Transport morphology and organizational development as catalyst of transport efficiency

Current research in freight transport deals largely with models and routing algorithms, but questions are conspicuously absent regarding organizational development and change in business models. The application of modern IT tools within the transport industry has provided new opportunities to streamline and control transported goods. This paper explores the similarities between urban morphological studies and transport planning, where the introduction of geographic information technology has enabled research methodologies as well as has promoted transport efficiency. The concept of transport morphology is based on a tripartite division: transport infrastructure, vehicle development, and transport management, and is derived from urban morphology. A case study of the Swedish meatpacking industry compares manual dispatching with digital planning based on route optimization, used to increase transport efficiency. The methodology simulates a gradual removal of constraints that change the physical outcome of driving routes. The result is primarily a product of manipulation of data and software parameter settings and not relying solely on software algorithms to solve the problem. A simulation in which pickups can be performed any day of the week, resulted in a 24-percent reduction in mileage, but applying the results to achieve greater transport efficiency in the current Swedish transportation infrastructure requires a new legal agreement and business model.