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What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Trucks?

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The majority of movement of materials and goods across continents is through container ships, however, in some cases, planes are used to transport goods. Trucks and trains move materials and goods and within a country or a continent. In some cases, ships sail in rivers, as is the case in parts of Canada. The shares of freight transport as the percentage of the total tone-km by road, inland waterways, and railways in the EU are 75.9%, 6.7%, and 18.4% respectively (EUROSTAT, 2016). In the USA, trucks are the most used means of transportation for moving freight up to 750 miles. Trains move items in bulk beyond the 750-mile limit up to 2000 miles (United States Department of Transportation, 2015). The difference in the share of railways in the USA and the EU is due to the geographical distances between cities in the USA and the EU. Railways cost less to operate and have fewer emissions when compared to trucking. Yet, the use of railways is limited for the following reasons: (i) building its infrastructure is very costly; (ii) the long lead time required for developing the infrastructure; (iii) consistent-high-volume of the freight traffic is needed for economic viability; and (iv) the need for trucks for the distribution to the final destinations. Trucks have many advantages over other modes of transportation, especially that they provide last mile delivery. Trucks, as compared to railways, ships, or planes have the most flexibility in reaching a destination, and the upfront

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