Significantly, 21% of a vehicle’s time is spent preloaded
awaiting departure. This inactivity can be
caused by constraints elsewhere in an operation,
such as the number of loading docks or the
unavailability of vehicles and drivers. It is also
possible that vehicles, especially trailers, have to
be ready for immediate despatch to make up for
delays encountered in other trips. Spreading the
use of vehicles in this way can lead to reduced
utilisation (but faster turnaround times).
Reporting needs to focus ideally on the
effectiveness of each vehicle used, not just of the
total fleet.
This creates two opposing arguments, specifically
in terms of the size of trailer fleets. On one hand,
improvements in efficiency could lead to
reductions in the sizes of trailer fleets. This would
have positive operational implications, including
reduced capital investment and lower
maintenance costs (vehicles are inspected partly
on a time basis whether used or not)