Truck Fleet Composition for Concrete Distribution

Abstract

The competition in the supply of concrete to the construction industry is very intense indeed, particularly in these present times of economic slump. It is therefore a distinct advantage to a supplier to improve efficiency and thereby competitability. A key factor in successfully achieving this objective is to operate the most suitable combination of trucks in the fleet and thus to minimise operating costs and reduce waste space from part loads. Many suppliers naturally try to do this and many techniques have been developed to try to solve the problem, including: (a) trial and error, where various size trucks are introduced and their performance monitored, the most suitable trucks are then selected over a period of time; (b) the truck size is established by reason of the plant locality, e.g. large trucks in city areas; (c) the forecast of annual demand for concrete is used in assessing truck sizes by considering general market trends.

Citation

Woods, D.G. and Harris, F.C. (1979), "Truck Fleet Composition for Concrete Distribution", International Journal of Physical Distribution & Materials Management, Vol. 10 No. 1, pp. 3-14. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb014462