Intermodal Solutions for Freight Flows in Southwest U.S.

Details

• Creators:
  Jin, Mingzhou ; Chandra, Shailesh
• Corporate Creators:
  Center for Freight Transportation for Efficient and Resilient Supply Chain (FERSC) Tier 1 University Transportation Center (UTC) ; Oak Ridge National Laboratory ; Southwest Supply Chain Coalition
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Department of Transportation. University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program ; United States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Demand Uncertainty Freight Intermodal System Freight Traffic Freight Transportation Greenhouse Gases Highways Intermodal Services Intermodal Transportation Labor Force Logistics Port Operations Southwest Inbound Network Supply Chain Management Travel Costs Trucks

  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  FERSC-2023-Project2-1
• Resource Type:
  Other
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Annual report: 9/1/2023–8/15/2024
• Corporate Publisher:
  Center for Freight Transportation for Efficient & Resilient Supply Chain
• Abstract:
  The U.S. logistics sector continues to grapple with congested highways, extended transportation times, elevated costs, workforce shortage, and increased greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. California's San Pedro Port Complex (SPPC), the nation's busiest, is significantly impacted by these challenges. This study proposes an intermodal transportation solution to address logistical challenges in the U.S. Southwest region, focusing on the inbound freight supply chain network originating from the SPPC. The proposed system expands the container classification process to potential logistics centers in California, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada, rather than exclusively at port areas. By utilizing inland facilities for classification, the system enables rails to be cost-efficient for shorter-distance hauls, reducing the number of trucks on highways, mitigating environmental impact, lowering transportation costs, and promoting resource balance in port complex areas. We developed a two-stage mixed-integer stochastic programming model to optimize overall distribution costs through a modified intermodal transportation system. We evaluated the proposed system's performance in terms of cost, freight throughput, and environmental impact. To address uncertainties in demand. The total transportation cost is reduced by 0.3519%, equivalent to $716 million over 10 years, with an additional $19.3 million to $21.7 million saved in environmental impact due to the switch from trucks to rail, representing a 4.2% reduction.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  69A3552348338
• Collection(s):
  University Transportation Centers
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:5109a5ef2904ff7278ee19b13ef7dd0b45ee4ace9adf3ecc35943cc0585a1c2d85e8a8e8dcda3dad1cb6a007a1939734b1d180f0fcd8af1ad3dc0e912cf44153
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/86959/dot_86959_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 874.46 KB ]