"While not road-legal, Elizabeth Fretheim, Walmart’s director, business strategy sustainability-logistics, explained that the WAVE is a combination that “features leading edge aerodynamics, an advanced turbine-powered, range-extending series hybrid powertrain, electrified auxiliary components and sophisticated control systems all in one package, developed in support of the company’s industry-leading sustainability program.” It is an experimental concept tractor-trailer. It comes with a carbon fiber trailer and will run on a variety of fuels. Cameras instead of rear-view mirrors. I'm having trouble finding a link that is much more than a press release. Photo Gallery: Walmart Advanced Vehicle Experience concept rig | Fleet Owner Click to embiggen. Not mentioned in the article is that for safety reasons drivers will be required to wear either a Darth Vader or a Storm Trooper outfit while operating the vehicle.
If your *only* concern is fuel efficiency, then boats are number one, trains are number two, anything else with wheels is number three, and anything with wings is number four. I don't know where delivery drones will fit in this scheme. There is a limitation on trains that you need to unload them once they get near your facility to move the product over the last mile. Also, they won't run on your schedule.
I'm sure walmart is mainly concerned with cost not efficiency. Sometimes the cost of inventory if it moves slowly is more, even if the truck, rail, truck is more efficient. Most stores and homes don't have boat docks next to them It then is a very small amount of freignt that does not also need trucks and or trains. The Logistics and Transportation Industry in the United States | SelectUSA
Seems like boats have the same issue. But I think it is really that "ships" are number one, not boats. Ships being much much larger, thus increasing efficiency via size. Put an 18 wheeler sized boat on a lake and drive it as fast as an 18 wheeler (you can't easily) and it will be terribly inefficient. Mike
Why I said that about the railroad; is when Walmart built their warehouse distributing center south of Palestine, Texas, they took up the railroad spur line. The Walmart warehouse in Palestine next to the main railroad line, they don't even use the railroad siding!! You would think that Walmart would use the railroad to have some items brought in by railroad car loads? They only use their 18 wheelers to tear up the roads!!
I'm not a wal-mart fan, and this seems wasteful, but it is possible rail may not be able to meet their scheduling needs.
The modern business trend is something called Just-In-Time inventory. It involves thinking of inventory as being a liability rather than an asset, so you keep no or very little inventory on hand and order things as you need them. This kind of business model works well with trucks, not so much with trains. If you need a lot of a heavy or bulky item on a regular schedule, or don't mind waiting until a train is scheduled to your area, then trains still have the advantage.
