The recent crisis of the truck drivers that shook Brazil demonstrates the need to change the Brazilian transport matrix. It is irrational to maintain a transport matrix in which 62.7% of Brazil's cargo transportation is carried out by highways and the country continues to consume a highly polluting fuel in about 78% of the total, such as diesel for the transportation sector. It is also imperative to change the Brazilian transport matrix in order to reduce the cost of its logistics in highways, railways and ports, which contributes to the increase in the price of products in the domestic market, and also leads to a loss of product competitiveness Brazilians in the international market.

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THE TRANSPORTATION MATRIX REQUIRED TO BRAZIL
Fernando Alcoforado *
The recent crisis of the truck drivers that shook Brazil demonstrates the urgent need to
change the Brazilian transport matrix. The crisis of the truck drivers resulted from the
fact that 62.7% of Brazil's cargo transportation is carried out by highways with the use
of trucks and, because of this, demand a high consumption of diesel oil whose price
policy adopted by Petrobras, with daily variation based on the rising price of oil in the
international market, put this economic activity in check in Brazil, in addition to
jeopardizing the Brazilian economy itself, which faced a serious problem of shortages.
1. The modes of transport in Brazil
The highway transport is responsible for 62.7% of the cargo transported in Brazil,
having a unique characteristic, because it travels by any route, it travels anywhere, and
it has flexibility with regard to the route. The greater availability of access routes is also
an interesting factor that allows the flow of large quantity of loads. However, when
compared to rail it is noticed higher operating cost, lower quantity of loads and decrease
of efficiency due to the conditions of the roads. Road transport is indicated for short and
medium distances and higher added value cargo. One of the advantages of this means of
transport is that it has less handling of the cargo, since it is possible to offer the service
door-to-door, that is, the cargo is taken from one point to another directly (starting point
to its final destination), besides of a lower requirement on the type of packaging.
Rail transport accounts for 21.7% of the cargo transported in Brazil and is made up of
trains composed of wagons, which are pulled by locomotives that move on rails. The
rail transport is known as any transport of people or products / materials made through
railways in closed wagons, platforms, etc. The main characteristic of rail transport is the
long distance service and the large amount of cargo with lower insurance and freight
costs. However the flexibility on the way is limited. Brazil has only the tenth largest
track extension, an approximate total of 29,000 km. In addition to the large load
capacity of this model, it also has low energy consumption per unit transported.
The waterway transport is responsible for 11.7% of the cargo transported in Brazil
being the one that uses the water for the locomotion of the means of transportation and
can be subdivided between different types according to the body of water that it uses
(maritime which is the transport that happens on seas and oceans, river that is usually
realized through boats and lacustrine whose transport is done through lakes and
lagoons). Waterways transports are widely used to transport products and people at low
cost. It is generally used to transport large loads over long distances. The low costs of
this transport help in improving the commercial value of the products leaving them
more competitive in the market, since the cost of transport influences the final cost of
the product. This mode of transport is widely used for international maritime transport,
especially in the relationship between continents, since it facilitates the access of the
goods, besides having exclusive routes and there are no problems in traffic.
Duct transport is responsible for 3.8% of the cargo transported in Brazil, which presents
no flexibility, since there is a limitation in the number of products that can use this
modal. In Brazil they are only 16 thousand km long. It is the means of transportation

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that drives products through pipelines which are hollow cylindrical tubes / pipes
developed in accordance with international safety standards. The pipelines are
composed of three elements: the terminals, which propel the products, the tubes and the
joints that join them. This modality can be used to transport petroleum products, known
as pipelines, to ore derivatives, called mining pipelines, also for gases called gas
pipelines and grains. Many pipelines are underground and / or underwater. The pipeline
transports safely and for long distances, allowing storage to be dispensed. The loading
and unloading is simplified, reduces the cost of transportation and provides a lower loss
and theft rate.
Air transport is responsible for 0.1% of the cargo transported in Brazil which is carried
out by aircraft and can be divided into national and international. All aircraft have
structures for carrying luggage and / or cargo. These compartments can be mixed (cargo
/ passenger) or individual, cargo only, passenger only. Air transport is fast and suitable
for urgent goods. It is a means of transport considered to be mixed since it can transport
people and cargoes at the same time. Air transport is a suitable transport for goods of
high added value, small volumes or with urgency of delivery. Air transport has some
advantages over other modes of transport, as it is faster, as well as being more feasible
for consignments such as luggage, spare parts, electronic products, perishable goods,
gifts, medicines, samples, etc. Air transport is also advantageous because it does not
require more reinforced packaging, since the handling is more careful, because normally
its loads are unitized in pallets or even in containers, a procedure that contributes to the
reduction of costs and for ease boarding and disembarkation. On the other hand, there
are disadvantages, such as lower load capacity, higher freight value compared to other
modes and high cost of its infrastructure.
2. Cost of transportation logistics in Brazil
The cost of transportation logistics in Brazil consumes 11.7% of the companies'
revenues. This value has grown in recent times, mainly due to the high price of diesel
oil, due to the high dependence of road transport on the transportation of cargo and the
poor quality of the transportation infrastructure in Brazil. Between 2014 and 2015, the
cost of transportation logistics grew by an average of 1.8%. The companies that had the
highest increase are those most dependent on long-distance road transport. In these
cases, there was an item that contributed to deteriorate the cost of companies that was
the increase in the price of diesel oil.
The high cost of transportation logistics in Brazil contributes to the increase in the price
of products in the domestic market, as well as to the loss of the competitiveness of
Brazilian products in the international market. To get an idea of Brazil's loss of
competitiveness, just compare with the cost of logistics in the United States that equals
8% of corporate revenue. The heavy reliance on road transport in Brazil and the poor
quality of road infrastructure are significant problems for companies. CNT Research on
Roads 2015 informs that 57% of Brazil's road network has deficiencies in its general
state, which increase the operational cost of transportation by around 25%. That is why,
for 40% of the companies consulted, improving road conditions is an important factor in
reducing logistics costs. 69.1% of the companies surveyed consider the roads very bad
or bad. In rail and port modes, the situation is even worse: 95.5% and 80.8% of the
companies replied that the quality is very poor or poor, respectively.

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It should be noted that the costs incurred by a carrier are fixed and variable costs. The
main factors that affect the cost of the routes are: distance, volume and weight. Fixed
costs are those that do not vary with the distance covered: depreciation, capital
remuneration, administrative costs, taxes and salaries. The variable costs vary with the
distance traveled: tires, oil, washing / lubrication, fuel, maintenance and toll. Transport
decisions are strongly related to this cost structure, being essential for the adoption of
adequate policies by the contracting companies. For example, where a manufacturer of
consumer goods chooses the mode of transport, it usually observes that the costs of
waterway and rail modes are mostly fixed, whereas in the road and air modes the
variable costs vary with distance and weight. High fixed costs are better suited to
transporting commodities and low value-added cargoes, while higher variable costs
reflect operations where delivery times are the priority in transportation and products
are of higher value-added.
In recent research developed jointly with IPEA and IBGE and published in the book
"Structure and Dynamics of the Services Sector in Brazil", it was verified that fixed
costs reach up to 36% of the revenue in the rail modal, while in the highways and in the
air modal are, respectively, 23 and 17%. On the other hand, in air transportation the
total variable and semi variable costs can reach up to 70% of revenues, compared to
48% on highways and 45% on railroads. Based on the fixed cost, the air modal is the
most attractive followed by the modalities of road and rail, in order. Based on the
variable cost, the rail mode is more attractive than the road and air modes, in order.
3. Comparison among the main transport modes in Brazil
The waterway modality is the most economical alternative because it has an upper
traction force of 4,000 kg, requires less investment per 1000 tons (0.75), has a longer
useful life (50 years) and one cost per ton.km lower (0.009). The railroad comes second
because it has a traction force of 500 kg, requires investment per 1000 tons equal to 2.5,
has a useful life of 30 years and a cost per ton.km equal to 0,016. The road alternative
has a traction force of 150 kg, requires investment per 1000 tons equal to 3, has a useful
life of 10 years and a cost per ton.km smaller (0,056) (CORREA, Vivian Helena
Capacle e RAMOS, Pedro. A precariedade do transporte rodoviário brasileiro para o
escoamento da produção de soja do Centro-Oeste: situação e perspectivas. Disponível
no website <http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0103-
20032010000200009>, 2010).
It is worth noting that the train consumes up to 8 times less diesel than the truck per
ton.km, 1 driver drives a train with 80 wagons, 1 wagon is equals 2 trucks and does not
detract from traffic on highways, cities and so on. The analysis of the investment cost
shows that a highway costs R$ 1.5 million per km and a railroad R$ 6 million per km.
This cost of the investment explains to a certain extent the preference that is given to the
implantation of highways in Brazil by the fact that it is smaller than the one of the
railroads, in spite of the numerous advantages that the rail modal presents.
In view of the above, the irrationality of the Brazilian transport matrix is demonstrated,
which favors the use of the road modal that is economically the worst compared with
waterway and railroad alternatives, which should be, in order, the most appropriate
modalities for implantation in Brazil. The irrationality of the Brazilian transport matrix
is evidenced when it is compared with the transport matrixes of countries with great
territorial extension such as Russia, Canada, Australia, the United States and China. In

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Russia, there is a predominance of 81% in freight transport by rail and in countries, such
as Canada, Australia, the United States and China, there is a balance between rail and
road modalities. In Brazil, there is a flagrant imbalance between modes because it
favors the road modal.
4. Conclusions
It can be stated that the recent crisis of the truck drivers that shook Brazil demonstrates
the need to change the Brazilian transport matrix. It is irrational to maintain a transport
matrix in which 62.7% of Brazil's cargo transportation is carried out by highways and
the country continues to consume a highly polluting fuel in about 78% of the total, such
as diesel for the transportation sector. It is also imperative to change the Brazilian
transport matrix in order to reduce the cost of its logistics in highways, railways and
ports, which contributes to the increase in the price of products in the domestic market,
and also leads to a loss of product competitiveness Brazilians in the international
market.
In order to reduce the logistical cost of Brazil, it is essential to invest in the entire
transportation infrastructure to reduce logistics costs. The necessary investments in
Brazil in ports (R$ 42.9 billion), railroads (R$ 130.8 billion), highways (R$ 811.7
billion), waterways and river ports (R$ 10.9 billion) and airports (R$ 9.3 billion)
demand resources totaling R$ 994.7 billion, that is, almost R$ 1 trillion. In addition to
investments in transportation infrastructure, changes in the transport matrix should be
promoted, giving priority to waterway and rail modalities, because both modalities
greatly surpass road transportation. Brazil needs to follow the example of countries like
Russia, Canada, Australia, the United States and China where there is a balance between
rail and road modalities.
* Fernando Alcoforado, 78, member of the Bahia Academy of Education, engineer and doctor in
Territorial Planning and Regional Development by the University of Barcelona, university professor and
consultant in the areas of strategic planning, business planning, regional planning and planning of energy
systems, is the author of 13 books addressing issues such as Globalization and Development, Brazilian
Economy, Global Warming and Climate Change, The Factors that Condition Economic and Social
Development, Energy in the world and The Great Scientific, Economic, and Social Revolutions that
Changed the World.