IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/josatr/v10y2025i1d10.1186_s41072-025-00196-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Introduction of a mobile unit to enhance a modal shift for the transport of powdered building materials

Author

Listed:
  • L. E. Westerink-Duijzer

    (Research group Supply Chain Innovation HZ University of Applied Sciences)

Abstract

Inland waterway transport (IWT) is generally considered to be an environmentally friendly alternative to road transport and might also bring cost benefits. Nevertheless, the modal share of IWT remains limited, which is partly due to the necessary pre- and post-haulage to transport goods to and from the port. This paper presents an innovative concept aimed at reducing these operational barriers for the transport of powdered building materials. We introduce a mobile loading unit that can directly pump the product from the loading location into the vessel over a limited distance, thereby ending the need for pre-haulage with trucks. Our results show that the modal shift, enabled by the mobile loading unit, can result in cost reductions up to 30% and $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ CO 2 emissions can be halved.

Suggested Citation

  • L. E. Westerink-Duijzer, 2025. "Introduction of a mobile unit to enhance a modal shift for the transport of powdered building materials," Journal of Shipping and Trade, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 1-25, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:josatr:v:10:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1186_s41072-025-00196-1
    DOI: 10.1186/s41072-025-00196-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1186/s41072-025-00196-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1186/s41072-025-00196-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Khandaker Rasel Hasan & Wei Zhang & Wenming Shi, 2021. "Barriers to intermodal freight diversion: a total logistics cost approach," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 23(3), pages 569-586, September.
    2. Cindy Guerlain & Samuel Renault & Francesco Ferrero, 2019. "Understanding Construction Logistics in Urban Areas and Lowering Its Environmental Impact: A Focus on Construction Consolidation Centres," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-11, November.
    3. Olaf Jonkeren & Klaas Friso & Lourentz Hek, 2023. "Changes in external costs and infrastructure costs due to modal shift in freight transport in North-western Europe," Journal of Shipping and Trade, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 1-40, December.
    4. 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.
    5. Victoria Muerza & Cindy Guerlain, 2021. "Sustainable Construction Logistics in Urban Areas: A Framework for Assessing the Suitability of the Implementation of Construction Consolidation Centres," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-19, June.
    6. Cullinane, Kevin & Toy, Neal, 2000. "Identifying influential attributes in freight route/mode choice decisions: a content analysis," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 41-53, March.
    7. Chunxia Lu & Xiaowen Yan, 2015. "The break-even distance of road and inland waterway freight transportation systems," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 17(2), pages 246-263, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ralf Elbert & Lowis Seikowsky, 2017. "The influences of behavioral biases, barriers and facilitators on the willingness of forwarders’ decision makers to modal shift from unimodal road freight transport to intermodal road–rail freight tra," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 87(8), pages 1083-1123, November.
    2. Cheng, Zhaolin & Li, Yanli & Zhao, Laijun & Zeng, Mengjia & Shi, Zhen & Wen, Fashuai, 2025. "Transportation carbon emission structural lock-in and subsidy mechanism design in the “Belt and Road Initiative”," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 424-442.
    3. Jason Monios & Gordon Wilmsmeier, 2014. "The Impact of Container Type Diversification on Regional British Port Development Strategies," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(5), pages 583-606, September.
    4. Andrzej S. Grzelakowski, 2024. "EU Inland Water Transport Development in the Face of Market and Regulatory Challenges," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(2), pages 746-761.
    5. Morales-Fusco, Pau & Saurí, Sergi & Lago, Alejandro, 2012. "Potential freight distribution improvements using motorways of the sea," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 1-11.
    6. Meyer, Niclas & Horvat, Djerdj & Hitzler, Matthias & Doll, Claus, 2018. "Business models for freight and logistics services," Working Papers "Sustainability and Innovation" S08/2018, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI).
    7. Su-Han Woo & Stephen Pettit & Anthony Beresford & Dong-Wook Kwak, 2012. "Seaport Research: A Decadal Analysis of Trends and Themes Since the 1980s," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(3), pages 351-377, January.
    8. Magdalena Mucowska, 2021. "Trends of Environmentally Sustainable Solutions of Urban Last-Mile Deliveries on the E-Commerce Market—A Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-26, May.
    9. Anna Fredriksson & Linnea Eriksson & Jonas Löwgren & Nina Lemon & Daniel Eriksson, 2022. "An Interactive Visualization Tool for Collaborative Construction Logistics Planning—Creating a Sustainable Project Vicinity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-14, December.
    10. Marino Lupi & Antonio Pratelli & Federico Campi & Andrea Ceccotti & Alessandro Farina, 2021. "The “Island Formation” within the Hinterland of a Port System: The Case of the Padan Plain in Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-28, April.
    11. Reis, Vasco, 2014. "Analysis of mode choice variables in short-distance intermodal freight transport using an agent-based model," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 100-120.
    12. Christian Wankmüller & Gerald Reiner, 2020. "Coordination, cooperation and collaboration in relief supply chain management," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 90(2), pages 239-276, March.
    13. Fazi, Stefano & Fransoo, Jan C. & Van Woensel, Tom & Dong, Jing-Xin, 2020. "A variant of the split vehicle routing problem with simultaneous deliveries and pickups for inland container shipping in dry-port based systems," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    14. Thomas K. Dasaklis & Evangelia Kopanaki & Panos T. Chountalas & Nikolaos P. Rachaniotis & Theodore G. Voutsinas & Kyriakos Giannakis & Gregory Chondrokoukis, 2024. "Exploring the Implementation Challenges of the Electronic Freight Transport Information (eFTI) Regulation: An Empirical Perspective from Greece," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-21, March.
    15. Rodrigo J. Tapia & Gerard Jong & Ana M. Larranaga & Helena B. Bettella Cybis, 2021. "Exploring Multiple‐discreteness in Freight Transport. A Multiple Discrete Extreme Value Model Application for Grain Consolidators in Argentina," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 581-608, September.
    16. Kamal Dhawan & John E. Tookey & Ali GhaffarianHoseini & Mani Poshdar, 2023. "Using Transport to Quantify the Impact of Vertical Integration on the Construction Supply Chain: A New Zealand Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-26, January.
    17. Ribbink, D. & van Riel, A.C.R. & Semeijn, J., 2004. "Transportation policy and the effects on modal choice in the EU," Research Memorandum 010, Maastricht University, Maastricht Research School of Economics of Technology and Organization (METEOR).
    18. Thi Yen Pham & Ki Young Kim & Gi-Tae YEO, 2018. "The Panama Canal Expansion and Its Impact on East–West Liner Shipping Route Selection," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-16, November.
    19. Ludmiła Filina-Dawidowicz & Mariusz Kostrzewski, 2022. "The Complexity of Logistics Services at Transshipment Terminals," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-26, February.
    20. Hamid Saeedi & Bart Wiegmans & Behzad Behdani, 2021. "Measuring concentration in transhipment markets: methodologies and application to a European case," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 23(3), pages 548-568, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:josatr:v:10:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1186_s41072-025-00196-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.