Tühisõitu

Tühisõitu, often translated as "empty run" or "dead mileage," refers to the operational term used in logistics and transportation to describe the movement of a vehicle without carrying any paying cargo. This can occur for various reasons, such as returning to a depot after a delivery, repositioning a vehicle for its next assignment, or traveling to pick up a load. While seemingly inefficient, tühisõitu is often a necessary component of the overall transportation process.

The concept of tühisõitu is closely linked to the economic aspects of the transportation industry. Companies aim to minimize these empty miles as they represent costs without generating revenue. These costs include fuel, driver wages, vehicle wear and tear, and tolls. Therefore, optimizing routes and scheduling to reduce tühisõitu is a key focus for logistics managers and carriers.

Factors contributing to tühisõitu include imbalances in trade flows, where goods are transported from one region to another but there is no return cargo available. Poor planning, unexpected cancellations, or last-minute changes in customer requirements can also lead to empty runs. Technological advancements, such as sophisticated route optimization software and load-matching platforms, are increasingly being used to mitigate the impact of tühisõitu by finding backhauls or consolidating shipments. Despite efforts to reduce it, a certain level of tühisõitu is generally considered unavoidable in the complex world of freight transportation.