Abstract:

The paper aimed at considering tractor transport to be an important component of agricultural logistics. It has been established that expediency of using tractors in transport operations is determined by features adversely affecting transportation of goods in agriculture, in particular, field conditions; characteristics of agricultural production technology, for example, the need to carry out transport and technological operations along with transportation; organizational and economic reasons (a large volume of on-farm transportation with short distances of goods movement and a large proportion of downtime during loading and unloading); the need for more complete utilization of tractors throughout the year, reducing the cost of tractor operations due to redistribution of the annual amount of amortization expenses. Requirements for tractor transport in the agriculture have been defined including the performance of goods transportation on scheduled time; compliance of tractor trailers with characteristics of goods; prevention of goods losses during loading and unloading as well as transportation; optimal performance of tractor transport units; ensuring cost effectiveness of transportation; technical excellence of tractors and trailers. The level of tractor provision with trailers in agricultural enterprises of Ukraine has been analyzed. It has been established that medium-power tractors (having engine power from 60 to 100 kilowatts) and more powerful tractors (having engine power over 100 kilowatts) are most in demand in the agriculture. It has been determined that the growth trend of average engine power is typical for agricultural enterprises, which positively affects the increase in tractor transport productivity. The system of operational and economic indicators of tractors utilization for agricultural goods transportation has been improved. It has been proposed to add to the estimated performance indicators of tractor transport as follows: the coefficient of free time for tractor-transport operations, the coefficient of tractor application in transport operations, the productivity of tractor transport units per one ton of carrying capacity of tractor trailers. The methodological basis for determining the standard of tractor utilization in transport operations has been developed.