Conference trlian::environmental_issues

576.0. "JIT, truck traffic, and the environment" by NETCAD::MORRISON (Bob M. LKG2-A/R5 226-7570) Tue Apr 29 1997 13:19

  There is an interesting article in today's Wall Street Journal about the
increase in truck traffic on residential streets. This situation has made life
miserable for many people in communities of all kinds. Truck traffic on city 
streets and town roads has increased 50% in the last decade.
  This article raises a point that I first thought of 7 years ago: The Just-
in-Time (JIT) manufacturing philosophy, which Digital and most other mfg 
companies have adopted, is bad for the environment.
  The principle of JIT is that high inventories of raw materials and finished
goods are a waste of money and that inventories should be kept as low as
possible. To make this happen, raw materials are supposed to arrive "just in
time", that is, before they are needed on the production line but not too far
in advance. The problem with this is that it puts a strain on the transportation
system that delivers these materials. For starters, it usually rules out 
using rail freight, even for the few plants that still have direct access to
rail, because freight trains don't run often enough and are less reliable than
trucks. It also means more-frequent deliveries, and that means more truck
traffic. (You would think that smaller deliveries would mean lighter trucks,
but I don't think this is usually the case.)
  As far as I know, very few companies, when trying to be environmentally
"green", consider this issue. 

    I agree, Bob.