How much will this cost us?

DRTDEVL wrote:

mike mck wrote:

Francesca Knowles wrote:

bid_time wrote:
Increasing the load by 12.5% increases the road wear by 42% - BULL!!

THERE IS NO STATISTIC TO BACK UP THAT HYPOTHESIS.

Well, yes, there is/are; though it's not a "hypothesis", it's a plain fact. If anything, it actually understates the impact. I s'pose there are national variables due to weather etc.

For those who understand enough engineering/"non linear" math to absorb the data, here's a link to a fully annotated/backed up document. It's from Minnesota, and represents one of the studies that finds the damage increase to be even greater than that estimated above. Do please note the language per "geometric rate". Damage isn't straight-line related to beginning number.

A conventional five-axle tractor-semitrailer operating at 80,000 pounds gross vehicle weight (GVW) is equivalent to about 2.4 ESALs.
If the weight of this vehicle were increased to 90,000 pounds (a 12.5 percent increase), its ESAL value goes up to 4.1 (a 70.8 percent increase), because pavement damage increases at a geometric rate with weight increases.

Link to source

So if it is larger long haul trucks beating up the roads I would suggest higher road use taxes for Trucks. I am aware we will all cover those costs in cost of goods. So be it. As has been stated maybe more goods will travel by Rail?

"On average, a typical 80,000 pound GVW tractor-trailer truck pays $13,889 per year in truck highway taxes" - http://www.mackinac.org/8433

Rail is already the most efficient mode of transportation by far, at 3 cent per ton-mile vs. 37 cents per ton-mile for trucks. How much more of a difference will it take to offset the need for faster transit times than rail can accommodate? - http://richardtorian.blogspot.com/2012/01/cost-per-ton-mile-for-four-shipping.html

Knee-jerk reactions caused the over-taxation of the trucking industry, and you are fueling the fire with your undereducated point of view. Businesses running on just-in-time delivery models (in order to save on warehousing expenses) fuel the need for more trucks on the road, not the cost of rail transport. The only mode of transport more expensive than trucking is air freight.

Signed - Your friendly neighborhood logistician.

DRT
Agree JIT is big in the manufacturing world. However the belief that it means more trucks is uneducated. A supply base closer to the manufacturing facility or distribution centers with rail lines so the trucks needed will run fewer miles may work. Gee planning in the transit time into the Part lead time just might and does work.
You pointed out 3 cents vs 37 cents. Use your educated mind to utilize the most efficient mode of transportation.
JIT means put it on my Dock the day or week I need it. I truly don't care how long it takes to get to my dock. I only want you to manufacture and ship to put it on my dock when I ask for it in the quantity I asked for. My supplier needs to plan his production to meet my needs. If the product has to cross country factor in transit time.

I have no idea if the trucking industry is taxed correctly. My point of view is if they are doing the most damage to the roads they should pay their fair share. Is $13,889.00 per year fair? Should it increase if max weight goes from 80K lbs to 90K lbs?
I'm thinking your a logistician for the trucking industry.

Just an uneducated point of view from Your friendly supply chain professional.