Learning Outcomes
After completing this lesson, learners will be able to:
- Explain the requirements and challenges of planning goods movement.
- Explain transport-capacity planning.
- Distinguish between routing and scheduling.
- Describe transport optimisation.
- Identify key areas of transport regulation.
- Explain personnel-planning principles.
- Assess transport performance using appropriate measures.
- Explain the purpose of transport control towers and command centres.
- Describe transport interfaces with order management, warehousing and maintenance.
1. Transport Planning
Transport planning determines how goods will be moved safely, efficiently and reliably between supply chain locations.
It establishes:
- What must be transported
- The quantity and characteristics of the cargo
- The origin and destination
- The required delivery date
- The transport mode
- The carrier or vehicle
- The route
- The delivery schedule
- The required personnel
- Legal and documentation requirements
- Expected costs
- Operational risks
Transport planning must be aligned with customer orders, inventory availability, warehouse operations and vehicle capacity.
2. Transport-Planning Process
A practical transport-planning process includes:
- Confirm the transport requirement.
- Verify cargo details.
- Confirm collection and delivery locations.
- Determine the required delivery timeframe.
- Select a suitable transport mode.
- Calculate capacity requirements.
- Select the vehicle or carrier.
- Plan the route.
- Prepare the schedule.
- Allocate drivers and supporting personnel.
- Confirm documents and regulatory requirements.
- Identify risks and contingency arrangements.
- Communicate the plan.
- Monitor execution.
3. Transport Requirements
Before planning movement, confirm:
- Product description
- Weight
- Volume
- Dimensions
- Quantity
- Packaging
- Value
- Temperature requirements
- Dangerous-goods classification
- Security requirements
- Loading requirements
- Delivery location
- Delivery time window
Incorrect cargo information can result in an unsuitable vehicle, unsafe loading or delivery failure.
4. Planning Movement Between Companies
Transport between companies requires coordination between:
- The sender
- The carrier
- The receiving organisation
- Warehouses
- Customers
- Regulatory authorities, where applicable
The parties must agree on:
- Collection time
- Delivery time
- Loading responsibility
- Unloading responsibility
- Required documentation
- Product-condition standards
- Communication procedures
- Proof of delivery
- Responsibility for loss or damage
5. Cross-Border Transport Planning
Moving goods between countries may require:
- Import and export documentation
- Customs declarations
- Permits
- Product certificates
- Duties and taxes
- Clearing and forwarding services
- Cargo insurance
- Border-crossing arrangements
- International carrier coordination
- Compliance with the destination country’s requirements
Challenges may include:
- Border congestion
- Customs delays
- Incorrect documents
- Different regulations
- Currency fluctuations
- Long lead times
- Political instability
- Infrastructure limitations
- Security risks
- Language differences
Cross-border schedules should include sufficient time for customs clearance and border processing.
6. Transport-Capacity Planning
Transport-capacity planning determines whether sufficient transport resources are available to move the required cargo.
Capacity may include:
- Vehicle carrying capacity
- Cargo volume
- Permitted vehicle mass
- Number of vehicles
- Driver availability
- Loading capacity
- Delivery time
- Route limitations
- Carrier availability
Weight Capacity
A vehicle must not carry more than its permitted mass.
Available weight capacity = Permitted payload − Cargo already allocated
Volume Capacity
A load may reach the available vehicle volume before reaching the maximum permitted weight.
Bulky, lightweight products are often limited by volume. Dense products may be limited by weight.
Capacity Example
A truck has a permitted payload of 18 tonnes. Twelve tonnes have already been allocated.
Available capacity = 18 tonnes − 12 tonnes
Available capacity = 6 tonnes
A further eight-tonne shipment cannot be loaded in full without exceeding capacity.
7. Factors Affecting Transport Capacity
- Cargo weight and volume
- Vehicle dimensions
- Product compatibility
- Loading configuration
- Driver hours
- Vehicle availability
- Maintenance requirements
- Route restrictions
- Delivery time windows
- Seasonal demand
- Loading and unloading capacity
- Legal mass limitations
Transport capacity must be matched with actual demand rather than estimated without supporting information.
8. Routing
Routing determines the path a vehicle will follow between collection and delivery points.
Route planning considers:
- Distance
- Travel time
- Road condition
- Traffic congestion
- Tolls
- Fuel use
- Vehicle restrictions
- Bridge clearances
- Delivery priorities
- Customer time windows
- Security
- Weather
- Border posts
The shortest route is not necessarily the most suitable route.
9. Scheduling
Scheduling determines when transport activities will take place.
A transport schedule may include:
- Vehicle
- Driver
- Collection time
- Loading time
- Departure time
- Planned stops
- Delivery sequence
- Expected arrival
- Unloading time
- Return time
| Routing | Scheduling |
|---|---|
| Determines where the vehicle will travel | Determines when activities will occur |
| Focuses on the path and delivery sequence | Focuses on time and resource allocation |
| Considers distance and road conditions | Considers time windows and availability |
Routing and scheduling must be planned together.
10. Transport Optimisation
Transport optimisation finds the most effective balance between cost, time, capacity, risk and customer service.
Methods include:
- Consolidating compatible loads
- Reducing empty kilometres
- Improving vehicle utilisation
- Selecting suitable vehicle sizes
- Choosing efficient routes
- Coordinating collection and delivery times
- Using backhauls
- Selecting appropriate transport modes
- Reducing waiting time
- Using route-planning technology
Backhaul
A backhaul is a load transported on the return journey instead of the vehicle returning empty.
This can improve vehicle utilisation and reduce cost per trip.
11. Transport Trade-Offs
Transport decisions often require trade-offs.
| Decision | Possible benefit | Possible disadvantage |
|---|---|---|
| Faster transport | Improved delivery time | Higher cost |
| Load consolidation | Lower unit cost | Longer waiting time |
| Larger vehicle | More capacity | Limited route access |
| Cheaper carrier | Lower cost | Possible service or reliability risk |
| Additional vehicles | Greater flexibility | Higher operating cost |
| Alternative route | Avoids disruption | Longer distance |
The objective is to optimise overall supply chain performance, not one measure in isolation.
12. Transport Regulations
Transport operations must comply with requirements applicable to:
- Vehicle registration and roadworthiness
- Driver licensing
- Vehicle and axle mass
- Load dimensions
- Load securing
- Dangerous goods
- Driver fitness and working hours
- Occupational health and safety
- Environmental protection
- Customs and cross-border transport
- Permits
- Cargo documentation
- Animal or food transportation
- Incident reporting
The exact requirements depend on the cargo, mode, route and jurisdiction. Organisations must use current authorised regulatory information.
13. Personnel Planning
Personnel planning ensures that competent employees are available to perform transport activities safely and lawfully.
Planning should consider:
- Required licences
- Training
- Cargo-handling competence
- Dangerous-goods competence
- Medical fitness
- Working and rest periods
- Shift schedules
- Route knowledge
- Communication requirements
- Security procedures
- Emergency response
- Leave and absenteeism
- Backup personnel
14. Driver and Personnel Responsibilities
Transport personnel may be responsible for:
- Pre-trip inspections
- Document verification
- Safe loading
- Load-security checks
- Route compliance
- Delivery communication
- Vehicle monitoring
- Incident reporting
- Proof of delivery
- Compliance with safety procedures
A schedule must not depend on unsafe driving speeds or inadequate rest.
15. Transport Control
Transport control monitors transport execution and responds when actual performance differs from the plan.
It includes:
- Dispatch control
- Shipment tracking
- Driver communication
- Schedule monitoring
- Exception management
- Document control
- Proof-of-delivery management
- Cost control
- Performance reporting
16. Transport-Control Process
- Confirm that the vehicle and driver are ready.
- Verify the load and documents.
- Authorise dispatch.
- Track the journey.
- Compare actual progress with the schedule.
- Identify delays or deviations.
- Communicate with affected parties.
- Implement corrective action.
- Confirm delivery.
- Record performance.
- Investigate recurring problems.
17. Transport Exceptions
Examples include:
- Vehicle breakdown
- Accident
- Traffic delay
- Road closure
- Adverse weather
- Cargo damage
- Theft
- Delivery refusal
- Customer unavailable
- Incorrect documentation
- Border delay
- Temperature deviation
An exception should be:
- Recorded
- Assessed
- Escalated
- Communicated
- Corrected
- Investigated where necessary
18. Transport Performance Measures
| Measure | What it evaluates |
|---|---|
| On-time collection | Collections completed as scheduled |
| On-time delivery | Deliveries completed by the agreed time |
| Transit time | Time between collection and delivery |
| Cost per delivery | Average cost of completing a delivery |
| Cost per kilometre | Transport cost relative to distance |
| Vehicle utilisation | Extent to which vehicle capacity is used |
| Empty kilometres | Distance travelled without a productive load |
| Fuel consumption | Fuel used over a defined distance or activity |
| Damage rate | Cargo damaged during transportation |
| Delivery-success rate | Deliveries completed on the first attempt |
| Proof-of-delivery completion | Deliveries supported by valid receipt records |
| Safety performance | Accidents, incidents and unsafe events |
| Emissions | Environmental effect of transport activities |
Measurements should be compared with agreed targets, previous results and operational requirements.
19. Standard Performance Framework
Transport performance can be assessed across five areas:
| Area | Typical question |
|---|---|
| Cost | Was transport completed within budget? |
| Service | Was the delivery completed on time and correctly? |
| Capacity | Were vehicles and personnel used effectively? |
| Quality and safety | Were goods delivered undamaged and without incident? |
| Sustainability | Were fuel, distance and emissions controlled? |
A balanced assessment prevents cost reduction from hiding poor service or safety performance.
20. Control Towers and Command Centres
A transport control tower is a central capability that provides visibility and coordination across transportation activities.
A command centre typically has a stronger real-time operational and incident-management focus.
They may monitor:
- Vehicle locations
- Shipment progress
- Delivery schedules
- Traffic
- Weather
- Border conditions
- Capacity
- Exceptions
- Customer priorities
- Carrier performance
21. Control-Tower Functions
- Consolidating information
- Tracking shipments
- Identifying exceptions
- Predicting possible delays
- Coordinating responses
- Communicating with stakeholders
- Revising routes and schedules
- Measuring performance
- Supporting decisions
Example
A control tower identifies that severe congestion near the Port of Durban will delay a scheduled collection.
It may:
- Notify the warehouse and customer.
- Reschedule the collection slot.
- Allocate an alternative vehicle.
- Select another route where practical.
- Update the estimated delivery time.
- Monitor the revised plan.
22. Interface with Customer-Order Management
Transport requires order-management information such as:
- Customer
- Delivery address
- Product
- Quantity
- Required delivery date
- Priority
- Special instructions
- Service level
Transport provides order management with:
- Dispatch confirmation
- Tracking information
- Estimated arrival
- Delay notifications
- Proof of delivery
- Delivery-exception information
Incorrect order information can cause delivery failure.
23. Interface with Warehousing and Facilities
Warehousing must coordinate with transport regarding:
- Stock availability
- Picking completion
- Packing
- Loading sequence
- Vehicle arrival
- Loading-bay allocation
- Dispatch documents
- Product-handling requirements
Transport must communicate:
- Vehicle type
- Vehicle capacity
- Arrival time
- Load sequence
- Route requirements
- Delays
A vehicle arriving before the order is ready creates waiting time and congestion.
24. Interface with Technical Maintenance
Technical maintenance supports vehicle and equipment availability.
The interface includes:
- Preventive-maintenance schedules
- Vehicle inspections
- Breakdown reporting
- Repair priorities
- Tyre management
- Fuel and fluid checks
- Refrigeration-unit maintenance
- Vehicle-release authorisation
- Replacement-vehicle arrangements
Transport planners must consider planned maintenance before allocating a vehicle.
Using an unsafe or unroadworthy vehicle to meet a delivery deadline is unacceptable.
25. Lesson Summary
- Transport planning defines how goods will be moved and which resources are required.
- Capacity planning considers weight, volume, vehicles, drivers and operational time.
- Routing determines the path; scheduling determines the timing.
- Optimisation balances cost, capacity, service, risk and sustainability.
- Transport activities must comply with applicable legal and operational requirements.
- Personnel must be competent, appropriately licensed and safely scheduled.
- Transport control monitors execution and manages exceptions.
- Performance should be assessed across cost, service, utilisation, safety and sustainability.
- Control towers provide central visibility and support coordinated responses.
- Transport must interface effectively with order management, warehousing and maintenance.