The Application of Selected Network Methods for Reliable and Safe Transport by Small Commercial Vehicles
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Summary
This paper investigates the application of network planning techniques—specifically the Critical Path Method (CPM) and the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)—to optimize the reliability and safety of cargo transport using small commercial vehicles. The study is motivated by the growing popularity of light commercial vehicles in Central Europe, which offer advantages such as higher speed limits compared to trucks and access to city centers with entry bans for larger vehicles. The authors aim to demonstrate how these methods can facilitate the identification of the fastest and most cost-effective transportation solutions for complex logistics chains involving multiple production sites and assembly points. The methodology involves a case study of an international furniture company that manufactures chair components across five European cities: Dortmund and Berlin (Germany), Szczecin and Gryfice (Poland), and Prague (Czech Republic), with final assembly and distribution in Vienna (Austria). The authors model the transport network using graph theory, defining events, actions, and dependencies. For the CPM analysis, deterministic travel times were derived from online mapping services. For the PERT analysis, stochastic variables were introduced, utilizing optimistic, probable, and pessimistic time estimates for each transport leg to account for uncertainty. The study calculates earliest and latest event times, time margins, expected durations, and variances to determine critical paths and the probability of meeting project deadlines. The results indicate that the CPM method identifies a minimum total transport time of 1,350 minutes for the entire supply chain. The analysis reveals that factories in Berlin and Gryfice possess significant time margins of 270 and 331 minutes, respectively, allowing for delays without impacting the final delivery date. In contrast, the PERT method calculates an expected project duration ($t_p$) of 1,047 minutes with a standard deviation of 54.87 minutes. When evaluating the probability of completing the transport within the 1,350-minute timeframe established by the CPM, the statistical analysis yields a probability of 99.99%. This high probability suggests that the transport project is highly likely to be completed on time, with failure occurring only under truly adverse conditions. The significance of this research lies in its demonstration of how network methods can effectively manage complex, multi-modal logistics operations for small commercial vehicles. By applying CPM, logistics managers can identify critical tasks and allowable delays, while PERT provides a probabilistic assessment of schedule adherence. The findings suggest that these tools are valuable for ensuring reliable transport schedules and optimizing resource allocation in international supply chains, particularly where precise timing and cost-effectiveness are paramount. The study confirms that network analysis can transform arbitrary route planning into a structured, mathematically grounded process, enhancing the efficiency of road transport systems.
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| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | Crossref | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-24 |
| archive | success | canonical_url | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-26 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-26 |
| clean | success | clean | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-25 |
| chunk | success | chunk | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-25 |
| embed | success | embed | Qwen/Qwen3-Embedding-8B | — | 1 | 2026-06-25 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-24 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 1 | 2026-06-26 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 6 | 2026-06-25 |
| verify | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-26 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-26; verification: verified.
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