Chapter 14: Pandemic Lasting Effects on Freight Networks: Challenges and Directions from Cities and Industry

Over the last decades, freight networks and multimodal integration have been shaped by complex driving forces. Globalisation and consumerism in society significantly contributed to intensify the demand for services in freight transport. Technological breakthroughs and the related development of innovation fed the constant search for faster and cheaper services on a global scale. Altogether, these driving forces have boosted a rapid increase in the volume of freight transport by means of road transport. While industry had modified its networks to meet the demand, the pandemic period brought new challenges to freight networks, forcing the different modes of transport to adapt to the unexpected environment. Some of those reactive solutions might have been adopted temporarily. However, others are expected to become permanent and their deployment in the short-medium term remains to be seen.

This chapter presents an overview of the challenges and respective solutions that were initiated throughout the pandemic period, mostly in response to concerns related to social distance and untypical demand needs. This overview allows for a better foretelling of the future directions and developments in the freight network elements. This chapter approaches the way forward for cities and industry regarding the lasting pandemic effects on freight networks. Such an overview is complemented by an input from an expert survey in order to evaluate the social acceptability towards the expected solutions that are emerging. The outcome of the chapter highlights the main guidelines for the freight networks in the future and correlates them with the pandemic’s permanent effects.