Lorry associations say peak-hour ban on highways will disrupt supply chains, increase industry costs - Related to disrupt, lorry, highways, commercial, peak-hour

Dynamic AI proposed for tackling of traffic congestion

A dynamic artificial intelligence (AI) system has been proposed to facilitate road usage restrictions which adapt to real-time traffic conditions with the aim of resolving peak-hour traffic congestion, New Straits Times has reported.

“What if instead of fixed schedules. We could adjust restrictions in real time based on actual traffic conditions? When congestion spikes unexpectedly, the system could extend the ban. When roads are clear, it could allow heavy vehicles through,” stated MY Mobility Vision founder and chief operating officer Wan Agyl Wan Hassan.

The suggestion from Wan Agyl comes after the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) introduced last week that enforcement of the ban on lorries on the PLUS, NKVE, Elite and DUKE highways effective from February 19 this year.

Newly added restrictions are from 4:30pm to 7:30pm from Monday to Friday, as well as from 6:30am to 9:30am from Monday to Friday (new for the ELITE and. DUKE highways; existing restriction for the PLUS North-South Expressway and the NKVE).

Subsequently, this move has sparked opposition from the Association of Malaysia Hauliers (AMH), who presented that authorities failed to engage it and other stakeholders before making its unilateral decision. Today, other transport industry associations have aired their views on the peak-hour ban, reiterating that the move will cause disruptions to supply chains and impact members’ livelihoods.

Artificial intelligence-driven technology for traffic monitoring was not merely theoretical, citing studies that similar systems can reduce congestion by 22%, and reduce fuel costs by around 15%, and would create a more efficient and. Predictable system for drivers and logistics operators, thus reducing wasted hours, Agyl noted.

Fixed time slots for the heavy vehicle ban fail to account for unpredictable traffic conditions, Agyl added. “Weather, accidents or even local events can extend the rush, while other times of day might be unexpectedly calm,” he stated, and the mismatch leads to idling trucks, wasted fuel and business disruptions, especially for industries relying on just-in-time manufacturing and the delivery of perishable goods.

Extended detours and delays affect the entire supply chain, affecting industries from electronics to palm oil, he continued, and. While he acknowledged the existence of some exemptions for emergency vehicles and waste management, they “barely scratch the surface when it comes to the needs of commercial logistics.”.

“In Malaysia, projects like the Integrated Transport Information System (ITIS) have already shown that by working together, significant improvements in traffic management can be achieved,” Agyl revealed. Inter-modal transport was another solution, which is to shift the transport of freight from the roads to rail or sea routes, he added.

“Although rail currently handles less than five per cent of Port Klang’s cargo, there’s huge potential here,” he continued, urging increased investment in rail freight to relieve pressure on highways. And also called for a rethinking of the policy to ensure balancing of traffic management with economic efficiency.

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Lorry associations say peak-hour ban on highways will disrupt supply chains, increase industry costs

Earlier this month, the government introduced that from February 19, lorries would be banned from using certain highways to and. From Kuala Lumpur during peak hours in a bid to reduce traffic congestion in the Klang Valley during these periods. The move drew a response from the Association of Malaysia Hauliers (AMH), which mentioned it would reduce productivity and result in longer delivery times.

Now, other transport industry associations have chimed in about their views on the peak-hour ban, stating pretty much the same thing, that the move will cause disruptions to supply chains and. Impact members’ livelihoods, as the New Straits Times reports.

“Due to the ban, the hours for lorry drivers to transport goods will be reduced. Now, trucks will have to remain parked for several hours before resuming their journey, and this will disrupt the supply chain and increase industry cost,” mentioned Selangor and. Kuala Lumpur Lorry Operators Association secretary-general Alvin Choong.

“Highways are built to ease the transport of goods. We have to pay toll charges, but we are still restricted from driving during peak hours,” he added. Choong urged authorities to review the rules and consult stakeholders about the matter.

Moving to another aspect, this sentiment was echoed by Malaysian Tipper Lorry Operators Association secretary-general Tan Boon Hing, who revealed the restrictions would also reduce drivers’ working hours, leaving drivers with only five hours of operational time.

“Not only that. If drivers finish their delivery at 5 pm, they may be unable to return home immediately as they must wait until the pm restriction is lifted. By the time they get back, it will be pm or 9 pm. Regulations require they need enough time to rest,” he mentioned.

Malaysian Federation of Land Transport Associations supreme council member Mohamad Khairillah Md Ali also agreed that time constraints and inefficiencies caused by the ban would negatively affect drivers’ well-being.

“Because of the restrictions. Drivers won’t have enough time to load and unload goods. Worse-case scenario, drivers may not be able to leave before the afternoon restriction and they may head back only at night. Drivers have families and personal lives. When we cannot complete our work, and we are unable to go home for days, it causes stress and anger,” he stated.

He urged the government to consider other solutions instead of imposing blanket restrictions, and. Proposed that authorities look into setting up logistical hubs such as that practiced overseas, where cargo from larger lorries could be then transferred to smaller trucks to continue deliveries.

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Rivian will now sell its commercial van to any fleet, starting at $79,900

Rumors leaked last week, and now it’s official: the Rivian Commercial Van is now available to order for fleets of any size, even down to a single van – but still only for businesses. Not individuals.

Rivian first showcased it would make electric delivery vans in 2019, as part of a partnership with Amazon, who ordered 100,000 of the vehicles. The organization has delivered around 20,000 of the vans to Amazon so far.

The Amazon agreement included a 4 year exclusivity period, where Rivian would only sell vans to Amazon. And no other buyers. That exclusivity period ended in November 2023, and Rivian has been offering up its van to other partners.

When that period ended, Rivian also renamed its vehicle from the “Electric Delivery Van” to “Rivian Commercial Vehicle,” indicating that it would like to sell it for purposes other than deliveries – think contractors. Handymen, food trucks (please! I hate smelling exhaust instead of food!) and so on.

It didn’t take long for Rivian to get some interest from other firms, and. We’ve seen spy photos of Rivian vans in other liveries roaming around. But we haven’t heard any other huge agreements since the exclusivity period ended.

But today, instead of aiming for large contracts and partnerships like the Amazon deal, Rivian is now introducing a fleet sales program that will take orders from fleets of any size – even as small as a single van.

The RCV comes in two separate models – RCV 500 and. RCV 700. The latter is both longer and wider, with much more cargo space.

RCV 500 RCV 700 Price $79,900 $83,900 Est. Range* 161 mi 153 mi Drivetrain FWD FWD GVWR 9,350 9,500 Payload 2,734 lbs 2,513 lbs Length in 278 in Height in in Cargo Volume 487 cu ft 652 cu ft Ground Clearance in in Wheelbase in 187 in Width (with mirrors) in in *Estimated range depends on a number of factors, including load weight. Which can vary widely on commercial vehicles.

As with most commercial sales, these are obviously the pre-upfit prices. Your final cost will depend on what sort of upfitting you need to do. Rivian says that its Fleet Sales team will work with buyers to discuss specific upfit needs, or you can always take it to whichever upfitter you already use.

But that’s one significant note here: even though Rivian is selling these vehicles to fleets of any size, they are still selling the vehicles to fleets. Not individuals. Each van must be registered to a business, so you vanlifers might be out of luck for now (or you’ll have to get creative).

Rivian says that it will start taking orders for its commercial van this month. With deliveries starting in April. So reach out to Rivian fleet sales if you want to get your business on the list.

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