Supply Chain Frontiers issue #43
A project to test the fuel economy of trucks fitted with aerodynamic fairings is part of a broader initiative to improve the efficiency of freight logistics in Chilé. CLI Chilé, the newest member of a network of research and education centers created by the Center for Latin-American Logistics Innovation (CLI), is collaborating with government agencies and third-party logistics company TNT Chilé on the tests.
In addition to determining whether the specially fitted trucks consume less fuel than standard vehicles, the project will help to introduce new standards in Chilé, says Julio Villalobos, Executive Director of CLI Chilé, headquartered in Santiago, Chilé. The tests are based on the SAE J-1321 protocol, a standard developed in the United States that is used to evaluate engineered systems and components. “We hope to validate this protocol and establish the standard in Chilé,” says Villalobos.
A third objective is to encourage domestic companies to adopt the aerodynamic designs if the tests prove positive. Without this kind of official endorsement, Chiléan firms are loathe to buy into innovations that they see as being too risky.
The work represents one step in a more ambitious strategy to develop a world-class freight industry in the country. “The industry is being transformed right now in response to customer demand and to a new government master plan for logistics and supply chain management that is now taking shape,” Villalobos explains.
Another change agent is a drive to improve Chilé’s environmental performance; the aerodynamic truck project is part of this effort. About 95% of freight is moved by road, while the more fuel-efficient rail mode carries only 2–3% of the country’s shipments. The government wants to encourage intermodal transportation and is looking at ways to better manage the country’s goods flows.
Changes are required on a number of other fronts. The trucking industry is very fragmented and needs to be consolidated. There is a lack of professional qualifications and certification processes, and a new licensing system for drivers and operators is planned. The country must also address a number of infrastructural issues. Villalobos notes that the transportation industry’s structural limitations “make it difficult to select and implement technology and to adopt best practices.”
CLI Chilé is playing a key role in the development and implementation of these reforms. Launched in December 2010 by the Universidad Andrés Bello (UNAB) in Chilé, in partnership with Bogotá, Colombia-based LOGyCA, the center is a national leader in research, executive education, and technology transfer in logistics and transportation. In addition to educational programs, it supports research projects in four areas: sustainability in transportation and logistics, humanitarian logistics, safety and security in transportation, and logistics in the healthcare industry. This work is carried out in collaboration with the private sector, government, and academia.
“The aerodynamic truck project is very important because it involves the Ministries of Transport and Energy and the government’s vehicle certification agency 3CV, and a win in transportation will help us to reform the industry nationally,” says Villalobos.
For more information on the aerodynamic truck project and CLI Chilé, contact Julio Villalobos.