CALCULATION OF INTEGRAL EFFICIENCY INDICATORS FOR FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION ROUTES IN THE UNITED STATES

Abstract

The paper investigates approaches to assessing route efficiency in the field of international freight transportation performed by single-unit road trains. The efficiency of international freight transportation by road trains is considered as a multifactorial characteristic that includes economic, time-related, environmental, social, and operational indicators. The authors emphasize the necessity of a comprehensive evaluation of logistics decisions, which should be based not only on traditional criteria such as transportation costs and delivery time but also take into account the energy, transport, and road efficiency of transport vehicles, as well as supply reliability, environmental sustainability, resource efficiency, and technological support of the transportation process. The study highlights the expediency of combining classical evaluation methods (cost per mile, delivery time, reliability indices) with modern multi-criteria decision-making approaches–Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and TOPSIS–which enable the consideration of a large number of parameters when selecting an optimal transportation route. Within the framework of a comparative analysis, the experience of the United States, Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom in interpreting route efficiency is examined. It is noted that the emphasis in efficiency assessment depends on dominant priorities such as economic benefits, environmental safety, logistics chain reliability, or intermodal integration. German studies predominantly apply a sustainable development approach integrating time, cost, and infrastructure capacity criteria. Polish researchers actively use DEA tools to construct multidimensional efficiency models, whereas British studies focus on the assessment of external effects and energy efficiency. The results of leading studies on digital logistics optimization tools are systematized, including automated route planning systems, artificial intelligence–based solutions, and software platforms such as Route4Me, which contribute to reducing costs and CO₂ emissions, increasing transportation intensity, and improving system flexibility in response to demand fluctuations. The importance of telecommunication and navigation systems for monitoring the operational efficiency of road trains is emphasized, especially under conditions of complex terrain, toll road networks, and cross-border traffic. An expert–functional model for assessing route efficiency is proposed, which accounts for the energy, transport, and road efficiency of transportation process elements while considering the specific features of international freight transportation by road trains. It is emphasized that most contemporary studies analyze only individual parameters, whereas the proposed mathematical model integrates key factors to support well-founded managerial decision-making in the field of international road freight transportation. The necessity for further research aimed at overcoming data scarcity, limited flexibility of existing models, and insufficient coverage of critical logistics infrastructure risks is also highlighted.