Optimizing Chemical Transport: Strategies for Enhancing Efficiency and Safety

Key technologies and approaches can help chemical transport operations meet regulations, while also reducing risk and expenditure

The chemical process industries have felt the pressure of global economic shifts more than most in recent years, forcing many to look for new ways to enhance efficiency and output [1]. Increasing efficiency in the world of chemical transport, however, has often been viewed as a trade-off with safety [2]. You can have one, but rarely both. This is changing, though.

In this article, we explore key technologies and approaches that can help chemical transport operations meet safety and environmental regulations, while also reducing risk and expenditure. From data analytics to better safety protocols, chemical transport has the opportunity to be safer and more efficient than ever.

Enhancing Efficiency Through Route Optimization and Scheduling

One of the most effective ways to enhance efficiency in chemical transport is to reassess how routing and scheduling are being approached. By embracing new technology and strategies, such as those listed below, businesses can cut down on costs and improve their overall competitiveness.

Quicker response times with advanced scheduling tools. Advanced scheduling tools are able to not only schedule deliveries and pick-ups, but also adjust things as situations change. If a vehicle looks like it will be delayed by bad weather, the software then shifts the schedule accordingly so that the ripple effect of that delay is managed as quickly as possible, which mitigates any further issues.

Scheduling tools can also assist with delivery prioritization. Trying to put high-priority deliveries ahead of others is often a smart business move and sometimes important for safety, but can quickly turn into an efficiency nightmare. Scheduling tools help finesse this so that even when there’s a snag in the delivery schedule, everything is adjusted around it as optimally as possible.

Use route optimization to avoid delays. When it comes to logistics optimization strategies, few have more of an impact than route optimization software [3]. Using both real-time data — such as a vehicle’s global positioning system (GPS) — and predictive analytics on weather and traffic patterns, this technology optimizes how a shipment moves from one point to another. Fuel usage, delivery windows and vehicle capacity are all taken into account so that no inch of the transport route is left to chance.

This makes for far more efficient deliveries, because it reduces both the time and money spent on chemical transport. It’s also worth noting that good route optimization software is always looking at past performance and using it to inform future suggestions. This keeps operations innovative, which only furthers overall efficiency.

Collaborative scheduling. Technology isn’t the only answer to better scheduling and routing. Developing strong relationships with supply-chain partners is also crucial. Suppliers that communicate properly and users that are clear about when deliveries are needed by all help ensure that more informed, efficient decisions can be made about schedules and routes, which in turn keeps the entire supply chain moving more efficiently.

Harnessing real-time data analytics for smarter decision-making

The best decisions regarding both safety and efficiency require chemical transport operations to have relevant, recent data at hand. This can be gathered via GPS tracking, closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and connected sensors on machinery. Here are some of the ways that harnessing data can alter how chemical transport decisions are made:

• Smarter scheduling: GPS tracking ensures that businesses can see exactly where shipments and vehicles are at all times, which makes scheduling deliveries that much more accurate
• Driver decisions: Real-time data can also be used to see details about driver behavior, which again empowers businesses to make smarter decisions regarding who, how, and when their deliveries are going out [4]
• Safer routing: If, for example, a sudden weather shift leaves ice on the roads of a preferred route, this can be quickly noted with real-time weather data, the driver can be quickly located via GPS, and rerouted accordingly to avoid delays or safety issues
• Better unloading: Teams can see exactly where shipments are and when they’re likely to arrive with real-time data. This makes it easier to plan and have the correct team and equipment on standby well in advance

Overall, the biggest difference that real-time data makes regarding decision-making is responsiveness. It empowers chemical transport companies to respond to issues in real-time and make informed, accurate decisions.

Implementing safety protocols for hazardous materials

As examples of chemical transport disasters indicate [5], accidents  do happen. There are, however, protocols and technologies that can be implemented to reduce risk, such as the following:

Develop safety operating procedures (SOPs). It may seem basic to some, but proper SOPs are foundational for ensuring safe and efficient chemical transport. Everything from loading and unloading to the actual transportation needs to be covered. This reduces the risk of spills or staff being exposed to hazardous chemicals.

Additional aspects to consider in SOPs are:

• How handling needs to differ in different zones, such as in public spaces vs. docking zones.
• Who is qualified to handle things, and who isn’t.
• How many people and what equipment should be used for different substances and cargo sizes.
• When and what safety equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) need to be worn.

Conduct drills for emergency response. As we said, accidents happen, but how chemical transport operations respond in an emergency will often determine the severity of their impact. That’s why running regular, comprehensive drills is so vital and should include the following:

• Communication protocols such as who is contacted first, and so on
• Evacuation procedures for both public and in-house situations
• Clean-up and containment plans

Use predictive analytics to forecast risks. One of the best ways to implement safety controls is to get better at forecasting risky situations and use data to flag those early warning signs. Historical data paired with machine learning and algorithms allow chemical transport operations to not only review past incidents, but to predict the circumstances in which they might occur again.

Internet of things (IoT) and automating alerts. Some logistics systems even allow for safety alerts to be set up that notify those in charge when a driver is displaying risky behavior, or loading is occurring in an incorrect zone. Adding IoT sensors to machinery, be it vehicles or unloading equipment, can also help automate safety alerts.

This type of automation is hugely valuable because it means that chemical logistics teams are better equipped to flag safety issues between mandatory checks. It thus reduces the risk of accidents occurring because of something like malfunctioning unloading gear or a flat tire.

Supply chain transparency. It’s often seen simply as a compliance issue, but supply chain transparency is also an important aspect of safety management in chemical transport. Seeing where inventory and drivers are at all times ensures that deviation from safety compliance is caught far earlier and accidents avoided in the process.

Driving sustainability in chemical transport: Innovations and Best Practices

Sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors cannot be ignored by any industry. Studies indicate that “greener” supply chain and logistics practices are linked with boosted overall performance [6].

Here are the innovations and best practices helping the chemical transport industry lower its environmental impact while also increasing efficiency:

Reducing fuel usage. Route optimization and scheduling tools don’t just make for more efficient transport operations in terms of saving money and time. They also reduce fuel usage _­­— a critical part of any sustainability effort because it lowers overall carbon emissions. There are other innovations on the horizon, such as clean-burning hydrogen for long-haul trucks [7], but for now, the accessibility of great data tools means that most operations can focus on route and scheduling efficiency as a means to driving their sustainability.

Load optimization also assists with this. Technological innovations now mean that alongside routing suggestions, you can access information on how best to load vehicles and ships for better fuel usage. This also helps cut down on there being half-empty trucks on the road and fuel used unnecessarily.

Safer transport. Arguably, the greatest sustainability issue in chemical transport isn’t simply emission, but the risk of spills and damage to the environment. It’s what’s gotten the industry a bad name in many ecology circles and continues to be a costly point of contention.

We’d argue that data-driven logistics and greater investment in more technologically minded safety protocols all help ensure that chemical transport is safer and less likely to incur dangerous spills. Even the simple fact of route optimization tools ensuring that bad weather is avoided mitigates accidents and spills.

Data quality and compliance. Greater transparency in how operations are managed is a key best practice when it comes to sustainability in chemical transport. Implementing real-time tracking ensures that, if needed, records can easily be accessed to show compliance.

It’s also what allows for improvements in sustainability efforts. With enough data, chemical logistics operations can reflect on what did and didn’t work and better meet future sustainability goals.

Safe and efficient chemical transport. The best efficiency updates are in themselves efficient. They don’t simply improve one aspect of chemical transport, but have a positive ripple effect across operations. Data analytics, automation and logistics solutions powered by algorithms and machine learning are all proving how true this is.

With tools such as real-time data and route optimization software, chemical transport companies can boost delivery efficiency while also meeting sustainability targets and enacting safety protocols. Safety and efficiency used to be seen as mutually exclusive, but the right strategies put them hand-in-hand. 

Edited by Dorothy Lozowski

References

1.  World Economic Forum. 3 trends that are changing the chemical industry in 2024. Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/01/3-trends-define-transformation-chemical-industry-2024/
2. ScienceDirect. Generalized railway tank car safety design optimization for hazardous materials transport: Addressing the trade-off between transportation efficiency and safety. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389411001853
3. Sheer Logistics. Logistics Optimization Strategies for Success. Retrieved from https://sheerlogistics.com/blog/logistics-optimization-strategies-for-success/
4. Global Trade Magazine. The Power Of Data: Leveraging Analytics For Smarter Transportation Decision-Making. Retrieved from https://www.globaltrademag.com/the-power-of-data-leveraging-analytics-for-smarter-transportation-decision-making/
5. Chemistry World. US derailment highlights continuing chemical rail freight concerns. Retrieved from https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/us-derailment-highlights-continuing-chemical-rail-freight-concerns/4019120.article
6. MDPI. Impact of Green Supply Chain Management Practices on the Environmental Performance of Manufacturing Firms Considering Institutional Pressure as a Moderator. Retrieved from https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/6/2278
7. MIT News. Reducing carbon emissions from long-haul trucks. Retrieved from https://news.mit.edu/2024/reducing-carbon-emissions-long-haul-trucks-0605

Author