The Effectiveness of Long-distance Haulage in the Context of Market Reforms in Russia

Due to the fragmentation of Russian transport industry, its effectiveness has decreased, unproductive downtime and the number of empty runs have increased. Increased loading delays lead to a number of negative consequences. First and foremost, it is inefficient and insufficient use of modern fuel-efficient vehicles due to the high fixed cost ratio in total cost (the majority of the carriers rely on used vehicles; average vehicle age in Russia exceeds 10 years). Secondly, short empty runs on the route are impractical (about 20% of total vehicle mileage consist of empty runs). The dependence of fixed and variable costs from vehicle age has been analyzed. The influence of load and unload time on the choice of a vehicle with regard to the transportation distance has been determined. The effect of the load/unload time reduction, including energy efficiency, has been calculated. The proposals for normative regulation of time for loading and unloading are suggested.