Topic 5.

Technology and Safety in Transportation

Introduction

Technology has come to revolutionize the transportation industry, this happens not only at an
industrial level, but also in daily life. Today, transportation vehicles have technological gadgets
that 15 years ago existed only in imagination and science fiction.

Until recently it was difficult to find an address in an area we were not familiar with. It was
necessary to research the way before starting a trip towards a particular destination, without
mentioning that occasionally we had to ask whether we were in the correct direction, or just to
obtain opinions better routes. Today nothing of the above is completely necessary unless the
GPS device or cell phone battery is dead. Technology makes daily life easier, so we can focus
our efforts and time on other type of activities.

Most technological advances implemented in vehicles are there to provide more safety to users
or passengers, or to those who are traveling the same way as the vehicle.

Do you imagine where transportation technology will reach if it keeps advancing at

the rate of the last two decades?

Explanation

5.1 Technological tools in support of transportation

The process of transportation, execution, and evaluation of transportation performance is a

complex task requiring lots of time for a person in charge of the traffic area in a company.
There are systems which make this a simple and easy to control activity, which generate
valuable information to be able to make important decisions regarding transportation. These
systems are called Transportation Management Systems (TMS).
Coyle, Langley, Novack and Gibson (2013) indicate that TMS are information technologies to
plan, optimize, and execute transportation operations, collecting all necessary information to
support an effective decision making.

Planning capacities

TMS planning functions serve as support to select the

most convenient option before placing a shipment, combining the parameters of way-mode-
carrier-service-price for all available alternatives, generating complex analyses in just a few
seconds. The above can be linked to different order management systems, warehouse
management and planning tools for supply chains, to achieve an integrated decision with more
than a logistics management function.

 Routes and itineraries: this function of planning allows the determination of optimal

routes for company shipments, resulting in a series of combinations and factors that
the system evaluates.
 Cargo planning: this function optimizes shipment distribution, assessing dimensions,
physical requirements of the cargo, and equipment capacities. The system determines
the ideal arrangement to maximize the use of weight and space in a container and to
minimize the risk of damage, obtaining the greater possible profitability in shipping.

TMS execution tools offer the possibility of maintaining close control of shipments. Currently,
thanks to technology, it is possible to maintain an uninterrupted tracking of cargo locations by
GPS devices. In addition to this, it is possible to attain a connection with carrier systems
allowing real-time update of transportation data, times for delivery appointments, reception
acknowledgement, delays, among others.

TMS execution capacities offer great facilities for transportation in a company:

Cargo tender
Allows the carrier to select among a series of transportation providers pre-screened by
the company. There are distinct factors to be considered, such as origin and
destination locations, rates, cargo size, lead times, routes, and service capacities.
Status tracking
Provides certainty of the cargo location and status in real time through satellite
technology, allowing to report the status to the client and conducting corrective
actions in case of detecting some problem in transit.

Delivery scheduling
Allows companies to coordinate more easily for cargo collection and delivery, reserving
facilities to avoid congestion and delays.

Analysis capacities

TMS analytic tools allows carrier performance evaluations, customer service, shipment
cost-effectiveness, and statistical analysis. Normally to collect such information without
a specialized system it would be necessary to have additional staff, as it is a great
amount of data to be collected and assessed.

In TMS analytic tools we can highlight the following:

5.2 Safety measures in transportation

In the issue of transportation safety, the United States is pioneer in passing regulations,
which are currently applied globally. In1966 was established the U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT), in charge of creating policies and regulations providing greater
safety and efficiently in the transportation system.
The DOT comprises 13 branches that govern different areas of transportation
independently:

 Aviation: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

 Roads and bridges: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
 Heavy trucks and vehicles: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
 Railroads: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
 Public transit: Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
 Maritime: Maritime Administration (MARAD)
 Automobiles: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
 Pipelines and hazardous materials: Pipeline
and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)
 Research: Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA)
 Administration of the St. Lawrence maritime system: St Lawrence Seaway
Development Corporation (SLSDC)
 Surface Transportation: Surface Transportation Board (STB)
 Inspector general: Office of Inspector General (OIG)
 Office of the Secretary: Office of Secretary of Transportation (OST)

Although the measures issued by the DOT are exclusively to govern the internal needs
of the United States, they serve as a basis for the rest of the countries in their internal
policies, and also have repercussions in transportation industries globally.

For instance, the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) is a DOT dependency that issues safety measures that land
motor vehicles must have for circulation. Car companies ask their direct vendors to be
certified before this office to be able to use their products in manufacturing vehicles
for selling, not only in the American market, but worldwide. Quality standards
proposed by the DOT have been accepted by the rest of the countries in regard to
safety, therefore they have a direct or indirect repercussion on every country’s policy.

In Mexico, the Secretary of Communications and Transportation (SCT in Spanish) is in

charge of all matters related to transportation safety regulations. It comprises the
following deconcentrated and decentralized organizations:

 Deconcentrated organizations. A deconcentrated organization is that body

separated from secretaries, still dependent on them. Secretaries are classified
as decentralized organizations, which means they are a direct ramification of
the Executive Branch of Government; therefore, deconcentrated organizations
depend indirectly on its mandates.

Based on the Government of Mexico’s official webpage (2021), the

deconcentrated organizations comprising the SCT are:

 Mexican Institute of Transportation (IMT in Spanish): conducts research,

technological innovation, formulation of technical standards, as well as
further education contributing to improving transportation safety,
sustainability, and competitiveness.

Its objectives cover transportation operation, integration of different modes

of transportation, and establishing a regulations framework that promotes
efficiency, creativity, reliability, and healthy, balanced competitiveness of all
national means of transportation.

 Services for Navigation of Mexican Airspace (SENEAM in Spanish): provides

support services for air navigation with safety, fluency, and order over the
Mexican airspace, guaranteeing quality and efficiency under the applicable
national and international standards. It looks towards the future with the
vision of adopting and establishing efficiently and timely the infrastructure
and innovative techniques in rendering services for aerial navigation
according to the development of aviation.
  Decentralized organizations. Decentralized organizations are those created by
the Executive Branch of Government, without holding the status of secretary,
with their own judicial regime and personality. These organizations are
created with a specific purpose, such as conducting activities of the State,
however, they have an internal administrative structure, independent of the
Executive Branch of Government.

Decentralized organizations comprising the SCT are:

 Mexico City's Airport Group (GACM in Spanish): is a state majority-owned

company of the Federal Government of Mexico. Its mission includes
developing and managing the Airport System in the center of the country
with quality and efficiency, generating synergies in benefit of society. Its
vision is being a model for excellent in airport management.

 Airports and Auxiliary Services (ASA in Spanish): operates, manages,

constructs, and maintains airports; it renders fuel supply services, provides
technical assistance and consulting, as well as instruction and research on
aeronautics and airports; it participates in technological development and
collaborates with the SCT on airport regulation, verification, and supervision.

 Federal Roads and Bridges (CAPUFE in Spanish): its mission is to recover the

level of service in highways to allow the movement of people and
commodities with a modern, safe, quality highway infrastructure, aimed at
contributing to the highway sector and the national economic development.
Within its institutional objectives is the consolidation of a new scheme for
rendering road and bridge operation and maintenance services, in addition to
improving the administration model of financial, material, and human capital
resources.

 Mexican Space Agency (AEM in Spanish): its mission is using space science

and technology to address the needs of the Mexican population and
generate jobs with high added value, promoting innovation and the
development of the space sector to contribute to Mexico's competitiveness
 and positioning in the international community, in the peaceful, efficient, and
responsible use of space. On the other hand, its vision focuses on having a
sovereign, sustainable space infrastructure for land observation, navigation,
and broadband satellite communications, contributing to the improvement of
the quality of life of the population, and to Mexico's economic growth.

 Mexican Postal Service (Correos de México in Spanish): is the organization

responsible for rendering the accessible, safe, and reliable public service of
correspondence, courier, and parcel delivery services at the national and
international level. They offer the most extensive coverage and the best rates
in the market to provide logistics solutions adapted to individual and
business shipment needs. Among its values are experience, competitiveness,
commitment, accessibility, and adaptability.

 Mexico’s Telecommunications (Telecomunicaciones de México,

TELECOMM): offers modern, efficient, and safe services to address the
communication and financial needs of individuals, private companies, and
government entities through quality processes, state of the art technology,
and reasonable rates.

Unlike the US DOT which distributes function by specialization in the mode of

transportation, the SCT concentrates the greater part of the functions of the Mexican
Institute of Transportation (Instituto Mexicano del Transporte, IMT) for highway,
maritime, rail, air, and multimodal transportation.

Among the functions of the IMT are ensuring quality in infrastructure, safety in
transportation and planning, and public policies.

Conclusion

The transportation industry has undergone significant changes thanks to technological

progress of recent decades. The users being able to track their shipments in real time
helps them plan their operations properly, given the conditions of commodities in
transit, reducing uncertainty in that stage of the process. In addition to this, thanks to
the decision-making tools applied to transportation, it is possible to save important
amounts of money that used to be expenses and have a direct repercussion on the
company's revenue.

The role of industry regulation institutions has also played a significant role for the
success and growth of the industry, implementing policies that allow order and control.