How is own account transport well adapted to urban environments?
CRUZ, Cecilia
Dprofessional Haulage □0wn account sender DOwn account consignee ∣
Source: LET, "Urban Goods Transport"surveys, 1996-1999
Figure 2: Management of delivery operations by type of business.
Source: Patier, 2004
hal-00615151, version 1 - 18 Aug 2011
One explanation for the preponderance of own-account transport in urban areas is the
location of its main users: in 2008, 83% of wholesale establishments were located in urban
areas, whereas only 72% of industrial sites were located there9.
Some characteristics of own-account freight are explained by the types of business involved
(wholesale and retail) which are more likely to carry out shipments in delivery runs. Own-
account transport makes up 82% of multi-stop delivery runs carried out within a single urban
area.
Business sector is the main factor explaining why a firm chooses one kind of organisation
over the other. However, the geographic configuration of the city also affects the circulation
of goods: for example, the existence of a bypass road may encourage use of own-account
transport, as infrastructures of this kind can reduce trip time, and thereby reduce costs.
2.2. The role of density in own-account transport organisation
Urban freight varies according to a city’s geographical areas. City centres concentrate a high
density of freight movements: 5,000 to 30,000 deliveries and pick-ups per km2 per week for
European cities10.
According to Patier (2002) one third of a conurbation's pick-up or delivery operations occur in
the hypercentre.11 The structure and compactness of the urban context encourage the use of
own-account transport, which is particularly present in dense urban areas. According to the
ECHO survey, 72% of shipments carried out within a single urban hub are own-account. This
observation is not limited to France: according to data from the Politecnico di Milano
9 Data: Sirene-INSEE
10 Data from Urban Freight surveys (Laboratoire d’Economie des Transports) Internet site : http://www.transports-
marchandises-en-ville.org
11 "The hypercentre is characterized by a historic centre with narrow streets, a strong concentration of
employment, and mixed use, rarity of space which leads to growing land costs. (...) The concentration of
independent or franchised shops leads to dense traffic." (Patier, 2002)
12th WCTR, July 11-15, 2010 - Lisbon, Portugal