Week 5 SCM
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week_4-_problems_facing_transport_0.docxRunning head: TRANSPORT PROBLEMS FACING BUSINESSES 1
TRANSPORT PROBLEMS FACING BUSINESSES 3
Transport problems facing businesses
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Air Plane
The Airmail Act of 1925 bestowed the Post Office with the powers to contract with private airlines to transport mail.
Not until the Air Commerce Act came into law in 1926, the Aviation industry in the United States was unregulated. The Act created an Aeronautic Branch within the United States Department of Commerce with regulatory powers over civil aviation. The Aeronautic Branch was tasked with functions such as pilot testing and licensing, issuing aircraft airworthiness certificates, establishing and enforcing safety regulations. The agency was also responsible for establishing airways and operating and maintaining aids to air navigation, in addition to investigating accidents and incidents.
The Aeronautics Branch was rebranded the Bureau of Air Commerce in 1934. This was followed by takeover of air traffic control centers previously operated by commercial airlines in 1936 by the Bureau, and the eventual expansion the air traffic control system.
Signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 that formed the Federal Aviation Agency that later changed to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that replaced the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA). The act empowered the FAA to oversee and regulate safety in the airline industry and the use of American airspace by both military aircraft and civilian aircraft.
Communications between the contents were opened up by the airmail act of 1925; families were able to reconnect with one another. This originally started off as just letters from the service men coming back to their family but we now write and ship packages back and forth(Learning-to-fly.com, 2008-2014). The Air commerce Act of 1926 played a great role in setting up policies that help ensure the public’s safety by requiring pilots to become licensed and setting up a board to deal with testing procedures, licensing and certificates and enforcing safety regulations.
According to (Learning-to-fly.com, 2008-2014), the Air commerce Act of 1926 also set up airways and operated and maintained aids to assist in navigation in addition to investigating accidents incidents. In 1934 the Aeronautics Branch was renamed the Bureau of Air Commerce. In 1936 they took over air traffic control centers from commercial airlines and expanding the control system (Wright-Brothers.org, 2010). The Federal Aviation Act of 1958 empowered the FAA to oversee and regulate safety in the airline industry and the use of American airspace by both military aircraft and civilian aircraft (Learning-to-fly.com, 2008-2014).
It is beyond doubt these regulations have in a great way helped change how things were done then and now. Their implementation is the best thing to have happened to the United States aviation industry by helping ensure the public welfare and safety are taken care of for example with regulations in place that require pilots operating airplanes to get the necessary training, get licensed and ensure their aircraft certification is current.
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Introduction of Flashing turn signals (1935)
This was a design of the Delaware Company to help improve safety on the roads and ease traffic flow. It employed the technology of thermal interrupters that shrink and terminate contact depending on the amount of power flowing in the circuit to influence the final signal on the light bulb. Transistor circuits introduced in the 1960s came in to replace the thermal interrupters to do an effective job of directing traffic and ensuring general safety of the public of road users.
Efforts to reduce harmful emissions
Nobody can stand the wrath of Mother Nature. It is because of this fact that actions to take care of our environment lead to the Automakers community put in place measures to reduce harmful emissions into the environment with the introduction crankcase ventilation through connection of PCV valves route gases back to the cylinders for further combustion. Hydrocarbon emissions reduced by 95 percent compared to emissions in 1967 thanks to the introduction of catalytic converters in the 1970s. In support of this course, the Energy Policy Act of 1992 encouraged the use of alternative fuel vehicles. It suggested alternatives such as the use of mixtures of alcohols and gasoline that are environmental friendly and also economical and affordable.
The introduction of the turn signals that were operated by thermal interrupters and later introduction of transistor circuits have in a great deal in reduction of car accidents and ensure safety of the pedestrians and other road users then and even in the present day. Despite the presence of a couple of accidents on our roads, the introductions of these turn signals have a significance role in reducing the number of road accidents today.
The implementation of the Energy Act of 1992 help in lowering the cost of fuel and its consumption a factor that directly translates to less emission to the environment hence helping conserve the environment and ensure high air quality for the population that lived then and the present one.
Sea
The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) established in 1914 was charged with the responsibility of ensuring the safety of sea users. The requirement by ships to carry enough lifeboats for all those on board is an example of the regulations passed by SOLAS. In 2010 SOLAS also prohibited the use of combustible materials in new cruise ships. This body was also a good ambassador of the environment and this can be proved by regulations in 2011 that banned ships from carrying heavy fuel oil in the Antarctic in a bid to protect the environment in the event of a fuel leak and effectively hindering larger ships from entering the region.
These regulations to ensure the safety of sea users was also backed up by the Radio Act of 1912 that requires of all passenger ships to be in operation 24 hours a day and have a secondary power supply in order to prevent distress calls being missed. Others safety measures also implemented like back up of voyage data carried in boxes similar to black boxes used by aircrafts, regular emergency drills, regular testing of lifeboat equipment and fire detecting devices are all preventive measures put in place to ensure the safety of the sea users and enable fast rescue missions in case of tragedy hence avoid loss of lives and goods.
Vehicles are also good for shipping across land transcontinental and or from one side of the country to the next. Some companies within the United States higher fleets of Semi-trucks to disperse their goods nationwide. Fleets travel from one state to Canada and back and even Mexico and Baja California. Bridges were built to close gaps between masses of land over, rivers, gorges, and in some location ocean. In instances where the water is too deep and the distance from shore to island is small cars and trucks may utilize barges and farriers to get to their desired location. Transportation across land has come a long way from the wagon to motor vehicle. Roads and highways help the flow of traffic as well as with proper mapping the reduction of travel time.
Over sixty percent of travel today is done by car. An agency such as police department utilizes vehicles for patrol and transportation of criminals to prison facilities. This mode of transportation has impacted society through value, need, and economic boosts. In order to move you need to have fuel so the fueling industry has made money. Transportation has made it easier for consumers to get from point A to point B that much quicker. Vehicles are a convenience to society providing ways for family to spend time together on long road trips. Transportation of Goods from one warehouse to another; the uses of vehicles and their convenience goes on and on.
The U.S transport system
Introduction
The United States transport system is a complex and effective one as compared to that of other nations. It has contributed massively to the economic development of the country since its development. However, the transport system has its drawbacks and negative effects to the nation in general. This paper discusses some the advantages and disadvantages of some of the modes of transport in the U.S transport system.
The U.S Highway System
This consists of the numbered roads and highways integrated in a network between different states. These highways and roads are of economic significance to the residents of U.S and the government. They facilitate fast and easy transport of bulky goods between states. They also facilitate transportation of people between the different states. The drawbacks associated with highway system is that it passes through numerous states with different rules and regulations. Also, much time is spent on the roads and this will not be suitable in the transportation of perishable goods. These two prove to be the major drawbacks associated with the U.S highway system.
The Interstate Highway System
This is a major form of road transport in the United States. It was established in the 1956 when the federal government decided to split the road building costs with the state governments (“The Interstate,” 2014). They consist of roads and wide highways linking different states and also exiting major cities. The advantages of these roads is that supplement the highways and reduce congestion on the roads. They enhance the effectiveness of the roads system. The interstate highways are also designed with multiple lanes with high-speed lanes that enable people to drive faster as compared to the highway (“The Interstate,” 2014). The drawbacks associated with the system started long since their introduction. The roads damaged many city neighborhoods during their construction which inconvenienced the locals (“The Interstate,” 2014). Also, the width and the length of the highways tend to displace many people and occupy land that could be used for better development purposes.
The U.S Rail System
The U.S rail system consist of a huge network of railroads. The system links major cities in the U.S and also provide speedy transport of people within big cities. The introduction of the electric trains in the U.S have enabled this to happen. One of the major advantages of this is that it enables faster transport of bulky goods that cannot be transported by air to different states. It has also eased congestion and traffic in the cities through the subway system. The major drawbacks associated with this is that railways are expensive to construct as compared to roads. Consequently, this means that railway transport would always need to have another mode of transport to complete the transfer of goods and property to their destination.
Air transport system
Air transport system in the U.S has developed and modernized a lot since the 20th century. There are numerous international airports and airstrips in the US. This has developed to be a major transport for people between different states. The development of the air transport is down to the advantages accruing to it which include speed, easy access and the fact that there is low infrastructure investment (Pushparaj, 2014). The drawbacks to the air transport system is the high costs associated with obtaining the aircrafts and maintenance. Aircrafts have small carrying capacities which inconvenience the transport of bulky goods (Pushparaj, 2014).
Conclusion
The transport system in the United States is highly developed and modernized. The use of electric trains, dense network of highways and investment in air transport has boosted the economy to a great scale. Evidently, the advantages accruing to the investment in state of the art system surpass the drawbacks.
Transport Problems Facing Businesses
Businesses in the modern world are faced with a big problem in transportation. However, these problem cannot be evaded because transportation is a key area for businesses. Most of the problems are usually beyond the control of the businesses hence they are forced to continue with operations in those conditions. The highest impact of those problems are felt by businesses located in highly urbanized areas or cities.
Traffic congestion and lack of adequate parking spaces are a big transport problem to businesses (Rodrigue, 2013). This problem aroused in the 20th century when industrialization and urbanization was at its peak. The growing development of infrastructure and an increase in the number of vehicles in the urban centers has led to the reduction in space available to park.
The economic impact of this is that it has it has increased by a major scale the costs incurred in transportation (Rodrigue, 2013). Business entities with large shipment have to offload their products in areas outside the city then transport small batches to the business premises. Businesses are also forced to incur extra costs of establishing warehouses outside the cities so as to accommodate smooth loading and offloading.
Long commuting hours affect the performance of employees and business owners. This problem has been in existence for many years since residential places are located far from the business premises (Rodrigue, 2013). This trend is also generated by the fact that residential places located outside big cities tend to be cheaper. The social effects of this problem is that it is associated with isolation and poor health to employees and business owners (Rodrigue, 2013). The most affected people however are the employees who are supposed to meet strict deadlines.
Businesses in the modern world are faced with the problem of high maintenance costs to the aging vessels and infrastructure (Rodrigue, 2013). High road maintenance costs has forced some governments to completely ignore the conditions of roads. These poor conditions lead to higher wear and tear to vehicles used by businesses in transportation. The economic impact of this is that there is reduced efficiencies in production. The financial burden however is passed on to the society in form of high prices of commodities.
Conclusion
Most of the transport related problems are caused by the rapid rate of modernization in the modern world. Business entities have less to do to solve this problem, as solving one, leads to another. However, strategies can be adopted to reduce the impact of the transport problems on the businesses since they are most affected by it.
Reference
Rodrigue, J.P., (2013). Urban Transport Problems. Retrieved from, http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/ch6c4en.html
