Greater efficiency along the ‘middle mile’ in logistics as a result of collaboration between companies

When goods are delivered from A to B, a significant part of the journey involves transporting shipments between warehouses, hub facilities and distribution centres. A research team working on the COMMIT project, which is funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, is developing technologies to prevent vehicles from travelling this ‘middle mile’ empty or with low load utilisation. The project is co-located at the University of Vienna and the University of Klagenfurt.

Sustainable trucks for long-haul transportation

How can you sustainably schedule and deploy a fleet of long-haul trucks that often cross entire continents? A research team at the Department of Operations, Energy and Environmental Management at the University of Klagenfurt is investigating this question. Preliminary findings are now available in the form of a mathematical model. Next, the results will be applied to the complex requirements on the road.

Preventing the circulation of empty lorries and goods trains

The concept of pooling resources is spreading to the logistics industry: If you receive an order but do not have a vehicle in a particular location, you can cede the transportation to another company that would otherwise face an empty run. This benefits companies and the environment. However, the sharing economy means a paradigm shift for the industry. Companies are reluctant to reveal details about order volumes, costs and regular customers. A research team at the University of Klagenfurt is investigating how transport assignments can nevertheless be distributed efficiently between competing players.