Forthcoming and Online First Articles

World Review of Intermodal Transportation Research

World Review of Intermodal Transportation Research (WRITR)

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World Review of Intermodal Transportation Research (6 papers in press)

Regular Issues

  • Applying the quantitative approach to identify the major antecedents to the process of cold ironing adoption   Order a copy of this article
    by Son-Tung Le 
    Abstract: Seaports are important nodes in global commerce networks, but they also produce considerable amounts of pollutants. Cold ironing is one of the technological solutions that allows seaports to be both economically and environmentally efficient. However, various difficulties remain to be solved before this technology may be implemented. The purpose of this study is to examine at the factors that led to the adoption of cold ironing in Vietnam ports. Our finding shows that there are four primary factors that influence how ports are used for cold ironing, including regulation drivers, incentive drivers, macroeconomic drivers, and foreign capital drivers. Among the factors mentioned above, regulations, as one of the most important, influence the implementation of cold ironing for emission reduction at ports in Vietnam. The discussion section of this paper goes into considerable detail about its findings and implications.
    Keywords: cold ironing; green ports; drivers; regulations; sustainability.

  • The determinants of the sea freight fee in container shipping - an analysis by route   Order a copy of this article
    by Jaqueline Castegnaro Schünke, Silvio Hong Tiing Tai 
    Abstract: This paper analyses the effect of supply and demand through an econometric model of price definition in the short term in the five main trades from Asia to the world. The increase in the capacity of ships aiming at gains in scale has generated a global idleness of services. To reduce the effects of service idleness, shipping companies have consolidated into three major alliances, leading the market to an oligopoly status. Understanding how the price definition is done in this self-regulated market provides valuable insights that empower maritime industry professionals to make decisions and contribute to efficient and effective policies and practices in the sector. The results show that specific route-region markets behave in different ways and the incidence of ex-post rates in region-routes with great volume does not allow the offer and demand operate in balance, because of the sector's oligopoly's structure.
    Keywords: sea freight; container; oligopoly; supply; demand.
    DOI: 10.1504/WRITR.2023.10059585
     
  • State of digital technology adoption in intermodal freight transport: empirical evidence from Ethiopia   Order a copy of this article
    by Helen Zewdie Kine, Girma Gebresenbet, Lorent Tavasszy, David Ljungberg 
    Abstract: The present study assesses the level of digital technology adoption in the inter-modal freight transport system, with the case study of Ethiopia. To achieve the objectives, we utilized questionnaires and conducted site visits to the companies involved. The results show that all the companies have an equally high level of fundamental technology adoption. However, the use of advanced information and communication technologies, such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things, is limited. Ethiopian's railway transport company uses up-to-date technologies (such as real-time tracking and communication with drivers), whereas road transport companies widely use conventional technologies (such as phone calls) in providing transport services. To increase the level of digital technology adoption, and thus the overall efficiency of the intermodal transport systems, the study revealed a need for investment in human resources, encompassing awareness creation and IT skills training, in parallel to investments in the actual technologies.
    Keywords: technology adoption; digital technologies; ICT; Ethiopia; low-income countries; intermodal freight transport; IFT.

  • Evolution of blockchain technology in sustainable supply chain management: a theoretical perspective   Order a copy of this article
    by Jayson Wilson Barretti, Ricardo Coser Mergulhão, Juliana Veiga Mendes 
    Abstract: This article aims to identify the relationships and applications of blockchain technology in sustainable supply chain management and reverse logistics in the literature supporting recycling processes and the reuse of waste. The methodology was based on the planning and execution of a systematic literature review and the discussion of the results of the exploratory research. It was found that emerging technologies allow viable implementations of blockchain architectures in logistics networks, favouring sustainable processes, mitigating intrinsic problems in logistics networks, and allowing circular practices. However, the effective implementation of blockchain faces barriers such as low environmental awareness, disbelief in the effectiveness of this technology, and low technical capacity of human resources. Given the novelty of the subject, more scientific studies should be produced on the traceability of waste in recycling and reuse processes with evidence of the benefits associated with blockchain in the reverse and sustainable chain.
    Keywords: reverse logistics; circular economy; Industry 4.0; systematic literature review; traceability; decentralisation; smart contracts.
    DOI: 10.1504/WRITR.2023.10059349
     
  • Model to estimate the impact of future CO2 emissions due to the increase in the electric vehicle fleet - the case of the Brazilian capital   Order a copy of this article
    by Wesley Cândido De Melo, Edwin Francisco Ferreira Silva, Augusto César De Mendonça Brasil 
    Abstract: This article proposes a model that estimates the growth of the individual transport vehicle fleet and the impact of electric vehicles on CO2 emissions by the year 2050. For this purpose, a case study was carried out in the federal capital of Brazil, Brasília, to characterise real driving cycles, with measurements of speeds, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, and thus validate the proposed model. Therefore, the model was applied in scenario simulations, obtaining an 84% reduction in CO2 emissions with the total change in the fleet from combustion vehicles to electric vehicles by the year 2050. In another perspective, by changing the composition of the current vehicle fleet to 50% ethanol-powered hybrid vehicles and 50% electric vehicles will reduce CO2 emissions by 92%. The simulated scenarios indicated the potential for decarbonising CO2 emissions by replacing the fleet of vehicles with ignition engines for hybrid and electric ones.
    Keywords: vehicle fleet growth; driving cycle; CO2 emissions; electric vehicles and Brazilian energy matrix.
    DOI: 10.1504/WRITR.2023.10059932
     
  • Conveying the sustainability message through CEO letters: an investigation on selected transportation companies   Order a copy of this article
    by Bayram Bilge Saglam, Cemile Solak-Fiskin, Ersin Firat Akgul 
    Abstract: This study aims to evaluate message strength of sustainability communication within transportation companies using the message content criteria of corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication framework developed by Du et al. (2010). The authors collected CEO letters (published in between 2020 and the first quarter of 2022) of transportation companies listed in NASDAQ and/or NYSE. Majority of the CEO letters reviewed are superficial in accordance with the information included in the report and contain abstract statements on the sustainability approach of the company. Also, examined CEO letters were deemed successful in terms of message strength, openness and how they narrow the room for skepticism. However, findings show that reviewed CEO letters rarely adopted all the aforementioned content elements. This study is one of the limited available studies in management communication literature of transportation industry and it suggests message content criteria of CSR communication framework for evaluating message strength of CEO letters.
    Keywords: leadership communication; LC; CEO letters; CEOL; sustainability reporting; SR; transportation; COVID-19; stakeholder communication; SC; corporate social responsibility; CSR.