The Transportation System

The intent of this analysis is to compare and contrast the cost structures for rail, motor carriers and air modes of transportation. Implicit in this analysis is the rapid adoption of intermodal transportation which is often optimized to specific logistics and supply chain objectives (Jennings, Holcomb, 1996).

Once railroads were built, shipping by them became increasingly popular. Shipping domestically became cheaper and quicker, which elevated the U.S. economy. In Document E, the cost to ship by wagon is recorded to be twenty times the cost by railroad. Furthermore, the article describes wagon shipping “ was $1.77, while by rail it was less than a tenth of that amount.” Before the invention of the Transcontinental Railroad, trade was limited to wagons being driven for days on end. Few people considered the drive, so the price was high to ship. Besides high prices, canals were

The railroad system improved the US economy by allowing for mass imports and exports. In 2014 alone, the US was able to export 32.7 million tons of chemicals and petroleum,

“The iron rail, flanged wheel and puffing locomotive appeared in America by 1830. In the next twenty years the railroad brought a new dimension and added a new flavor to American transportation. The first railroads frequently helped American cities (and in turn were aided themselves) as they sought a larger share of western markets. (Stover, p10) As the canal craze was replaced with the rail craze, America once again found a means to connect north to south and east to west. Rails could do what canals could not; they could penetrate the dry arid areas, steep mountainous areas, span rivers, go up, over, or down under any impedance. But the penultimate advantaged was speed and time saved.

When the railway had not yet existed the majority of transportation took place by wagon. It is said that traveling by wagon actually costs approximately twenty times more than traveling by rail (Doc E). As stated in Document E, traveling by rail cost less than a tenth… than it would by wagon. Therefore, a more efficient transportation route was created; this meaning that the railway was less costly, much more agile, and also safer than the traditional, inconvenient

In result of the new railroads “you can travel cheaply from place to place” (Document 9) Before the railroads, traveling was not very common. It was a large expense to travel but industrialization later made it a feasible cost. It was stated that it more money to ship a shipment out of Europe in the early 1800s. After the industrial revolution began, the prices dropped significantly. It was also proposed that “during the 1800s the amount of railroad tracks increased dramatically in Britain, the Continental Europe, and the United States” (Document 5).

Not only are exports happening, but imports as well; 171 million tons of chemicals, intermodal, farm/food, forest products, metal, vehicles, et cetera (Document F). The railroad industry also accounts for 40% of the USA’s total freight network, providing 221,000 jobs (Federal Railroad Administration). Many creations become outdated after only a few years, but the Transcontinental Railroad still influences global economy today. Carrying millions of tons of goods, railroads are vital to the US

industry by setting the size of track , the size of trains and the price paid for shipping. The

It fascinates me how the human mind has developed from the beginning of time, till now. I mean technology itself has transformed the word. New inventions are created each day, improving machines, and almost everything. Throughout history people have created things that have made life easier. Transportation has always been very important. It has been a huge part of history. Of course like every other resource it had its pros and cons. Automobiles, airplanes, boats, and trains during the 1800s were all being invented.

The difference in the share of railways in the USA and the EU is due to the geographical distances between cities in the USA and the EU. Railways cost less to operate and have fewer emissions when compared to trucking. Yet, the use of railways is limited for the following reasons: (i) building its infrastructure is very costly; (ii) the long lead time required for developing the infrastructure; (iii) consistent-high-volume of the freight traffic is needed for economic viability; and (iv) the need for trucks for the distribution to the final destinations. Trucks have many advantages over other modes of transportation, especially that they provide last mile delivery. Trucks, as compared to railways, ships, or planes have the most flexibility in reaching a destination, and the upfront

Next introduced were steamboats. Shipping by steamboats was cheaper and faster. If one used a wagon, there was the cost of lifting the cargo off the ground and keeping it there as well as the cost of moving the vehicle forward. A water vessel had the advantage of only having the cost of moving forward because the water lifted the cargo. The shallow draft steamboat, however, could carry large amounts of cargo even against the flow of a river. Robert Fulton's Clermont proved the practicality of steamboats in 1807. The Enterprise was introduced by Henry Shreve in 1814 and proved to be the answer to transportation across shallow western waters. By 1820, there were 60 steamboats on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and countless others elsewhere.

Passenger and freight transportation systems have a number of similarities in the investment evaluation process, with a few significant differences. The table below offers an initial look at the stakeholders for each and their relative financial interests.

Transportation is one of the largest industries in the world. It is the most costly and time consuming of the supply chain. Transportation refers to the movement of products and raw materials from one destination to another. This process begins from the supply chain to the shipping of the finished product to the consumer. For we know that products are rarely produced in the same location. We as people depend on transportation because it moves goods and people from one place to another.

This essay attempts to describe current air freight market conditions, challenges in air freight demand and generate potential solutions to increase air cargo demand. It is divided into four parts: air freight, current demand for air freight, challenges, and potential

Truck transportation has been the backbone of freight movements in the United States and across the globe for decades. While utilizing trucks is an economical way to move freight for short hauls of less than a 1,000 miles, there are high environmental and infrastructure costs for utilizing this mode of transportation. According to Lowe, road transportation’s use of energy resources rose 103 per cent in the period since 1970 (2005). Additionally, Lowe points out that road transportation’s emission of green house gasses, “increased by 76% between 1971 and 1989” (Lowe, 2005, p. 112). Furthermore, road transportation is the largest polluter in the industry. It utilizes “over 80% of the total energy used in the transport sector and contributes over 75% of its total CO2 output (Lowe, 2005, p. 113). Finally, freight transportation by heavy vehicles causes pavement damage at significantly higher rates than passenger traffic (SSTI, 2011).