ABSTRACT Container flows account for 12% of truck traffic in Sweden. Unlike other freight, container truck movements mostly involve import or export cargo that begins or ends at ports. However, containerized cargo has different payloads and empty trip patterns. Hence, this paper analyses container truck flows in Sweden (2016–2019) using Trafikanalys data, focusing on empty container movements. Two demand models are presented: one estimates truck payloads to convert cargo weight into truck trips, and the other predicts the likelihood of empty container transport. Empty containers made up 44%–46% of vehicle numbers and 32%–33% of vehicle kilometers in the given period. The results show that payload and empty trips are notably affected by factors such as origin, destination, and industry sector. This paper concludes with the presentation of the model application, final observations, and recommendations for future research. Key suggestions for further investigation include applying these models to estimate empty container traffic and conducting case studies to assess various policy impacts on reducing empty container movements.
ABSTRACT This study conceptualizes transportation systems as complex adaptive systems and models health check systems as information governance regimes that shape interaction rules at mobility decision points. We develop a simulation‐based SIiR (Susceptible–Infectious–Isolated Infectious–Recovered) model incorporating interregional travel and alternative governance regimes, including centralized and decentralized (blockchain‐enabled) systems. The results show that (1) health checks reduce peak infections more than cumulative infections, (2) their effectiveness increases with transportation network complexity, and (3) centralized and decentralized governance regimes produce distinct trade‐offs. The findings contribute to understanding how network structure and governance design jointly influence system performance during pandemics.
ABSTRACT Lightweight, time‐sensitive shipments represent a narrow mid‐mile logistics segment in which cargo drones may complement, rather than replace, road freight. This study develops a scenario‐based analytical framework to compare cargo‐drone, dedicated‐road, consolidated‐road, and hybrid services under common shipment, route, return/repositioning, and service assumptions. Technical feasibility is screened before cost, operational emissions, and reliability are evaluated. Five scenarios examine baseline operation, higher utilization, lower electricity‐grid carbon intensity, weather‐constrained operation, and elevated diesel price. The results show that drone service can reduce operational emissions and cost relative to a dedicated urgent road movement when the mission is technically feasible. However, consolidated road service remains the lowest‐cost option, and road transport retains higher standalone reliability. Hybrid allocation is favored in four feasible scenarios because road backups improve reliability, whereas the weather‐constrained scenario is truck‐favorable due to drone infeasibility. The framework supports selective corridor screening and modal allocation, not general freight substitution.
ABSTRACT The global container shipping industry underwent significant transformations from 2016 to 2023, shaped by post‐Hanjin bankruptcy consolidation, COVID‐19 disruptions, and the onset of mandatory decarbonization. Throughout these phases, container shipping lines (CSLs) had to maintain high efficiency while striving to improve their environmental footprint. To understand how these targets intertwined, this study employs Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) Window to evaluate operational efficiency evolution (RQ1) and Gray Relational Analysis (GRA) treating CO 2 as an undesirable output to assess environmental trade‐offs (RQ2) among nine major CSLs. The findings reveal upward efficiency trends in the post‐Hanjin phase (2016–2019) driven by alliances, followed by significant volatility with widened performance gaps during COVID‐19 (2020–2021). Efficiency stabilized but diverged during the decarbonization phase (2022–2023). While the trade‐off between efficiency and emissions intensified during disruptions, it diminished as the industry transitioned toward greener standards. Notably, comparison between GRA and DEA results indicates that GRA penalizes high‐DEA performers with elevated CO 2 levels, exposing hidden environmental costs. The study concludes with managerial strategies for green investments, policy recommendations for equitable regulations, and theoretical advancements in multi‐method efficiency assessments. This research underscores the industry's shift toward sustainable resilience, offering critical insights for stakeholders navigating future uncertainties.
Freight forwarders are key intermediaries coordinating logistics operations in maritime container transportation, which is itself vital to global supply chains. Freight forwarders face diverse operational challenges to service quality, efficiency, and financial sustainability. Despite the importance of freight forwarders, research has predominantly focused on ports and shipping lines, while risks specific to freight forwarders remain insufficiently understood. To address this gap, our study draws on expert interviews and a MAXQDA-based thematic analysis to categorize these risks. The findings show that these challenges are exacerbated by unreliable schedules, geopolitical disruptions, and heightened cybersecurity exposures due to accelerating digitalization. The study contributes toward developing a freight-forwarder-focused risk assessment framework, suggests theoretically grounded directions for future mitigation research, and offers practice-oriented implications to contextualize the findings.
