Full-time
MSc in Logistics & Supply Chain Management
2011/12
Freight Transport Assessment
SilicaChem Corporation:
Outbound Freight Transport Report
Jia GUO, Bethie
09/01/12
1. Introduction
This short report recommends the best options of serving the Spanish distributor and the North America customer based on information given. Although cost is the main consideration in the analysis, various other criteria such as service level and transport modal features are also examined. In order to deliver a more comprehensive discussion, weaknesses of the recommended modals are listed, which should be carefully evaluated when further information is available.
2. Serving the Spanish distributor
2.1
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Another alternative the company could consider is using multiple carriers in intermodal transport. As illustrated in Appendix 1, the quotations of the same route or activity from two carriers can be significantly different. Therefore, it is beneficiary for the company to understand the cost components of carriers and the rationale behind the quotations, in order to grasp the opportunity of better deal and more reliable service (Jennings and Holcomb, 1996).
In terms of transport mode selection, SilicaChem could consider the feasibility of using only road and rail transport in intermodal so as to boost transit speed. However, further information concerning routing and cost are needed for detailed evaluation.
3. Serving the North America customer
3.1 Recommendation
As shown by the calculation in Appendix 2, sea freight is more cost effective than air freight. Based on the assumptions listed in the appendix, sea freight is estimated to have an annual total cost of about £264,000 lower than that of air freight. The main contributor of this difference is shipping cost, as the total annual shipping rate of sea freight is £310,000 cheaper. As a result, although adopting air freight would provide a saving of about £60,000 in inventory holding and warehousing costs, the total cost of sea freight is still substantially lower.
Apart from the cost factors, sea freight would also
Bundling is a term that refers to the process of transportation of goods belonging to various flows in a common vehicle intermodal unit such as truck, train or barge or other segments during part of their journey. As a result, this process is a major business of the transportation sector given that operators occasionally examine their service networks and change their bundling operations. The adjustments made in bundling operations are usually a reaction to changing cost structures, situations, and competition with regards to the requirements of demand and performance. During the adjustments, the operators basically change the bundling type, extent of network concentration, frequency of service, vehicle load, and utilized physical means (Kreutzberger, 2010, p.160). Generally, the major factors for adjustments are changes in flow directions and sizes and the operator’s share in the market.
As cargo costs vary with the freight moved they are calculated as a product of Cargo costs per ton, as stated above, and the capacity for each of the vessels, i.e. for Tashtego 1,43*3950 + 1,43*3150 = 10.153,00 and for the large vessel 1,43*6850 + 1,43*3150 = 14.300,00.
8. Threat of New Entrants: “There are a number of low-cost carriers (LCCs) in the domestic market and the Company competes with LCCs over a very large part of its network.”
The excessive cost of travel for both the East and West Coast Boat Forces and
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Expedient delivery of goods outweighed the cost differential. However, since intermodel transportation pricing is governed by fixed costs, such as terminal expenses, not fuel costs, shipping costs will remain higher in this area. Now, lower fuel costs will further help to increase the use of trucks, rather than rail for transportation. This type of shift has not been seen in the industry since 2010, but it appears the trend will continue for the foreseeable future.
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To avoid the confusion and problems, the shipper should declare the value for the goods on the ocean bill of lading or to exercise the right to declare a higher value and pay higher freight charges. If the shipper wants the number of
4. Assuming a 20% gross margin for each printer, sea transportation costs of $1 per printer and air transportation costs of $10 per printer (air shipment lead-time is three days), evaluate the various alternatives available to Brent Cartier to address the inventory and service problem.
The intent of this analysis is to compare and contrast the cost structures for rail, motor carriers and air modes of transportation. Implicit in this analysis is the rapid adoption of intermodal transportation which is often optimized to specific logistics and supply chain objectives (Jennings, Holcomb, 1996).
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Solely taking a look at the graph, to accommodate future demand for growth I would recommend ocean transportation to move our products from the new facility in China. As we expect demand to grow by 10 percent annually over the next five years, it will be most beneficial to utilize ocean transportation as projected total costs for air becomes higher than ocean above the trade off point of 1,904,761.9 POUNDS. For example, total projected costs were calculated to be at $587,156 for air versus $630,080 for ocean at the end of 5 years. Extrapolate the graph even further into the future, with the expectation of even more growth,
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