Transportation

The debate concerning the fairness of the fees for the overweight passengers using the services of airlines has been going on for years. Ever since this practiced was first introduced by the Samoa Airlines, the society has been divided into two groups: the individuals who agreed that the excess weight fees should be charged and the ones that stated that these fees should be banned. Excess weight fees charged by the airlines are a harsh and discriminative practice that injures self-esteem of the individuals for whom weight is already a sensitive issue.

A passenger of an airplane is considered overweight when they cannot fasten their seatbelt using an extension, when they do not fit into a single seat, and when they cannot put down the armrests of the seat when sitting down (Appleton, 2009). When a passenger who fits into these characteristics travels it is highly uncomfortable for them or the passengers near them.

This is why they are encouraged to buy additional tickets and comfortably occupy two seats. The supporters of the point of view that the fees for the overweight passengers of airlines are fair mainly agree that when it comes to the air travel, comfort is the most crucial aspect. They maintain that excess weight fees make the travelling safer and more pleasant for both the overweight passengers and their neighbors reducing the risk of possible injuries and frustrations from both sides (Rodriguez, 2012). Yet, I believe that charging the passengers additional fees based on their weight is a kind of discrimination and is unacceptable.

The ethical side of this issue is extremely important. First of all, when an individual purchases a plane ticket it is impossible to detect what their weight is and whether or not they fit into a single seat. As a result, when a passenger comes to board a plane they end up being told that they are “too fat to fly” which is an clear case of discrimination based on appearance and is similar to the practice of unreasonable searching nonwhite individuals at the airports because they fit the stereotype of the typical appearance of a terrorist.

According to the American Heart Association, at least one out of six adult people suffers from weight-related problems and obesity (Tips for the Weight-Challenged Traveler, 2015). Besides, scientists still do not have a complete answer concerning the degree to which a person is responsible or in control of their own weight. There are hormonal disorders that cause obesity, so punishing the individuals for their body size is harsh and unfair.

This problem also has an emotional aspect. For example, not many overweight airplane passengers would agree to speak up due to the fact that their weight is an extremely sensitive subject, so going to the court and challenging the airlines for unfair treatment is difficult for them because they do not like to attract excessive attention towards their appearance. In the contemporary world when skinny figures are widely promoted and desired, obese individuals have hard time finding a place where they would not be silently judged, discussed or even laughed at.

Making airlines weight-unfriendly the society minimizes the world for the weight-challenged individuals and increases their sufferings. Today, the fact that overweight people have to pay emotionally every day for being who they are is not enough, and they are also charged financially for their weight and size. Ever since the new rule concerning the excessive weight fees for the passengers of airplanes has been implemented a number of weight-challenged individuals have rebelled, tried to speak up, and attempted to sue the airlines, yet only few of them actually won the cases. The policy responsible for excess weight fees for airplane passengers destroys the obese individual’s self-esteem and makes it clear for them that their weight affects their rights and freedoms in the modern society.

Among the examples of utter dissatisfaction of the overweight passengers with the airlines’ policies concerning the extra fees, there is a case that involves a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines. A female passenger of Southwest Airlines called Cynthia Luther attempted to sue the airlines for unfair attitude. The passenger who travelled from Reno to Burbank, California was forced to buy an additional ticked.

According to Luther, she was openly humiliated by one of the employees of Burbank Airport; the employee states that Luther was too fat to fit into one seat (Liu, 2000). The airlines won the suit explaining that Luther was travelling on the next day after Christmas and the flight was full. In cases if the flights are full, the rules of most airlines say that an overweight passenger is to purchase an additional seat. Legally, the airlines are the winners, yet morally they committed an act of humiliation of a weight-challenged person.

To sum up, charging overweight airline passengers for additional seats may make sense technically because in order to seat a large passenger comfortably their neighbor has to be displaced. Otherwise, both passengers are likely to experience a great deal of discomfort during the flight. It goes without saying that comfort is a very important aspect of an air travel, especially when it is lengthy. Yet, sorting people based on their size and weights is morally and ethically wrong. Such actions are discriminative against overweight individuals; they legally depower such people, destroy their self-esteem and result in public humiliation and insulting comments.

Reference List

Appleton, K. (2009). Obese passengers on United flights may now need to buy a 2nd seat.

Liu, C. (2000). Airline Passenger Loses Suit Over Weight Discrimination.

Rodriguez, C. (2012). The Pain of Overweight Airline Passengers.

Tips for the Weight-Challenged Traveler. (2015). TravelChannel.

Does the article appear to be making a clear point, expecting the reader to draw a particular conclusion? If so, what is that thesis or main conclusion?

The article by Thompson (2011) appears to make a valid argument on why there is no bubble in the aviation industry globally. There is a clear point that the conditions for forming a bubble in any economic situation are yet to emerge in the airline industry, specifically for the airplane construction industry, the aircraft leasing business, and the aircraft replacement demand by the existing airlines.

The author also moves the reader away from a section of the industry that would be very vulnerable to a recession in the global economy. Even then, the author provides reasons why a recession and the maintenance, repair, and overhaul business should not be used as reasons to justify a bubble.

The author uses facts about the demand for aircraft over the last few years to bring out a trend. Afterwards, the author presents several scenarios of demand changing on the leasing business side or on the airlines side to show the possible effects on the manufacturing companies, such as Boeing.

Even then, the article offers information to show that in the current state, such disruptions in demand for any economic reason are unlikely to cause a significant bump in production. The presentation of the facts helps the reader to draw the conclusion that supports the thesis of the article.

The thesis of the article is that fundamental assumptions and forecasts for the aviation industry remain reasonable and going with a disciplined approach to rate increases in whatever production or operation parameter will ensure that no bubble occurs. Its conclusion is that the aviation industry will absorb any turbulence that emerges in the global economy (Thompson, 2011).

Does the author appear to have a particular point of view or approach to the topic? Does this seem to be persuasion or does the author seem to be making a relatively objective effort to answer reasonable questions readers may have about the topic?

The authors have a point of view and an approach to the topic. The article is presented in a way that first shows the potential of a bubble and the reasons that cause an economic bubble. It then relates the criteria for a bubble to the aviation industry and displays the vulnerabilities in the aviation industry that can lead to a bubble. The authors then describe the issues that would be most devastating in case a bubble happens.

The manufacturers of aircrafts will have production schedules and resources interfered with, while leasing companies could find themselves with large fleets that are unsustainable. After presenting these facts about the bubble, the authors then move on to present the article’s point of view that a bubble is yet to occur in the aviation industry, and is unlikely in the coming few years.

The conditions of the bubble introduced earlier in the article are quashed with new facts, where the authors present facts that promote a sustainable demand for aircraft such that there would be no slump in production or leasing business. The authors give information about risk and the sources of risk that players in the aviation industry would consider as part of their business planning. Adler and Gellman (2012) have supported these facts about the need to consider both persistent risks and the emerging risks such as competition barriers.

Based on this discussion, the authors make a relatively objective effort to answer questions that readers might have relating to the sustainability of growth in the aviation industry.

What are the key issues or topics that make up the article? What conclusions does the author draw concerning each?

The key topics that make up the article are the increase in demand forecasts for new aircrafts, the potentials of a bubble should there be economic turbulence on a global scale, and vulnerability of manufacturers of planes. These topics combine to form a concern for the aviation industry’s growth.

A number of sub-topics emerge in the respective topics, such as the need for replacement of the old fleet in the next decade and the change of forecast by major manufacturers in the aviation industry. The topics highlight the working of the supply chain in aircraft manufacturing and the market forces’ effect on pricing and production schedules.

Supply chain’s efficiency should arise from better collaboration and information management with supply chain partners. An example highlighted in the article is the reliance of the aircraft leasing companies on the demand forecast of the global airlines to determine their demand in aircraft. Since the two levels of the industry work in partnership, the forecasts by one party influence the decisions made by the other party.

After highlighting the topics, the article concludes that the increase in demand for new aircraft is sustainable when looking at it from the manufacturer’s point of view. Manufacturers have a backlog of 7 years and there are aircrafts that need replacement annually. An economic turbulence globally can occur, but even if it does, the aviation industry will not wither as long as currently disciplined production decisions and strategies are maintained.

On the last topic of the vulnerability of manufacturers, the author concludes that the manufacturers are vulnerable, but only to a small extent when they significantly increase their production capacity beyond the current levels. It is unlikely that they will eventually expose their businesses to the harsh realities of an economic bubble because they relate their investment and production decisions of supply chain risk-management frameworks.

Such businesses are integrated throughout the supply chain, such that they can conduct production planning precisely to take care of increases and decreases in demand and alter their forecasts accordingly, without losing too much business competitiveness (Harms, Hansen, & Schaltergger, 2013).

What sorts of evidence and reasoning does the author use to support each of his/her main conclusions? Note specifically, all facts the author cites in the article. Can you determine if they are accurate?

The author presents the leasing business orders for new aircraft as a source of demand that manufacturers use to forecast their businesses. On the other hand, the article uses the current forecast demand for aircraft at 1600 annually against a supply of 1200 annually as numbers showing no evidence of a bubble (Thompson, 2011). The author also justifies the increasing demand in new aircraft because of cost advantages that airlines have with new models that are efficient.

The volatility of the oil process is also presented as another impetus for increasing demand. The author has also touched on the issue of double counting, where lease companies could be ordering more airplanes to meet the demand of airlines while manufacturers count the leasing demand and the airline demand as separate. However, other authors have pointed that leasing companies also consider the business segments that need smaller aircraft, and these numbers are unattached to the major airlines (Esler, 2006).

What kind of general impression(s) would you expect the typical reader to take away from the article after reading it?

After reading the article, the reader gets a general impression that the aviation industry is well cushioned against a bubble. Any skeptical outlook of the industry is misplaced. On the other hand, turbulence in the economy is average, and investments in the aviation industry have to take considerations of a global economic turbulence. The reader is convinced of the conclusion by the author.

References

Adler, N., & Gellman, A. (2012, July). Strategies for managing risk in a changing aviation environment. Journal of Air Transport Management, 21, 24-35.

Esler, D. (2006, July). Business aircraft. Business & Commercial Aviation, 99(1), 32-42.

Harms, D., Hansen, E. G., & Schaltergger, S. (2013). Strategies in sustainable supply chain management: An empirical investigation of large german companies. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environment Management, 20, 205-218.

Thompson, S. (2011, October 3). Is there an aviation bubble? Aviation Week and Space Technology, 173(35), 70-70.

Since its inception into mainstream logistical discourse, there have been several attempts to define and conceptualize the term intermodal transport. As a result, it has been variously used to refer to a gamut of activities involving the transportation of people or cargo (Dewitt & Clinger, 2000). In this paper, the focus will be on intermodal transport in the context of cargo freight rather than passengers.

For this purpose, Intermodal transportation is loosely defined as a system where two or more modes of transport are consequently employed in the process of transmitting cargo from one terminus to another (Dewitt & Clinger, 2000). These modes could include road, rail, water, and even air depending on the nature of the goods in transmission. Intermodalism in the movement of goods is based on a number of factors such as, the infrastructure, the products, data shared, and any other logistical element that applies to a bill of single freight.

Chief among the factors driving intermodal transport today is the container, which facilitates smooth and seamless transfer of goods from one mode to the next. Containerization has been instrumental in facilitating intermodal transportation as it ensures easy “transmodal” cargo handling. Admittedly, intermodal transport can exist in the absence of containers, but the process would be cumbersome and very expensive (Panayides, 2002). The container is a massive but a standard sized vessel or box in which freight is packed for shipment across the specially configured vehicles (Egyedi, 2000).

Containers are designed in such a way that they can easily be handled using conventional equipment, which is used across the various modes and ports. Since they are in containers, goods do not require to be unpacked as the boxes are designed for flexibility in movement and can fit in most haulage vehicles (Naim, Potter, Mason & Bateman, 2006). Case in point, assuming that one wants to ship car parts from the US to the UK, they can apply intermodal transport to ensure the goods are safely and efficiently moved.

A truck can carry the container to the train station where the same kind of crane that was used to load it in the truck will be used to put it on the train. The train will then haul it to the docks were similar equipment would load it on the ship for the sea journey, on arrival the same process will be repeated again until the container arrives at its destination. The containerization of goods ensures that they will not be moved around or unpacked en-route, and, as a result, it is both efficient and safe.

The use of universal containers engenders a complementarity among the various modes and allows for the smooth flow of goods as well as standardized loads (Panayides, 2002). The amount of time spent unloading goods from one mode to another is significantly reduced, not to mention the labor and risk of damage. Intermodal transport and containerization have been especially critical in the face of globalization. In fact, were it not for containerization, the import and export business would be much slower and less efficient than it is today.

Through intermodal transport, tens of challenges such as warehousing and security of freight are addressed using a simple and cost-effective technique. Ultimately, the term intermodal stands for more than just a unification of various means of transport. It personifies a combination of factors and standards that have, over the years, been streamlined and adjusted to ensure goods are conveyed as safely, cheaply, and flexibly as possible.

References

Dewitt, W., & Clinger, J. (2000). Intermodal freight transportation. Transportation in the New Millennium.

Egyedi, T. M. (2000). The standardized container: gateway technologies in cargo transport. Homo Oeconomicus, 17, 231-262.

Naim, M. M., Potter, A. T., Mason, R. J., & Bateman, N. (2006). The role of transport flexibility in logistics provision. The International Journal of Logistics Management, 17 (3), 297-311.

Panayides, P. M. (2002). Economic organization of intermodal transport. Transport Reviews, 22 (4), 401-414.

Intermodalism is a transportation method that is rapidly rising to become a vital component of the oceanic trade, making the role of ports within the intermodal transportation extremely significant. Even though, as a major link in the intermodal chain, ports face countless challenges, measures are in place to come up with network designs that meet modern-day demands. Unparalleled competition and upswing in novel developments in global trade have forced shippers to call for more than just superior transportation services.

As its main goal, intermodal transportation strives to ensure the seamless transfer of cargo between ship, rail, and truck (López-Navarro 2014). Intermodal transport is going to be more competitive on a daily basis, thus ensuring the transportation services to translate into reduced costs, improved transportation times, widespread coverage, and value-added frequencies and dependability will be the focus.

Therefore, ports play a significant role in the intermodal transport system. When ports enable a seamless flow of cargo to hinterlands, it prevents negative external effects that characterize the transport industry. Therefore, an effective network design ensures ports work efficiently because they optimize information flow, provide reliable and effective transportation services, and offer efficient interfaces between rail and track that reduces the time taken for cargo to reach a destination.

The advent of economic globalization and the emergence of new consumption behaviors have led to people producing far more than what they can consume, and, as a result, an increase in the volume of goods in transit and the traveled distances. The problem is inherent in the fact that all the motorized modes are harmful to the environment (López-Navarro 2014). This problem has demanded the choice of an optimal path used for the transfer of cargo from production to distribution centers and eventually to the consumer.

All these efforts are intended to optimize cost, time, and performance and reduce environmental degradation. Intermodal transportation impacts the environment in a considerable number of ways. According to López-Navarro (2014), the transport sector is a major source of noise and several air pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrates. Air contamination with these pollutants is harmful to human health and crops. Moreover, pollutants destroy structures and ecosystems.

Even though intermodal transportation is an enhancement of the dominant road transport system, in terms of efficiency, the rise in greenhouse gas emissions continues to increase by the day.

The transportation industry accounts for over 25% of greenhouse gas emissions, principally carbon dioxide, which is one of the major causes of global warming, which has undesirable effects on the environment (López-Navarro 2014). Moreover, modal transportation consumes significant amounts of energy, which means rising levels of fuel exploration and excavation. As a result, the resources are becoming exhausted, and land degradation persists, which is an indicator of a lack of proper sustainability.

A green supply chain that is evident in intermodal transportation modeled with environmental impacts is effective in ensuring minimal environmental impacts. In intermodal transportation, freight frequently involves shifting from one mode to another between the original and final destination. During all these shifts, some transportation systems, such as roads, rail, air, and water transport systems, are utilized, and in one way or another, they cause harm to the environment.

However, according to López-Navarro (2014), the use of different transport modes in the intermodal transport system has advantages that outweigh the unimodal system, especially regarding environmental protection. The end goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the intermodal transport system meets these targets on two fronts. The intermodal system ensures improvement in efficiency in each mode to reduce the consumption of resources and emissions.

Secondly, due to the intermodal system, there is stimulation of combined use of modes to enhance the door-to-door transport chain and make it batter and more viable (López-Navarro 2014). Therefore, the combination of the advantages of each mode in intermodal transport ensures that the intermodal system is worthwhile, more efficient, and sustainable.

Reference

López-Navarro, M. A. (2014). Environmental Factors and Intermodal Freight Transportation: Analysis of the Decision Bases in the Case of Spanish Motorways of the Sea. Sustainability 6(3): 1544-1566. doi:10.3390/su6031544

Corporations that rely on the cost-effective and rapid distribution of commodities from the industries to the customers and vendors of products face capacity shortages present in the transport industry. The shortages accrue due the prevailing financial depression that forces companies to develop strategies that would ensure that they generate the same profits and remain lean (Cullinane, 2005). However, when there are shortages in the capacity of products to be transported, corporations have to report increased amount of idle transportation assets and fleets.

As economies booms, producers and vendors are enthusiastic to move their goods to the delivery ports for transportation. For example, booming economies increase the pace at which the confidences of clients develop. The resultant effect is that warehouses at the docks become packed with products as a result of the inadequate means of transport. If the capacity to transport commodities becomes inadequate, transporters are faced with a state of dilemma (Plant, 2007). The choices available to the haulers could be to forgo the lucrative business opportunities or charge premiums for alternate shipments.

The ability to transport the available capacities of products at the docks is a recurring challenge. In fact, the periodic nature of this shipping problem necessitates that transporters must effectively monitor and manage a sequence of the unpredicted fluctuations. Whether the fluctuations occur due to an increase in trade or financial slumps, the businesses conducted in the transport industry are uncertain.

Producers and vendors struggle to eliminate the present transportation setbacks. As a result, flexible shipping strategies must be created to deal with the expected fluctuations in available means of transportation and consumers demands (Cullinane, 2005). The last two elements name the available means of transport and consumer demands results into the cyclical nature of the transport industry.

Steps to mitigate the negative impacts of the cyclical nature of the shipping industry

In order to avoid or mitigate the negative impacts of the cyclical nature apparent in the transport industry, corporations must change their respective shipping approaches. In fact, the most significant strategy is to use the logistics managers’ capabilities to develop the shipping industry constantly via the planning procedures called the closed loops. The loops often collect and solve the previous historical problems based on the available outcomes (Morschett et al., 2011).

Whereas all corporations tend to gauge their shipping productivities quantitatively, just the logistics managers study the shortages and origins of such outcomes. After that, the logistics managers address the primary causes in order for the upcoming outcomes to be improved.

The shipping management tool called the closed loop hardly incorporates desperate undertakings. However, it includes sets of procedures that are carefully interwoven. In terms of capacity, the closed loops are supported through technological keys including manageable business procedures, which guarantee that innovative capabilities become leveraged in a planned way (Cullinane, 2005).

Thus, the following closed loops steps should be observed by shipping corporations to mitigate the negative impacts of the cyclical nature apparent in the transport industry. The procedures have focused and resulted in the solutions for well-known corporations involved in the transportation of commodities.

Step 1: In order to avoid or mitigate the negative impacts of the cyclical nature apparent in the transport industry, corporations ought to analyze and model the shipping system or networks. For instance, the transporting corporations should incorporate the products to be shipped after outlining all the available shipment alternatives, haulers as well as the distribution costs to be incurred in the supply chain procedures.

Step 2: Corporations should provide clear details of their guaranteed capacities, the level of their services, and the charges imposed on procuring services. Such information will set the basis for implementing the strategies to be used by the corporations to alleviate or mitigate the negative impacts of the cyclical nature apparent in the transport industry (Plant, 2007). The cooperation of transporters as well as their strategic forecasts may enhance the restraints that should be considered when the implementation process continues.

Step 3: While planning to transport products, corporations should ensure that the continuing optimization and scheduling paths dynamically permit re-planning and take into consideration capacity limits as statuses shifts.

Step 4: At the implementation phase, scientific solutions ought to feed additional analytics, trace the deficiencies caused by productivity, and put compliance into effect.

Step 5: Finally, corporations must always carry out the unplanned investigation that questions and offers solutions to the major inquiries (Morschett et al., 2011). For example, corporations should be able to determine where the processes were incorrect and ascertain what must be done to obtain the best outcomes the following period.

Corporations must have lasting strategies that replace the temporary approaches designed to solve the shipping shortages as well as excess capacities to be transported to the consumers. The problem eminent in the hauler’s sector can also be solved by adopting the novel technological solutions and scheduling procedures.

The strategies allow logistics managers to design enhanced abilities that help in planning and forecasting for the forthcoming shipping requirements (Cullinane, 2005). Through these strategies, the managers can organize and monitor carefully any shift in the volumes of goods transported. Such smart approaches may help shipping managers to realize the productivity and efficiency goals even when the capacities to be shipped are limited or excess.

References

Cullinane, K. (2005). Shipping economics. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier.

Morschett, D., Schramm-Klein, H., & Zentes, J. (2011). Strategic international management: Text and cases. New York, NY: Springer Science & Business Media.

Plant, J. (2007). Handbook of transportation policy and administration. Broken Sound Parkway, NW: CRC Press.

In the present time, gasoline cars are cost-efficient vehicles. A petrol-fueled vehicle is a more practical solution to the immense transportation needs of the 21^st century. The cost of conversion from a gasoline engine to an electric engine is high. This is the reason for the delay in adopting electric vehicle technology.

However, vehicles powered by petroleum products are polluting the environment. At the same time, it is very expensive to power up a vehicle using petrol fuel. The best way to solve this problem is to stop using cars with conventional engines and replace them with electric-powered cars.

Pollution is the Main Problem

According to a recent study on exhaust fumes, worldwide traffic pollutions are becoming worse (Boxwell 106). In other words, the necessary improvements needed to reduce pollution are no longer effective in curbing the number of pollutants released into the air. More importantly, tiny particles found in vehicle exhaust are dangerous when inhaled, because the soc-called particular matters penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream (Boxwell 107).

When fossil fuels are ignited to conventional power vehicles, the incomplete combustion releases a byproduct called Toxic Organic Micro Pollutants or TOMPS (Boxwell 107). Health experts are in agreement that the TOMPS is comprised of a deadly mix of chemicals that is toxic and carcinogenic (Anderson 17). The U.S. government will have to shoulder unnecessary expenses due to the health care cost of pollution. Switching to electric cars makes sense if one looks at the long-term effects of gasoline-powered cars.

Long-Term Economic Impact

The long-term economic impact of gasoline cars is seen in the high prices of crude oil and the health care costs associated with respiratory diseases. A significant amount of household income is spent on purchasing expensive petrol products. Those who are exposed to TOMPS will experience a significant reduction in productivity as they have to seek medical treatment from respiratory problems.

It is imperative to change the way people perceive the long-term impact of burning gasoline fuel to power their vehicles. However, it will only matter if electric cars are powered by renewable energy sources. When this happens, an electric vehicle will be known as a zero-emission automobile. The zero-emission label applies to the car’s propulsion system, as well as the source of the vehicle’s electric power. In other words, even the power plants supplying electricity will have zero exhaust.

Billions of dollars spent in treating lung diseases and other related ailments will be redirected to fund areas of greater need. The money saved from the reduced importation of petroleum products can be used for research initiatives that will help solve other pressing problems (Larminie 31).

Conclusion

The current lifestyle of 21^st-century people demands the use of gasoline-powered cars. At this point in time, it is more practical to own a conventional type of car as opposed to a vehicle that runs on renewable sources of energy. The cost of ownership is high. However, the long-term impact of petroleum-fueled vehicles is unacceptable, especially if viewed from an economic and health care standpoint.

The U.S. government must commit to a long-term program that will encourage ordinary people, as well as industry leaders, to change their preference to electric-powered vehicles. When this happens, it will be more affordable to own electric-powered vehicles. The U.S. government must pursue this goal because the long-term effects of burning gasoline fuel in a traditional car will do more harm than good.

Works Cited

Anderson, Curtis. Electric and Hybrid Cars. NC: McFarland & Company, 2005. Print.

Boxwell, Michael. Owning an Electric Car. UK: Greensteam Publishing, 2010. Print.

Larminie, James. Electric Vehicle Technology Explained.

Introduction

The transportation system is a crucial contributor to the economy of any country. This sector is managed privately, or the government is involved. It is argued that the transportation industry in a free market economy does little in encouraging innovations that contribute to the growth of the nation (Konings, Priemus, & Nijkamp, 2008). This paper will illustrate various historical examples that justify the importance of the government’s effort in identifying innovations that are useful in intermodal transportation.

Research and Innovations

There are good examples of how the private sector and government took charge of innovations in intermodal transportation in the past. The private sector in the US was tasked with developing the railroad in the US in the 19th century, and during the early years of the 20th century (Konings et al., 2008). Unfortunately, the sector contributed only a small fraction of the research that could benefit the transportation system.

On the contrary, Konings et al. (2008) report that there was a significant change when the federal and state governments decided to take part in the research on intermodal transportation. In addition, more research started to be carried out by the universities that were funded by the government.

Konings et al. (2008) point out that research is necessary because different objectives are usually introduced into each research, and more innovations in the sector are identified as a result. Since the 20th century, several agencies have contributed to transportation-related research, as pointed out by Konings et al. (2008). Such agencies include the National Science Foundation (NSF), the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

Konings et al. (2008) explain that the NSF has already sponsored various high-risk and high payoff research projects, mainly in the freight transportation that had not been financed before. The USDOT is reported to have spent $192 million in the year 2001 to support research and other related contracts. A significant portion of the funds from the USDOT was channeled to the FHWA in a move aimed at improving the surface transport system.

Konings et al. (2008) continue to narrate that the FHWA focuses research geared towards improving materials that are of high quality, as well as the design of roads. It is worth noting that the FHWA also funded a National Freight Dialogue that was supposed to strengthen the private-public dialogue among the participants concerned with the movement of freight.

There have been researches conducted by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), especially on road safety. These and many other studies that have been funded by the government illustrate why the government should always be at the forefront in identifying potential innovations necessary in the development of the road system (Konings et al., 2008).

Private Transportation Industries in a Free Market Economy

In the past, private sectors enjoyed a free market where the government did not involve itself widely in the transportation industry. However, a lot of innovations were not implemented by the transportation sector, but it engaged in different unhealthy competitions and selfish activities, as revealed by Konings et al. (2008). A good example of this scenario is what happened towards the end of the 1870s.

During that period, the railroads in the US were in such a bad state that the anti-price-discrimination laws were abolished after the private sector failed to take care of the rails (Konings et al. 2008). The explanation for that kind of a scenario is that the moment private freight companies use the public right-of-way, then those companies assume that their concerns are tabled poorly by the State Department of Transportation (Konings et al., 2008).

The US truck transportation system is established firmly. Many individual truck owners have emerged over the years and developed several truck associations (Konings et al., 2008). Some of the associations include the American Trucking Association, the New Jersey Truck Association, and the New York Motor Truck Association. Konings et al. (2008) reveal that these associations constantly advocate the policies that are of benefit to the members.

The groups have been contributing significantly towards ensuring that the trucks of their members do not deliver less-than-truckloads, which is a positive contribution of the private sector. More often than not, the plans of the private investors in the transportation sector differ from what agencies in the public domain intended for the advancement of the system.

Konings et al. (2008) illustrate that the private sector has plans that are as short as two weeks, with their longest projects taking just six months. Such short programs normally have little impact on the innovations of intermodal transportation. On the contrary, the plans of government projects take as long as five years or more; thus, they identify innovations that are relevant to this field (Konings et al., 2008).

Conclusion

To a certain extent, the private sector has contributed to the transportation system in the US. However, the industry has failed considerably in funding research projects that are necessary for identifying innovations that can lead to an improved transportation network. On the other hand, the government has proven useful in funding research projects; thus, it should be involved in the innovations in intermodal transportation.

Reference

Konings, R., Priemus, H. & Nijkamp, P. (2008). Future of intermodal freight transport: Operations, design and policy. Northampton: Edward Elgar Publishing.