How is own account transport well adapted to urban environments?
CRUZ, Cecilia
5. REGULATORY CONSTRAINTS SLOW THE
DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIALISED PROFESSIONAL
CARRIERS
The implementation of goods transport policies lacks coherence in urban areas. Dablanc
(1998) has shown that legal constraints in the Paris region are heterogeneous. Since 199622
French urban areas must elaborate Urban Travel Plans (PDU) which include a section on
freight. They are thus responsible for defining transport policy orientations. However,
individual municipalities retain (police) power over vehicle traffic, and often take action which
is not coherent with the urban area's general policy, or even neighbouring municipalities'
traffic rules. Municipal ordnances often restrict access to heavy trucks. The resultant
superposition of rules in the urban environment is not conducive to the emergence of service
providers offering a true alternative to own-account transport.
hal-00615151, version 1 - 18 Aug 2011
It is interesting to note that the firm presented in the above case study records legal
restrictions (such as vehicle size limitations) in their client database as soon as this
information is known, which allows better delivery organisation. When the first delivery is
made for a customer's first order, it is possible that the delivery vehicle is prohibited from
using the street where the client is located. This system allows the firm to avoid repeating
such errors. Knowledge of legal restrictions within the delivery area is necessary to optimise
shipping and ensure high reliability of delivery times. Firms which rely on own-account
shipping develop their own tools to increase efficiency and reduce the risk of additional
transport costs.
Transport in urban environments is unique because activity is concentrated, causing specific
problems. While this space is particularly susceptible to congestion problems, we have also
seen that it requires the most reliable transport due to the large number of clients.
Nonetheless, few large carriers handle their own deliveries in urban areas, and parcel
delivery firms outsource service in major cities. These firms respond to the trend toward
shipment fragmentation by grouping and degrouping small packages, and as most of their
principal recipients are in urban environments, they contribute to the dominant role of
subcontracting. Outsourcing certain links, particularly the final one, helps lower total transport
cost and concentrate resources on activities that are more profitable than transport and
logistics organisation. Research on outsourcing in urban environments (Cruz et al., 2009)
shows that this practice is common, and that external factors beyond carriers' control such as
traffic congestion also play a role. As traffic conditions worsen, drivers' tours lengthen and
firms find it safer to employ a sub-contractor. Under these conditions, it is difficult to assure
personalized service for the clients who constitute the majority of their demand.
According to a report from Pipame (2009), a large share of fruit and vegetable distribution in
Paris is own-account. Legal restrictions on the transport of fresh products impede delivery
optimization. Different kinds of products (meat, cheese, fish, etc.) cannot be mixed during
22 With the LAURE law (Law on Air and the Rational Use of Energy), 30 December 1996.
12th WCTR, July 11-15, 2010 - Lisbon, Portugal
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