göteborg - APM Terminal

Time:                                 November 18th, 9.30

Meeting place:           Main entrance Vasa (the glass building)

Supervisor:                    Violeta/Naghmeh

This is a guided bus tour to the Port and APM Terminal. The tour is expected to take about 2 hours. The bus will return to Chalmers no later than 12:00.

 

Literature

Textbooks (only selected chapters available as pdf on PingPong or via links):

• Lumsden, K. R. L. (2007) Fundamentals of logistics, Selected chapters from the Compendium, Division of transportation and logistics. The compendium in pdf is available on PingPong. Also available as a book in Swedish: Lumsden, K. (2006) Logistikens grunder, Studentlitteratur, Lund.

Chapters: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 17, 18, 19 and 22.

• Rodrigue, J-P; Comtois, C. and Slack, B. (2015), The Geography of Transport Systems, New York: Routledge. Only selected chapters: 3, 4 and 8. The book is available online: http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/index.html

 

Articles:

Following articles will be used in addition to the textbooks; those will be available through Canvas/Files and should be read in advance, i.e. prior to the belonging lecture as noted in the schedule.

• Cullinane, K. and Khanna, M (2000) Economies of scale in large containerships: optimal size and geographical implications, Journal of Transport Geography 8 (2000) 181±195
• Cullinane, K. and Bergqvist (2014) Emission control areas and their impact on maritime transport, Transportation Research Part D, 28, 1–5.
• Roso, V (2013) Sustainable intermodal transport via dry ports - importance of directional development, World Review of Intermodal Transportation Research, Vol.4, No 2/3, pp. 140-156.

Additional material, e.g. articles but mainly copies of PowerPoint presentations, will be posted on the course homepage as handouts during the course.

Examination

For passing the course, the following course elements have to be accomplished:

• Presence at all compulsory moments: site visit, guest lectures and seminars.
• Passed all the assignments, seminars and group works
• Passed the digital/written exam.

A total course score: 50 to 66 points = 3; 67 to 83 points = 4; 84 to 100 points = 5.

• The maximum score on the written exam is 80 points and 40 are required for passing the exam.
• AIT gives maximum of 5 points, 3 points are required for passing.
• ADP gives maximum of 15 points, 7 points are required for passing. Participation in the classroom will be assessed.
• LS are graded as passed/not passed. Participation in the classroom will be assessed.
• The cost structure of an intermodal transport group work in the classroom is graded as passed/not passed. Participation in the classroom will be assessed.

 

Course Evaluation

In order to improve the course, the course evaluation group of is to be formed with the aim of developing the goals, contents and pedagogy of the course, focusing on student learning. The process shall encourage a dialogue between teacher and students on how the education can be improved, i.e. current and future course, as well as the study programme as a whole. The course evaluation meetings with the course evaluation group and the teacher will be held on 3 occasions, usually at lunchtime at the division (12-13, lunch is provided by the department) on dates to be determined. Comments and suggestions regarding the course should be given to the student representatives.

 

 

Schedule (am classes start sharp, pm start 15 min past; all mandatory moments are in bold-italics)

Date	Time	Topic	Lit.	Lectur.	Room
6/11	10-11	Course introduction	Syllabus	VR	Vasa A
	11-12	Freight transportation	Ta1, 2, 4	VR	Vasa A
	13-14	Traffic modes: Road transport	Ta5, Tb3	DA	Vasa C
	14- 15	GL-GDL	Handouts*	JS	Vasa C
	14-15	Traffic modes: Rail	Ta6, Tb3	VR	Vasa C
	15-16	Assignment introduction	Handouts*	VR	Vasa C
11/11	10-11	Unit loads	Ta17	VR	Vasa 6
	11-12	Intermodal transport	Ta18, Tb3	VR	Vasa 6
13/11	10-11	GL - MAERSK	Handouts*	SK	Vasa A
	11-12	Traffic modes: Sea	Ta7, A1, Tb3	CAV	Vasa A
	13-14	Traffic modes: Air & Pipelines	Ta8, Tb3	VR	Vasa C
	14-15	Resource utilization	Ta22	VR	Vasa C
	15-17	Route planning	Handouts*	VR	Vasa C
18/11	10-12	Site visit Port/APM Terminal	Handouts*	HH	Port
20/11	10-11	GL – Port of Gothenburg	Handouts*	VA	Vasa A
	11-12	Transport and environment	Tb8, A3	VR	Vasa A
	13-14	Sustainable transport solutions	Tb8, A4	VR	Vasa C
	14-15	GL: Logistic consequences of the Gbg port conflict	Handouts*	MS	Vasa C
	15-16	Terminals	Ta19, Tb4, A2	VR	Vasa C
	16-17	Tutelage for the assignments		VR	Vasa C
25/11	08-12	The cost structure of an intermodal transport Group A	Handouts*	VR	Vasa 6
		The cost structure of an intermodal transport Group B	Handouts*	VR	Vasa 6
27/11	10-12	Literature seminar 1– groups	Papers	NT	Vasa 5
	13-15	Transport allocation	Handouts*	VR	Vasa C
	15-17	Literature seminar 1 – groups	Papers	NT	Vasa 5
2/12	10-12	Tutelage for the assignments		VR	Division
4/12	10-12	ADP seminar – groups	A4	VR	Vasa A
	13-14	Sustainable development in Transport	Handouts*	CAV	Vasa C
	14-16	ADP seminar – groups	A4	VR	Vasa C
09/12	10-12	Tutelage for the assignments		VR	Division
11/12	10-12	Transport allocation using Mathematical Programs	Handouts*	LKK	Vasa A
	13-15	Carriers perspective & digitalization	Handouts*	P-OA	Vasa C
16/12	8-12	Literature seminar 2		NT	Vasa 3
18/12		Course summary	All	NT	Canvas
15/01	8.30	Digital/written exam –sign-up by December 19th	All	VR	?
06/04	8.30	Digital/written re-exam –sign-up by March 19th	All	VR	?

Division of Service Management and Logistics is located in the right wing of the Technology Management and Economics building, one level up from the entrance floor. Course staff offices and the seminar room are in the division corridor.

Lecturers:

VR                Violeta Roso, Associate Professor, Division of Service Management and Logistics (SML), Chalmers

DA               Dan Andersson, Associate Professor, Division of SML, Chalmers

CAV             Ceren Altuntas Vural, Assistant Professor, Division of SML, Chalmers

LK                Lokesh Kumar Kalahasthi, Postdoct, Division of SML, Chalmers

POA            Per-Olof Arnäs, Assistant Professor, Division of SML, Chalmers

 

Guest Lecturers:

JS                 Jan Stråe, Head of the office, GDL Transport AB

SK                Sophie Krönlein, Area Head of Delivery, Maersk Scandinavia

VA                Viktor Allgurén, Senior Manager, Gothenburg Port Authority

MS               Martin Svanberg, PhD, Project Manager, SSPA

HH               Henrik I. Horndahl, Sales Manager Landside, APM Terminals