How is own account transport well adapted to urban environments?
CRUZ, Cecilia
2004). More than three fourths of paths5 in Bordeaux and Marseilles are handled on an own-
account basis, and half of those in Dijon (Patier, 2002). Thus, the urban territory seems to be
conducive to own-account shipping. In this article, we will explore the reasons for using own-
account shipping in urban environments, and the relevance of its use in a context where the
overall share of own-account traffic is decreasing (in France, its share dropped from 26% of
tonne-km in 1995 to 16% in 2007; in Germany, the share fell from 35% to 21% over the
same period6). Though its share of all traffic is diminishing, own-account transport is still very
present over short distances. In France, its share over short distances has been increasing
for two decades (Cruz, Zembri, 2009). In Germany, 47% of tonne-km travelling less than
50km were own-account, and in the UK the figure is 45% (2007).
hal-00615151, version 1 - 18 Aug 2011
In 2004, the INRETS7 conducted an original survey on transport practices (Inset 1). In this
survey (ECHO 2004) shippers were questioned about their shipping practices, revealing
connections between the production system and transport. Another objective of this survey
was to take the increasing complexity of transport chains into account. To do so, shipments
were traced from their departure point to their destination, revealing the different steps that a
single shipment passes through to reach its recipient. Here, we have complemented this
quantitative approach with a more qualitative case study of a specific firm that uses own-
account transport, allowing us to examine the relevant spatial extent of this kind of shipping.
• 3000 firms were surveyed, representing a total population of more than 69,000 firms
• Scope: All firms with 10 or more employees belonging to the industrial sector (apart
from mining) and the wholesale trading sector. Only sending shipments of at least
1 kg were surveyed.
• Principle: Monitoring shipments sent by the shipper until they reach the consignee
and reconstructing the entire transport chain.
• A shipment is a group of goods sent between one consignee and one consignor.
• Goals:
- To link shippers’ production activity to their choice of transport,
- To monitor the shipper’s shipments until they reach the consignee in order to
perceive the multiplicity of journeys and modes of organization.
Inset 1 : the 2004 ECHO survey
Reliance on own-account transport is the result of logistic constraints which are specific to
those sectors that use it. First, we shall see how the concentration of activity in the city
makes it a place where shippers can achieve cost savings by managing their own transport.
Secondly, we will evaluate the role that timing plays in this choice, and the implications at the
metropolitan scale. Next, we will attempt to identify which territories are most relevant for the
use of own-account transport through a case study. Finally, we will examine the role of legal
constraints on transport choice, looking at both vehicle type and delivery hours, and discuss
transport supply in urban environments.
5 Path: All points passed through by the delivery driver to pick up or deliver goods.
6 Data: Eurostat
7 The French National Institute for Transport and Safety Research
12tth WCTR, July 11-15, 2010 - Lisbon, Portugal