The competitiveness of short sea shipping in multimodal logistics supply chains: service attributes

Much has been written and spoken about short sea shipping within the European Union (EU) as a means of shifting goods from road to sea and of achieving a sustainable economic development. However, this shift is far from being a general reality, despite the few individual, and success stories that have taken place and the EUROSTAT data suggest that the overall effort has contributed very little towards attaining this desired shift. In the light of this, research was conducted to discover how to put short sea shipping on a more competitive level within European multimodal logistics supply chains. This paper aims at identifying service attributes of short sea shipping operations within multimodal transport chains by means of a questionnaire and, for that, examines the short sea shipping environment and contemporary European logistics trends. The analysis is based on empirical research, involving logistics operators, shippers' associations and intermodal rail operators, and allows an evaluation (based on statistical techniques) of the short sea shipping industry and its competitors. It extends previous work by considering these short sea shipping attributes within a multimodal transport context.     

巩固江运发展海运打造现代水运物流产业链

华中航运集团有限公司（以下简称华航集团）是经武汉市人民政府批准,以湖北省航运公司为核心组建的全国地方内河第1家国有航运企业集团,系国家大型（二类）水运企业、交通运输部等国家“四部一委”月度运输平衡会和国家煤炭订货年会及全国化工订货年会的正式会员单位、中国物流与采购联合会理事单位、湖北省物流协会副会长单位等,是集水上物流运输,港口装卸,仓储服务,国内、国际货代,水下工程,房产开发,科研设计和饭店服务等多种功能的跨地区、跨部门、跨行业的综合性企业集团,综合实力居全国500家最大服务行业水上运输业第25位。     

Administrative burdens and over-exertion in Swedish short sea shipping

ABSTRACT

Despite significant changes in work tasks performed on board, towards more sedentary monitoring and administrative work, the incidence of occupational injuries and disorders remains high among seafarers. In order to improve safety standards, industry stakeholders increasingly require written documentation of numerous routines, procedures and tasks performed on board. These increased demands have however added to the administrative burden. Some say, to the extent that administrative work has become a safety risk in itself. This paper presents the result of a survey investigating how Swedish seafarers perceive their own level of fatigue, stress and over-exertion related to work. The material consists of 1309 respondents originating from a random selection procedure, of which 651 reported to be employed in short sea shipping. Multiple regression analysis (OLS regression), allowing adjusted effects, were applied in several steps of the analysis. The highest levels of exertion were reported by employees in the catering department, positions not generally associated with high administrative burden. Perceived high levels of administrative work do increase the level of exertion, but cannot explain the observed pattern. Future ship and trade-specific studies on physical and mental well-being and complementary studies on the catering department’s working conditions and work environment are necessary.     

The external cost of speed at sea: An analysis based on selected short sea shipping routes

According to the mid-term review of the EU White Paper on Transport, Short Sea Shipping (SSS) is expected to grow at a rate of 59% (metric tonnes) between 2000 and 2020. If we consider that the overall expected increase in both freight exchanges and volume is 50%, sea transport is one of the most feasible alternatives to reduce traffic congestion on European roads. Maritime transportation may compete with road transport as far as certain traffics are concerned, but only when assuming external costs. This paper analyzes several intermodal transport chains involving a sea leg by comparing the effect of pollutant emissions from different ship types and road transport in terms of potential external cost savings. The translation of these emissions into environmental costs shows, for certain conditions, savings in the case of sea transport that would justify the use of an environmental bonus to promote the sea option.     

The role of Mediterranean short sea shipping in the EU transport chain: The case of Greece

The European Community has provided valuable support to short sea shipping through various programs and legislation. This paper analyses the situation while focusing on the Mediterranean Sea and suggests solutions for addressing the short sea shipping problems in this special region. The biggest challenge for all sides in the comingyears will be the replacement of the existing fleet. The study presented herein gives an insightful and collective picture of the situation, while focusing on the Greek owned short sea vessels.     

浙江省集装箱短途海运发展现状及前景

短途海上运输(以下简称短途海运)是指经由海路或与海相通的可航水域而不通过深海,在大陆板块与/或岛际的港口间运输货物和旅客的短途运输方式。[1]目前,欧洲和北美地区已将短途海运纳入多式联运体系中大力发展并取得成功。随着《浙江海洋经济发展示范区规划》上升为国家战略,     

A survey of short sea shipping and its prospects in the USA

Purpose: based on the known in the literature difference between expected and perceived quality, this study examines the factors and the ways that influence the passenger to select a ferry operator.

Methodology/approach: the research attempts to shed some light on the importance of every selection determinant by employing multinomial logistics analysis which identify that the convenience determinant is pivotal when selecting a service.

Findings: the main findings of the study indicate that among six different combinations of factors—models—perceived service quality together with price and convenience (satisfaction determinants) best describe the choice procedure followed by the passenger. The evidence is drawn from a survey performed in the Greek coastal shipping sector.

Originality/value of the paper: to survive in a competitive market, organizations must continuously strive to understand their customers’ wants and needs. Although this is a highly recognized issue in the marketing agenda little or no research has been done on passenger satisfaction and the subsequent selection of a ferry operator.

Practical implications: by using the findings of this work, ferry operators may deeply and timely understand their customers’ purchasing behaviour and adapt their marketing policies especially in a competitive and fast-changing environment.     

The potential for British coastal shipping in a multimodal chain

A strategy to revitalize coastal shipping within Great Britain is investigated. An examination of the regulatory environment shows government, at both the EU and British levels, aware of the environmental benefits of coastal shipping compared to road freight transport, if only mildly supportive in tangible terms. The geography of Great Britain and the modern preference for just-in-time deliveries have severely restricted the ability of coastal shipping to compete effectively with road freight transport. The primary objective of the paper is to investigate whether coastal shipping could be integrated into a multimodal door-to-door supply chain, where it is currently hampered by high costs of transhipment, slow transport speeds, and the incongruity of load sizes between land and sea modes. Integration requires the co-operation of all organizations within the multi-modal supply chain. However, coastal shipping companies have been known to be individualistic and mistrusting of alliances. Therefore, a Delphi study is undertaken to investigate the standpoint of leading managers in such companies towards multimodal integration. The results of the Delphi study indicate that managers are in favour of multimodal developments, in particular cooperation between coastal shipping and road haulage. However, there was agreement that the business is highly competitive, and this may prevent the forms of collaboration required for multimodal systems. The secretive nature of the coastal shipping sector could impede joint marketing to promote a mode of transport that is often 'invisible' to shippers. There was little consensus on the relationship that should exist between coastal shipping and ports, a topic worthy of further investigation.     

The potential for British coastal shipping in a multimodal chain

A strategy to revitalize coastal shipping within Great Britain is investigated. An examination of the regulatory environment shows government, at both the EU and British levels, aware of the environmental benefits of coastal shipping compared to road freight transport, if only mildly supportive in tangible terms. The geography of Great Britain and the modern preference for just-in-time deliveries have severely restricted the ability of coastal shipping to compete effectively with road freight transport. The primary objective of the paper is to investigate whether coastal shipping could be integrated into a multimodal door-to-door supply chain, where it is currently hampered by high costs of transhipment, slow transport speeds, and the incongruity of load sizes between land and sea modes. Integration requires the co-operation of all organizations within the multi-modal supply chain. However, coastal shipping companies have been known to be individualistic and mistrusting of alliances. Therefore, a Delphi study is undertaken to investigate the standpoint of leading managers in such companies towards multimodal integration. The results of the Delphi study indicate that managers are in favour of multimodal developments, in particular cooperation between coastal shipping and road haulage. However, there was agreement that the business is highly competitive, and this may prevent the forms of collaboration required for multimodal systems. The secretive nature of the coastal shipping sector could impede joint marketing to promote a mode of transport that is often ‘invisible’ to shippers. There was little consensus on the relationship that should exist between coastal shipping and ports, a topic worthy of further investigation.     

Effects of job demands and social interactions on fatigue in short sea cargo shipping

Although fatigue is considered an important problem in shipping, little is known about potential mitigating factors or resources for coping. Adopting a Job Demands–Resources framework, this article examines the effects of both job demands (stressors) and resources on fatigue, focusing on social interactions on board as a potential source of social support. Using an incomplete repeated-measures design, the study combined information from documents with surveys on seven cargo ships. Findings indicated that fatigue levels were highest for those working on deck and for individuals at higher hierarchical levels. Higher numbers of port calls (and to some extent lower numbers of days at sea) also increased fatigue levels. By contrast, night watches and the number of days in port had no effect on fatigue. Supportive social interactions reduced fatigue (main effect), but their effect was weaker when the number of port calls increased (interaction effect). All main effects were mediated by individuals’ perceptions of work pressure. Taken together, findings highlight the importance of considering social interactions on board to advance our understanding of stressors and strain in seafaring.     

The impact of low sulphur fuel requirements in shipping on the competitiveness of roro shipping in Northern Europe

Annex VI of the MARPOL Convention aims for a reduction in sulphur oxide emissions from ships. The limits applicable at sea in Emission Control Areas (ECAs) were reduced from 1.5% to 1% in 2010 and are planned to be further reduced to 0.1%, effective from 1 January 2015. This paper analyses the impact of the International Maritime Organization’s Tier II/III standards introduced by Annex VI amendments adopted in October 2008 on costs and prices of roro (roll on/roll off) traffic in the ECAs in North Europe and on the competitiveness of roro shipping in the ECAs compared to trucking. We demonstrate that the new Annex VI agreement may be quite costly for the participants in the shipping industry and will result in higher freight rates. Based on a detailed price analysis on modal competition between the roro/truck option and the ‘truck only’ option on thirty origin–destination routes linked to the ECAs, we conclude that the use of low sulphur fuel is expected to increase the transport prices particularly on the origin–destination relations with a medium or long short sea section. The paper also presents the results of a survey among leading short sea operators in the ECAs in view of providing more insight on expected modal shifts and price elasticity in the short sea market.     

中国航运物流自动识别RFID产业发展

中国航运物流运输日新月异发展,自动识别技术成为未来国际航运物流信息化发展趋势。在机遇与挑战并存的航运物流竞争环境中,作为改善航运物流企业管理机制、提高航运物流服务水平、加强航运物流业务效率的利器,航运物流信息化必将成为航运物流企业良性发展的基石。因此,加强航运物流信息化建设,将是巩固与增强航运物流企业竞争实力的必由之路。在航运物流供应链管理中,最关键的技术是航运物流货物的跟踪,应用航运物流RFID/EPC技术进行航运供应链管理,在国外已经比较普遍。本期栏目就航运物流自动识别(RFID)技术在中国的发展进行简单介绍,以飨读者。     

IAME 2001: Contemporary research in global shipping and logistics

The establishment and implementation of a training programme requires a training needs assessment (TNA). Without this approach, more often than not, training programmes have failed to succeed and to make such an assessment the instructional designer, i.e. the person in charge for this work, needs to follow a methodology. Unlike the other industries, the port industry has neglected the use of these methodologies, which is shown by the lack of research work published in academic journals. With a view to fill the existing gap, the paper proposes a five-step TNA methodology to be used in the port industry and applies its first three steps to investigate the port training situation in the new European Union member states. To achieve this objective, the paper is structured in the following way: Section 1 puts the research work into context; section 2 addresses the role of ports; section 3. presents a port TNA methodology; section 4. explains research methodology; section 5 addresses port training issues in the new European-member states; and section 6 presents conclusions and further comments.     

全球供应链视角的东亚港口物流服务绩效与趋势分析*

东亚港口基于旺盛的贸易运输需求而在全球供应链体系中崛起,同时也因为港口拥挤等问题而存在降低贸易成本的空间。首先从全球供应链视角解析港口物流服务格局,突出了东亚地区、特别是中国港口的地位,评价港口物流的综合绩效和竞争状态,然后对发展趋势做出预测。研究发现：东亚港口将通过持续投资实现供给需求的动态平衡;日本地震引致的全球供应链重组将使港口物流服务发生结构性变化,东亚将加强跨国港口物流合作以满足区域经济一体化的要求。     

我国航运企业发展汽车海运物流策略

为寻求我国航运企业发展汽车海运物流的有效策略,通过对国内外汽车海运市场及我国航运企业自身特点的分析,构建SWOT分析矩阵;认为我国航运企业要积极谋求同汽车厂商及国外汽车物流企业的合作,积极投资汽车码头等相关基础设施的建设,构建和完善汽车物流服务体系;在船队的建设上走多元化的合作道路,坚持新造船与旧船改造、自有与租赁并举的策略,通过同国外汽车海运企业的合作,学习其船队经营管理经验,充分利用其现有的航线和市场资源,壮大自身实力;强调要充分把握我国市场,走多元化的合作道路,避免恶性竞争。     

上海国际航运中心国际竞争力成因

为提升上海国际航运中心国际竞争力，从波特的“钻石模型”和国内学者的“五角模型”入手，提出上海国际航运中心国际竞争力的成因分为基础层、核心层和环境层3个层次共5个因素，即政府作用、基础设施、腹地经济、知识吸收与创新能力、航运要素的集聚与组合能力等，认为这3个层次5个因素应同时发挥作用，形成合力，才能提升上海国际航运中心国际竞争力，推动上海国际航运中心的建设和发展。     

The human talent and its role in ISM Code effectiveness and competitiveness in the shipping industry

The present study empirically evaluates the role of human talent in the effective implementation of quality management systems in the shipping industry context. Specifically, we analyze the relationships among top management commitment to quality, ISM (International Safety Management) Code effectiveness and competitiveness as well as we assess the influence of talent in these associations. We test our research hypotheses using a sample of 199 shipping companies located in Greece. The findings show that ISM Code effectiveness acts as a mediator between top management commitment and shipping company competitiveness, while the different talent philosophies were found to moderate this relationship.     

Competitiveness between short sea shipping and road freight transport in mainland port connections; the case of two Greek ports

While road freight transport is essential to any modern economy, short sea shipping (SSS) offers a competitive alternative mode of freight transport in terms of private and social costs, when applied in the connection of mainland ports. This mainly stems from the fact that within the context of the latter costs, accidents and environmental impacts in many road links constitute undesirable externalities with which road freight transport is heavily burdened. This paper compares the aforementioned economics of road and sea transport with reference to the connection of the port of Patra (the main western freight gate of Greece) with West Attica (the biggest Greek industrial centre), aiming at providing a viable solution towards the promotion of SSS in the transport chain between mainland ports.     

海运物流和钢铁行业的合作典范

鞍钢集团和中远集团同属国有特大型骨干企业,又是各自行业的领军企业之一,双方有着多年的友好合作关系.早于2002年1月,本着"优势互补、风险共担、互惠双赢、共同发展"的基本原则,双方集团总裁就签订了战略合作协议,构建了面向未来的战略合作伙伴关系.