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This thesis presents a case study of the trucking (or drayage) portion of rail-truck intermodal freight transportation. The approach used was to examine in detail the current costs and potential for improvement at one New Jersey intermodal terminal. The analysis is conducted using a mathematical programming model to find an optimal scheduling plan for the drayage operation. To solve the model more efficiently, a modification is made to explore the special structure of the original problem which has a sparse constraint matrix. The model is solved first with an objective function that minimizes the total cost of the operation, and then with an objective function that minimizes the total tractor fleet size required to move the containers. The model results indicate a 19.2% and 52.7% reduction in overall costs respectively for the objectives of minimizing total cost and minimizing fleet size. This reduction is achieved by repositioning and reloading containers, after they have been unloaded at consignees.
TRB’s National Cooperative Freight Research Program (NCFRP) Report 11: Truck Drayage Productivity Guide is designed to help improve drayage productivity and capacity while reducing emissions, costs, and port-area congestion at deepwater ports. The guide includes suggestions designed to help shippers, receivers, draymen, marine terminal operators, ocean carriers, and port authorities address inefficiencies, control costs, and reduce associated environmental impacts of truck drayage.
The geographic imbalance of freight moved by the transportation industry requires repositioning of empty containers. Empty container repositioning (ECR) describes the strategy for empty container relocation to reduce cost and satisfy demand. ECR costs the transportation industry billions of dollars per year worldwide, so the efficient and effective execution of ECR is necessary for maximal equipment utilization. The trucking industry is greatly impacted by ECR decisions because of the high volumes of freight moved every year, leading to thousands of empty containers in need of relocation every week. The trucking industry is incentivized to partner with other transportation modes, considered intermodal transport, for ECR movements because of other modes' lower transit costs. A breadth of research exists for ECR optimization for intermodal ocean networks, but trucking industries operate cross-country and require a low-cost transcontinental solution. Intermodal railroad networks are the ideal ECR solution for trucking companies, but a lack of research exists addressing ECR flow optimization in a strictly truck-rail network. This thesis focuses on an optimization model for the ECR decisions of a trucking company utilizing a truck-rail intermodal network. Imbalances between inbound and outbound freight flows in metropolitan areas result in sources and demands for empty containers across the network. Empty containers are repositioned via railroad to fulfill demand between these areas. The trucking company's primary goal is to fulfill demand for empty containers while minimizing fees paid to the railroads and its own equipment relocation costs. The research objective of this thesis is to develop an optimization model to support ECR decisions for realistic truck-rail intermodal systems. The model is demonstrated using data from a leading trucking company in North America. Comparing the optimization model results to the plans developed by the company's empty-planning team shows that the model produces high-quality plans, achieves cost savings, can be solved efficiently, and presents novel solutions to the business.
The General Accounting Office (GAO) examined the status and potential benefits of intermodal rail transportation, in which loaded containers or trailers are transferred intact from truck to rail and back to truck. Specifically, GAO (1) examined recent trends in intermodal rail transportation, (2) assessed the prospects for more intermodal cooperation between the rail and trucking industries, (3) identified problems that limit the effectiveness and benefits of intermodal transportation, and (4) considered whether any federal initiatives might be helpful in encouraging intermodal cooperation.
This book promotes the use of mathematical optimization and operations research methods in rail transportation. The editors assembled thirteen contributions from leading scholars to present a unified voice, standardize terminology, and assess the state-of-the-art. There are three main clusters of articles, corresponding to the classical stages of the planning process: strategic, tactical, and operational. These three clusters are further subdivided into five parts which correspond to the main phases of the railway network planning process: network assessment, capacity planning, timetabling, resource planning, and operational planning. Individual chapters cover: Simulation Capacity Assessment Network Design Train Routing Robust Timetabling Event Scheduling Track Allocation Blocking Shunting Rolling Stock Crew Scheduling Dispatching Delay Propagation
In rail-truck intermodal transport, a highway truck-trailer or container is moved by truck from a shipper to a rail terminal in the shipper's vicinity, and by rail in line haul between rail terminals. Upon being unloaded at the destination rail terminal, the container is delivered to a receiver (consignee) by truck. The highway portion of the move, or drayage, accounts for a relatively high percentage of total origin to destination cost, and it limits severely the competitiveness of intermodal service with door-to-door truck service. The approach used in this thesis is to examine in detail the current costs and potential for improvement at one intermodal terminal for a pre-determined analysis period. The analysis is conducted by first determining the actual cost of container movements and comparing it with the costs of an operation in which movements are scheduled using a proposed heuristic model that reduces the movements of empty containers. The model results indicate a 7.79% reduction in the overall cost of drayage. This reduction is achieved by repositioning and reloading containers, after they have been unloaded at consignees.
Examines recent trends in intermodal rail transportation; assessed the prospects for more intermodal cooperation between the rail and trucking industries; identified problems that limit the effectiveness and benefits of intermodal transportation, and considered whether any federal initiatives might be helpful in encouraging intermodal cooperation. Charts and tables.
GATEWAY TO ENGINEERING, 2E helps students build a solid foundation in technological literacy as they study engineering-related careers and educational pathways. This book introduces middle school students to the process of design, the importance of engineering graphics, and applications of electricity and electronics, mechanics, energy, communications, automation/robotics, manufacturing processes, and control systems/computer programming. The vibrant four-color design and plentiful images make it especially appealing to middle school students, while the text's strong engineering flavor and alignment with national Standards for Technological Literacy make it the perfect tool for mastering Project Lead the Way's® Gateway to Technology curriculum. It also includes a revised chapter featuring sustainable architecture, enhanced coverage of green technology, and new CourseMate interactive learning tools.