Estimation of fuel consumption and selection of the most carbon-efficient route for cold-chain logistics

An eco-friendly supply chain (SC) is greatly determined by travel economy and fuel consumption rate. This research considered these two critical factors and explored the relationship between travel economy and vehicle loads, and developed mathematical models in cold-chain logistics (MMCCL) to determine fuel consumption and carbon footprint in cold-chain logistics. Longer routes are more prone to degrade food quality and endanger environmental safety by producing more carbon contents. Considering this fact, we aimed to reduce carbon emissions while maintaining food quality. First, an empirical SC was divided into three possible routes, namely, single-route transportation (SRT), and multiple-route transportation (MRT-I and MRT-II). Later, the proposed MMCCL model was deployed on each route to determine the most carbon-efficient route and found SRT as more fuel-efficient than MRT-I and MRT-II by a margin of 64.52% and 12.78%, respectively. This resulted in the reduction of carbon footprint by cutting the fuel consumption by a significant amount while making the SC eco-friendly and safe. The results were thoroughly justified and evaluated with an appropriate case study in the context of the west southern part of Bangladesh.