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A proof of the relationship between optimal vehicle size, haulage length and the structure of distance-transport costs

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  • McCann, Philip

Abstract

This paper deals with two interrelated questions, namely the optimum size of a vehicle or vessel, and the structure of transport costs with respect to haulage distance. The relationship between these two questions has not been coherently dealt with previously in the literature, and the heuristic attempts at doing so have lead to both theoretical and empirical anomalies. This paper adopts an inventory optimisation approach in order to show that both of these questions can be treated in a unified manner and this allows us to show, first, that under very general conditions the optimum size of a ship increases with the haulage distance and haulage weight, and second, that the observed structure of transport costs with respect to the haulage distance and quantity is itself a result of this optimisation problem.

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  • McCann, Philip, 2001. "A proof of the relationship between optimal vehicle size, haulage length and the structure of distance-transport costs," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 671-693, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:35:y:2001:i:8:p:671-693
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    6. Euijune Kim & Seung‐Woon Moon & Yoojin Yi, 2021. "Analyzing spillover effects of development of Asian highway on regional growth of Northeast Asian countries," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(3), pages 1243-1266, August.
    7. Nam Seok Kim & Byungkyu Park & Kang-Dae Lee, 2016. "A knowledge based freight management decision support system incorporating economies of scale: multimodal minimum cost flow optimization approach," Information Technology and Management, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 81-94, March.
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    12. Raphael Piendl & Martin Koning & François Combes & Gernot Liedtke, 2022. "Building latent segments of goods to improve shipment size modeling: Confirmatory evidence from France," Post-Print hal-04117547, HAL.
    13. Jose L. Zofio & Jorge Diaz-Lanchas & Damiaan Persyn & Javier Barbero, 2020. "Estimating foreign and national trade elasticities in the EU internal market using Generalised Transport Costs," JRC Working Papers on Territorial Modelling and Analysis 2020-05, Joint Research Centre (Seville site).
    14. Sahin, Bahri & Yilmaz, Huseyin & Ust, Yasin & Guneri, Ali Fuat & Gulsun, BahadIr, 2009. "An approach for analysing transportation costs and a case study," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 193(1), pages 1-11, February.
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    16. Martin Koning & François Combes & Raphael Piendl & Gernot Liedtke, 2018. "Transferability of models for logistics behaviors: A cross-country comparison between France and Germany for shipment size choice [La transférabilité des modèles de comportements logistiques : Une ," Post-Print hal-01916081, HAL.
    17. Maarten Bosker & Harry Garretsen, 2010. "Trade costs in empirical New Economic Geography," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 89(3), pages 485-511, August.
    18. Kim, Nam Seok & Van Wee, Bert, 2011. "The relative importance of factors that influence the break-even distance of intermodal freight transport systems," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 859-875.
    19. Jonkeren, Olaf & Jourquin, Bart & Rietveld, Piet, 2011. "Modal-split effects of climate change: The effect of low water levels on the competitive position of inland waterway transport in the river Rhine area," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 45(10), pages 1007-1019.
    20. Ram Mudambi & Lee Li & Xufei Ma & Shige Makino & Gongming Qian & Ron Boschma, 2018. "Zoom in, zoom out: Geographic scale and multinational activity," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 49(8), pages 929-941, October.
    21. Jiawei Ge & Mo Zhu & Mei Sha & Theo Notteboom & Wenming Shi & Xuefeng Wang, 2021. "Towards 25,000 TEU vessels? A comparative economic analysis of ultra-large containership sizes under different market and operational conditions," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 23(4), pages 587-614, December.
    22. Maarten Bosker & Harry Garretsen, 2007. "Trade Costs, Market Access and Economic Geography: Why the Empirical Specification of Trade Costs Matters," CESifo Working Paper Series 2071, CESifo.
    23. Rikard Forslid & Toshihiro Okubo, 2016. "Big is Beautiful when Exporting," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(2), pages 330-343, May.

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