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Initiative 22: Load Factor Restrictions

Load Factor Restrictions
Description: To reduce the number of freight trips entering a target area, these strategies require a minimum load factor (percent of truck capacity being used) per truck
Targeted mode: All traffic Geographic scope: Area
Type of initiative: Traffic management: vehicle restrictions Primary objective: Reduce congestion
Expected costs and level of effort to implement: These restrictions require careful planning, stakeholder engagement, and a complete understanding of the markets, supply chain practices, and industries. A full assessment of possible outcomes is required, as is an analysis of the initiative’s objectives. These types of restrictions are very difficult to enforce, as they require physical inspection of freight vehicles.
Advantages:

  • Induce cargo consolidation
    • Increase efficiency
    • Environmental sustainability
  • Reduce infrastructure damage
  • Improve accessibility
  • Enhance safety
  • Enhance livability
 Disadvantages:

  • May not be reasonable; load factors are the result of market conditions, not logistic decisions
  • Target area may be at the end of delivery route, where the load factor is expected to be low
  • High probability of unintended consequences
    • Increase congestion (more smaller vehicles per large truck deterred)
    • Increase operational costs
    • Increase vehicles-miles traveled outside target area
    • Increase infrastructure damage
  • Very hard to enforce: require physical inspection of the vehicles
    • Increase congestion outside target area
    • Resource consuming
Examples:

  • The cases of Ravenna, Italy (START 2009); Göteborg, Sweden, and Copenhagen, Denmark (BESTUFS 2007)

Initiative-20 image

Source: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – CITE
Related alternatives: 1. Daytime Delivery Restrictions; 2. Daytime Delivery Bans; 3. Road Pricing; 4. Pick-up/Delivery to Alternate Locations
References: BESTUFS 2007; START 2009; Holguín-Veras et al. 2011a

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