Back to roadmapBack to list

Road congestion

Transport efficiencyTrucks

Introduction

Port areas differ in their layout and road capacity, resulting in varying levels of congestion. In many cases, however, truck traffic remains highly concentrated during daytime hours, leading to delays and reduced driver satisfaction. Although congestion on the public road network is largely driven by passenger traffic and lies outside the direct control of port authorities and logistics stakeholders, inefficiencies within the port area can be addressed to reduce congestion.

Value proposition

  • Can contribute to more efficient use of transport capacity

  • More resilient, sustainable and efficient transport system

The port can take measures aimed at addressing congestion that primarily contribute to a more efficient use of transport capacity, the spreading of traffic peaks and improved reliability of logistics chains. Tackling road congestion can contribute to traffic safety, lower emissions during peak hours, higher productivity of trucks and it may improve driver satisfaction. Overall, reducing congestion within port logistics processes supports a more resilient, sustainable and efficient port transport system while delivering cost and reliability benefits for logistics operators.

Port applicability

Relevant for ports that experience inconvenience from road congestion in the port area.

Groups of innovations

  • Off-peak distribution

    Distributing transport assignments more evenly throughout the day.

  • Fewer empty and containerless runs

    by (direct) reloading of containers at terminals. This increases the efficiency, resulting in less trips that are needed for the same volume of transport.

  • Dynamic port planning

    The optimal coordination between demand (truck handling) and supply (terminal handling capacity) by real-time data nd continuous updates by the stakeholders. This reduces peaks at access roads. Other subjects such as modal shift and autonomous driving may also help with reducing road congestion, but are outside of the scope of this factsheet.

Impact

Impact level per aspect
ImpactLevelRemark
GHG emissionsLimited impact
According to MAGPIE WP4, while the annual CO2 reductions of off-peak distribution are modest (ca. 1%), the emissions during peak hours are reduced up to 30%. Fewer containerless runs and dynamic port planning may reduce the number of trucks driving in the port area, reducing pollutant emissions.
SafetyLimited impact
Reducing the number of vehicles operating at the same time may improve road safety.
Port city impactMedium impact
Although road congestion is mainly caused by passenger traffic, reducing freight transport during the busiest times of the day can improve the liveability in port cities by reducing congestion, noise and air pollution.
CostsNo impact
Possibility to reduce costs through more efficient execution of transport assignments, increased loading rates and a reduction in empty runs. On the other hand, shifting to off-peak operations may require additional pay for drivers, increasing cost.

Port characteristics

Off-peak distribution is harder to implement in ports that are not open 24/7, as limited operating hours of terminals and warehouses restrict the ability to spread traffic. The implementation of dynamic planning depends highly on the sharing of data and cooperation between stakeholders. The reduction of containerless runs also relies heavily on supply chain collaboration.

Barriers and enablers

Enablers

  • KnowledgeEnabler

    Data related support, such as dashboards, provides insights into where congestion occurs and how it evolves over time, enabling more targeted and effective decision-making.

Barriers

  • Stakeholder interactionBarrier

    Many companies lack planners and drivers willing to work night shifts. Moreover, warehouses and depots may not operate at night. Coordination between stakeholders in port planning may be challenging.

  • Stakeholder interactionBarrier

    Some stakeholders are hesitant to change or share data, which is needed to implement off-peak distribution and dynamic planning.

  • EconomicBarrier

    Night shifts often require additional pay, impacting margins for trucking companies. For the implementation of dynamic planning and off-peak distribution investments mainly lie in data analysis and digital tooling. On the other hand, having less containerless runs often reduces costs.

How to implement?

  1. Step 1

    Identify and engage stakeholders

  2. Step 2

    Define KPIs and establish baseline measurements

  3. Step 3

    Collect and analyze traffic data

  4. Step 4

    Pilot off-peak operations and monitor results

  5. Step 5

    Use dashboards to visualize insights

  6. Step 6

    Scale up succesful practices

Timeline

The arrow below represents the expected development of the TRL of road congestion solutions.
* Technical Readiness Level

What should a port do in the next 3 years?

Barriers may be mitigated through stakeholder engagement, transparent communication and showcasing successful pilot outcomes. Practical tips: • Start small • Use data • Communicate benefits • Address concerns: identify methods of incentivizing partners to collaborate • Collaborate with industry associations

Investment overview

Investments lie mainly in data analysis. The size of investments depends on the ambition level of ports. In the future there may be investments needed for the adoption of autonomous driving to further reduce road congestion.

Stakeholder overview

Below is an overview of the required involved stakeholders.
Blue stakeholders are essential, white stakeholders are enabling

Knowledge base