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“The International Freight Transport” by Lowe, is a book that analyses the freight transport system at the international level (Lowe, 2005). The book has eighteen chapters and the focus of this essay will only be in chapters 2 to 6. The essay will entail the evaluation of the 5 chapters. It will also involve a synopsis and my personal opinion on the chosen topic in chapter 6 and a personal anecdote. I chose, “The Road Haulage Role in Intermodalism,” as the topic to describe in class.
Evaluation
Lowe has written an informative book in the field of intermodal transportation. It elaborates on the intermodal transport policies in United Kingdom and European Union and how they have developed. It gives a comparison of intermodalism in EU and UK to World Markets and North America. The book also issues the importance and effects of road haulage in intermodalism (Lowe, 2005).
Synopsis of “The Road Haulage Role in Intermodalism”
Road haulage is used at the ‘final’ and ‘initial’ legs of intermodal transportation and, therefore, it is considered a vital process. It entails lifting the cargo in and out of the ships, using heavy lorries during transportation. United Kingdom and Europe uses ‘quality’ licensing as an instrument that controls road haulage activities. The system aims at ensuring that the haulers are competent in driving and are out of traffic offenses. To distinguish the road haulers by their area of operation, the government issues them with licenses. The road haulers licenses can be divided into two. The first one is the standard international and national licenses and the second one is standard national. The modern heavy lorries used as haulers pollute the environment less compared to the initial models.
The environmental-friendly model has been due to pressure from the conservationist civil societies and the government. The latest road haulage vehicles are vibrant and fume free. They have a high efficiency to energy consumption and are quiet. However, regulations that restrict the working hours of the road haulage drivers are divided into two; the Directive 2002/15/EC and EC Regulation 3820/85/EEC. There are also safety laws for people working in docks and those carrying the containers. The ‘Docks Regulations 1988’ issues guidance to the drivers on how to conduct the collection and delivery of containers (Lowe, 2005). In UK, the lorries are charged levies that are deemed equal to the amount of wear and tear they cause on the roads. Despite lorries being the most effective and efficient haulage method, alternatives have been put in place to reduce the road accidents. Road is a vital resource when it comes to haulage operations even in the developed countries.
Personal Opinion
The use of road haulage, though very vital, should be reduced to the minimum level. The reduction minimizes the wear and tear caused by the use of road haulage. It also minimizes the traffic jams and accidents associated with the heavy vehicles. In addition, congestion experienced in most parts of the world due to population growth has created limited space for such heavy vehicles (Lowe, 2005).
Personal Anecdote
There is humor behind the comparison of the green technology used in modern lorries to the salon cars. The way the drivers complain of the quietness in lorries as it affects their judgment when it comes to changing gears is also funny. I expected the drivers to enjoy the new modification since it makes their job stress free with no noise or interruption. It is humorous that the drivers consider the regulations that restrict working hours a ‘nightmare’ despite it meant for their safety (Lowe, 2005).
In conclusion, freight transportation is an important practice due to globalization. Road haulage is an important element when it comes to freight transportation at both national and international level. Lowe uses some humor in the explanation of the concepts associated with road haulage.
Reference
Lowe, D. (2005). Intermodal Freight Transport. Boston: Taylor and Francis.
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