Digitalized platform to better utilize empty space of return runs of truck

Abstract

Sri Lanka depends heavily on road for freight transportation where around 97% of domestic freight is transported by roads using trucks [1]. It was further related that half of the above trucks returning empty [1]. Such empty truck return runs go unnoticed in Sri Lanka. In other developed countries, digitalization such as digital tracking and tracing is used to minimize empty return runs of trucks by making them noticed by the parties in the supply chain. No such digital tracking and tracing is available in Sri Lanka to provide real time information on the truck operations. Therefore, the empty return runs remain unnoticed. Because of its being unnoticed, these empty space in the return runs of trucks are not used optimally. Lack of optimal use of these available space in the return runs of trucks incurs high cost of operation and lowers the net profit of truck operators. High cost and lower profit to truck operators leads to increase in charging high transportation cost from the shippers (local farmers). High transportation cost affects all the parties in the supply chain including the customers, suppliers, transport operators and the country. Therefore, the objective of this study is to propose a digitalization approach of tracking and tracing the trucks that could give real time information on truck operations in Sri Lanka. This digitalization approach can help suppliers, transport operators and regulators to better utilize the empty space available in the return runs of trucks. This approach would pave the way for better customer satisfaction as it could reduce the freight transport costs.