Mapping Freight Transport Data: Game Changer for Logistics

Jun 6, 2024
Volume of Freight Transport in transit by rail from Germany in 2022

In the world of logistics, data is a powerful tool that drives efficiency, informs decision-making, and supports strategic planning. High-quality, processed data, enhanced by robust geographic visualization tools and contextual insights, is a game-changer for optimizing logistics and transforming business strategies. This article explores how integrated, processed freight transport data with geographic visualization can revolutionize logistics operations and introduces the Smart Transport Catalog as the industry’s ultimate solution.

5 Powerful Use Cases of Freight Data with Geographic Visualization

1. Optimizing Route Planning

Geographic visualization of freight transport data helps identify the most efficient shipment routes by analyzing historical traffic patterns and transport volumes.

By using interactive maps to analyze past traffic data and road usage patterns, businesses can plan and optimize delivery routes, discover new export routes for specific goods, leading to cost savings and improved customer satisfaction.

2. Enhancing Demand Forecasting

Visualizing historical freight data geographically allows businesses to predict future demand more accurately.

Companies can integrate historical freight data with geographic visualization to forecast seasonal demand spikes. By understanding regional demand variations, they can ensure optimal stock levels and warehouse space, leading to a more agile and responsive supply chain.

3. Conducting Site Selection Analysis

Freight transport data with geographic visualization enables informed decisions about where to locate new facilities such as terminals, distribution centres, or stores.

By examining data on freight volumes, types of goods transported, and transport routes, businesses can identify optimal locations for new infrastructure. Geographic visualization through NUTS levels helps determine the best sites to minimize logistics costs and maximize service coverage.

4. Assessing Geopolitical Impacts

Geographic visualization of freight data helps understand the impact of geopolitical issues on the transport of specific goods between regions.

Analyzing how geopolitical events, such as trade embargoes, affect transport routes and costs for certain products. By visualizing these impacts geographically, businesses can adapt their logistics strategies, find alternative routes, and mitigate risks, ensuring continuous supply chain operations.

5. Enhancing Intermodal Transport Efficiency

Geographic visualization of freight transport data helps optimize the use of multiple transport modes to enhance overall efficiency.

Businesses can analyze the interplay between different transport modes (e.g., ships, trucks, trains, airplanes) to create more efficient and cost-effective logistics strategies. By identifying the best modal combinations and routes, companies can reduce transportation costs and decrease environmental impact.

These use cases highlight the significant benefits of leveraging geographic visualization of freight transport data, enabling businesses to gain actionable insights, enhance operational efficiency, and support strategic planning in logistics and supply chain management.

Handling and Visualizing Data from Eurostat: Insights and Challenges

Among the most invaluable sources of data for the freight transport sector is Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. Eurostat provides a comprehensive and detailed collection of transport data and encompasses a wide range of transport modes, including road, rail, maritime, and air, collected from all EU member states and several partner countries. One of the key advantages of Eurostat data is its standardization. Eurostat employs consistent methodologies and classifications, such as the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS), ensuring that data from various countries and regions is comparable.

This extensive coverage provides a holistic view of freight transport activities across Europe, enabling stakeholders to grasp regional and international transport dynamics. However, the potential of these datasets, there are challenges around it.

Challenges of Merging and Visualizing Eurostat Data

The process of merging and visualizing this data, especially when dealing with geographical information, presents unique challenges. Let us delve into the key impressions and hurdles involved in this process.

  • Finding the Right Datasets: It is not easy to locate the specific datasets needed due to the vast amount of data available.
  • Data Preparation and Cleaning: Ensuring codes are correct and consistently formatted across datasets is time-consuming.
  • Geographical Mapping: Eurostat provides data in formats like CSV, TSV, and SDMX, but it lacks latitude, longitude, and geom fields. Users must merge Eurostat data with other geographic datasets for spatial analysis or mapping.
  • Consistency and Updates: Keeping data and boundary files updated and consistent over time is challenging.
  • Missing or Incomplete Data: Handling gaps in the data to avoid misleading visualizations is crucial.

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Eurostat Catalog

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Introducing the Smart Transport Catalog

The Smart Transport Catalog revolutionizes data integration by combining comprehensive Eurostat datasets with advanced geographic components, all pre-processed into a seamless, unified format.

Why Choose the Smart Transport Catalog?

  1. Comprehensive Data Offering: The Smart Transport Catalog provides a wide range of datasets covering various aspects of freight transport, including international and national road transport, origin-destination flows, and more. Datasets are also segregated by type of goods and transport ownership, providing detailed insights.
  2. Ready-to-Use Data: All data is pre-processed and ready for immediate use, saving businesses time and resources on data cleaning and preparation.
  3. Integrated Geographic Visualization: The platform includes advanced tools for geographic visualization, making it easier to analyze transport routes, identify trends, and make informed decisions.
  4. User-Friendly Interface: The platform’s interface is designed for ease of use, ensuring that both technical and non-technical users can effectively leverage the data.
  5. Easy-Access: Seamlessly access data via robust API for real-time integration or download datasets for offline analysis with bulk download support. This ensures flexibility and efficiency in data utilization.

Get Started Now!

In a world where data is key to staying competitive, the Smart Transport Catalog empowers businesses with the insights they need to optimize logistics, reduce costs, and enhance strategic planning. Whether you are in logistics, manufacturing, retail, or export, leveraging the power of processed freight transport data with integrated geographic visualization can drive efficiency and success.

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PRIVACY POLICY

Status: November 2023
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With the following privacy policy, we would like to inform you about how we process your personaldata in accordance with the European Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This privacy policy appliesto all processing of personal data carried out by us, both in the context of the provision of our servicesand in particular on our websites (hereinafter collectively referred to as "online offer").

1. Controller

Controller in the sense of the GDPR is

Mapular UG (haftungsbeschränkt)
c/o TOG The Office Group (Germany) GmbH
Kronenstraße 63
10117 Berlin
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Phone: +49 30 20994953
E-mail: info@mapular.com

2. Data Protection Officer

You can reach our data protection officers as follows:

secjur GmbH
Steinhöft 9
20459 Hamburg
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Phone: +49 40 228 599 520
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You can contact our data protection officer directly at any time with all questions andsuggestions regarding data protection and the exercise of your rights.

3. Definition

This privacy policy is based on the terminology of the GDPR. For your convenience, we wouldlike to explain some important terms in this context in more detail:
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  • Personal Data means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified,directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, anidentification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or socialidentity of that natural person.
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  • Data subject is any identified or identifiable natural person whose personal data areprocessed by the controller.
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  • Processing: means any operation or set of operations which is performed on personaldata or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means, such ascollection, recording, organization, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration,retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwisemaking available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction.
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  • Recipient means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or another body,to which the personal data are disclosed, whether a third party or not. However, publicauthorities which may receive personal data in the framework of a particular inquiry inaccordance with Union or Member State law shall not be regarded as recipients; theprocessing of those data by those public authorities shall be in compliance with theapplicable data protection rules according to the purposes of the processing.
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  • Third Party means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or body otherthan the data subject, controller, processor and persons who, under the direct authorityof the controller or processor, are authorized to process personal data.
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4. Data for the provision of the website and the creation of the log files

If you use this website for purely informational purposes without otherwise transmitting data tous (e.g., by registering or using the contact form), we collect via server log files technicallynecessary data that are automatically transmitted to our server, including:
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  • IP address
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  • Website from which the website was accessed; websites accessed via the website
  • Visited page on our website; Amount of data transferred 
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  • Access status (e.g., whether the web page could be accessed without problems or whether you received an error message) 
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  • Entered search terms 
  • Access frequency of the individual web page 
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  • Other websites that you visit starting from this website, either by clicking on a link on this website or by directly entering the domain in the input bar in the same window of your browser
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The temporary storage of data is necessary for the course of a website visit in order to display our website to you. This processing is technically necessary to ensure the functionality of the website and the security of the information technology systems. The legal basis of the processing is thus Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f GDPR, in order to guarantee the provision, security and stability of our website.The data is deleted as soon as it is no longer required to achieve the purpose for which it was collected. In the case of the provision of the website, this is the case when the respective session has ended. The log files are stored up to 24 hours directly and exclusively accessible to administrators. After that, they are only indirectly available via the reconstruction of backup tapes and are finally deleted after four weeks.This website is hosted via the Content Delivery Network (CDN) of Webflow. The provider is Webflow, Inc, 398 11th Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA (Webflow). Webflow is a tool for creating and hosting websites. A content delivery network is a network of spatially distributed, possibly interconnected servers. The server that is closest to the respective user of the website is always used. The CDN used here includes servers in North America and parts of Europe. Webflow hosts our website using the content delivery networks of Amazon Web Services, Inc., 410 Terry Avenue North, Seattle WA 98109. Although the server is located in Ireland, access to personal data from the USA cannot be excluded. When you visit our website, Webflow collects the above data, which is secured under the following guarantees. The European Commission has adopted an adequacy decision pursuant to Art. 45(3) GDPR for the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework. Based on this decision, data transfers to organizations located in the U.S. that are certified under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework are permitted, accordingly. Webflow is certified under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework. For more information please contact our data protection officer.
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5. Contact form

‍Through our website you have the possibility to contact us under "Contact us". In the course of contacting you and responding to your inquiry, we process the following personal data from you:
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If you contact us within the framework of an existing contractual relationship or contact us in advance for information about our range of services or our other services, the personal data you provide will be processed for the purpose of processing and responding to your contact request in accordance with Art. 6(1) s. 1 lit. b GDPR. Otherwise, for the protection of our legitimate interests pursuant to Art. 6(1) s. 1 lit. f GDPR to respond to customer/contact inquiries. We delete your personal data as soon as they are no longer required to achieve the purpose for which they were collected. In the context of contact inquiries, this is generally the case when the circumstances indicate that the specific matter has been conclusively processed.

6. Transfer of personal data

‍In the course of our processing of personal data, personal data may be transferred to or disclosed to other recipients. Recipients of this personal data may include, for example, service providers commissioned with IT tasks or providers of services and content that are integrated into a website. In such cases, we comply with the legal requirements and, in particular, conclude appropriate contracts or agreements that serve to protect your personal data with the recipients of your personal data.

7. Data deletion and retention periods

‍The personal data processed by us will be deleted in accordance with the legal requirements as soon as your consents permitted for processing are revoked or other permissions cease to apply (e.g., if the purpose of processing this data has ceased to apply or it is not required for the purpose). If the personal data are not deleted because they are required for other and legally permissible purposes, their processing will be limited to these purposes. That is, the personal data is blocked and not processed for other purposes. This applies, for example, to personal data that must be retained for reasons of commercial or tax law or whose storage is necessary for the assertion, exercise, or defense of legal claims or for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person. As far as our privacy policy contains further information on the retention and deletion of personal data, thse have priority for the respective processing activities.

8. Your rights as a data subject

As a data subject, you are entitled to various rights under the GDPR, which arise in particular from Art. 15 to 21 GDPR. If you wish to exercise any of your rights, please contact us via the contact addresses provided above or our data protection officer.

8.1. Right of objection 

You have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of personal data concerning you which is carried out on the basis of Art. 6(1) lit. e or lit. f GDPR; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions. If the personal data concerning you is processed for the purpose of direct marketing, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for the purpose of such marketing; this also applies to profiling insofar as it is related to such direct marketing. If you object, we will no longer process your personal data unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your interests, rights and freedoms, or the processing serves to assert, exercise or defend legal claims.
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‍You have the right to request confirmation as to whether personal data in question is being processed and to information about this personal data, as well as further information and a copy of the personal data in accordance with the legal requirements.

8.3. Right to rectification

‍In accordance with the legal requirements, you have the right to request that the personal concerning you be completed or that incorrect personal data concerning you be corrected.

‍8.4. Right to erasure and restriction of processing

‍You have the right to demand that personal data concerning you be deleted immediately if one of the reasons provided for by law applies and insofar as the processing or storage is not necessary.

‍8.5. Restriction of processing

‍You have the right to demand that we restrict processing if one of the legal requirements is met.

8.6. Right to data portability

You have the right to receive personal data concerning you, which you have provided to us, in a structured, common and machine-readable format in accordance with the legal requirements, or to request that it be transferred to another controller.

‍8.7. Right of withdrawal for consents

‍You have the right to revoke any consent you have given at any time.

‍8.8. Complaint to supervisory authority

‍Without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work or the place of the alleged infringement, if you consider that the processing of personal data concerning you infringes the requirements of the GDPR.

‍9. Modification and update of the privacy policy

‍We adapt the privacy policy as soon as the changes in the data processing carried out by us make this necessary. We will inform you as soon as the changes require an act of cooperation on your part (e.g., consent) or other individual notification.

If we continue to develop our website and our offerings or if legal or regulatory requirements change, it may be necessary to amend this privacy policy. You can access the current privacy policy at any time here.