2013 Session: 248

• Vehicle Routing Problem with Pickups, Deliveries, and Handling Costs
  Abstract: This paper proposes a novel and practical vehicle routing problem with pickups, deliveries and handling costs (VRPPD-H). The VRPPD-H extends the conventional vehicle routing problem with pickups and deliveries (VRPPD) by taking into account additional handling costs caused by loading and unloading operations for cargo rearrangement. Four mixed integer linear programming models are first built for the VRPPD-H under the four different cargo storage and handling policies. Two types of branch-and-cut exact algorithms are subsequently used to solve each of these four models. Finally, numerical experiments are carried out to assess the models and algorithms proposed in this study.
  Authors: Miao, Lixin; Meng, Qiang; Ruan, Qingfang
  Authors: Miao, Lixin; Meng, Qiang; Ruan, Qingfang
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-0082
• Multi-Objective Vehicle Routing Problems with Time Windows: a Vector Evaluated Artificial Bee Colony Approach
  Abstract: The vehicle routing problem with time windows, widely used in practice, is an NP-hard problem. The proposed optimization algorithm is based on the artificial bee colony algorithm combined with the vector evaluated technique for solving the problem as a multi-objective problem. Unlike traditional two-steps algorithms, this algorithm provides a simultaneous solution set. The approach was tested on standard Solomon benchmark problems and the result shows that this algorithm was better than or equal to other heuristic algorithms.
  Authors: Nahum, Oren E; Hadas, Yuval; Spiegel, Uriel
  Authors: Nahum, Oren E; Hadas, Yuval; Spiegel, Uriel
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-0106
• Cost-Stable Truck Scheduling at Cross-Dock Facility with Unknown Truck Arrivals
  Abstract: In this paper, we analyze a cross-dock operator’s problem of determining a cost-stable scheduling strategy while minimizing the average of total service costs in case of unknown truck arrival times. A bi-objective optimization problem is formulated and we discuss a genetic algorithm based heuristic to ?nd Pareto e?cient schedules. The proposed approach is compared to ?rst-come-?rst-served policies.
  Authors: Konur, Dincer; Golias, Mihalis M.
  Authors: Konur, Dincer; Golias, Mihalis M.
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-0882
• Geographic Energy Adaptive Potential of Farmers’ Market System as Compared with Conventional Supermarket System
  Abstract: Geographic energy adaptive potential is a quantitative assessment of the capacity of the supply chain system to deliver the same goods using less energy. Issues of oil supply and carbon emissions motivate the study of the energy adaptive potential of the Farmers’ market and supermarket food distribution systems. Three key indicators are used to measure the adaptive potential of the system, 1) systems’ fuel intensity and traceability of products in the supply chain, 2) potential for freight consolidation, 3) access to stores by potential customers. A method is presented to compute the freight energy intensity using information on product origins, number and type of delivery vehicles and amount of goods delivered. A hypothetical freight logistical consolidation model is created to determine potential energy savings. Access to Farmers’ markets and supermarkets by customers is calculated using Service Area analysis of ArcGIS10 and is a function of the geographic elements such as road network infrastructure and census information. The Farmers’ market system in the New Zealand setting was assessed using the three key indicators prescribed. Results of the survey conducted have shown that Farmers’ markets have higher freight energy-intensity than supermarkets. The energy intensity values for the latter were obtained using figures from government-commissioned reports. Consolidation of freight in the Farmers’ market could decrease the energy intensity. However given the current volumes of goods sold at the market, the Farmers’ market would still be more energy-intensive than supermarkets. There is also no difference between access of customers to Farmers’ markets and supermarkets.
  Authors: Asuncion, Janice Sy; Krumdieck, Susan; Rendall, Stacy; Page, Shannon; Murray, Rua
  Authors: Asuncion, Janice Sy; Krumdieck, Susan; Rendall, Stacy; Page, Shannon; Murray, Rua
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-1158
• Modified Wall-Building-Based Compound Approach for Container Loading Problem
  Abstract: Efficient loading of containers would raise current productivity for the shipment of mixed, boxed cargo and this paper considers the knapsack container loading problem. Given a rectangular-shaped container, rectangular-shaped boxes with different sizes are packed such that total loaded volume is maximized. All boxes with the same origin-destination pair may be rotated in six orthogonal directions without load-related and positioning constraints. The modified wall-building based compound approach performs 36 modified wall-building heuristics based on three existing ranking functions, two existing priority rules and six orthogonal rotations of containers, while recording the best solution. The six orthogonal rotations of containers are equivalent to filling the container in six ways (four wall building methods and two floor building methods). Three weakly heterogeneous real-world test problems from a furniture company in Thailand are employed. There is not a winning heuristic that performs best on the three test problems. The typical wall-building approach (type-1 container rotation) does not perform well when compared with considering all six orthogonal rotations of container. In terms of the number of containers, the proposed compound approach can save up to 33% on the three test problems, and the highest fill percentages in the best solution founds are improved by up to 36%, when compared with the manual solutions. The proposed approach outperforms the existing tree heuristic. The highest fill percentages by the proposed approach are up to 6% higher than those by the tree search heuristic, whereas the CPU times by the proposed approach are up to 31% of those by the tree search heuristic.
  Authors: Karoonsoontawong, Ampol; Heebkhoksung, Krongthong
  Authors: Karoonsoontawong, Ampol; Heebkhoksung, Krongthong
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-1171
• A Strategic Rail Network Optimization Model for Freight Transportation
  Abstract: The rail freight network optimization model presented in this paper was developed as a support tool for planning and policy decisions involved in the improvement of rail networks on a regional and national level. It is based on a strategic traffic assignment model designed to model macro networks with a high aggregation level, being exclusively designed for freight traffic. The model contemplates road and rail transport modes, and considers two different types of cargo: intermodal cargo, which is generally transported in containers and is easily interchanged between different modes at intermodal terminals; and general cargo, which represents all the remaining cargo. The optimization process is based on a local search heuristic which delivers good solutions in a reasonable computing time, with the quality of each network improvement solution being assessed based on the reduction of the total generalized costs and CO2 emissions. This freight network optimization model is innovative in the fact that it is not limited, allowing for both the improvement of existing links as well as the construction of new ones, and not having a limit on the number or variety of network improvement possibilities. Its adaptability to different conditions is emphasized when the model is applied to two networks under different investment scenarios, by delivering considerably different solutions adapted to the conditions of each scenario.
  Authors: Maia, Luis Couto; Couto, António Fidalgo
  Authors: Maia, Luis Couto; Couto, António Fidalgo
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-1177
• Multilevel Modeling of Commercial Vehicle Interarrival Duration Using GPS Data
  Abstract: Variation in truck travel patterns between days is difficult to measure due to a lack of multiple-day commercial travel surveys. This study uses truck GPS data to study inter-arrival duration, defined as the time between arrivals at a destination of two successive vehicles operated by the same carrier. Destinations were separated into market segments: 1) frequently-visited destinations, 2) regularly scheduled destinations, and 3) unscheduled destinations, based on visit frequency and regularity. Inter-arrival duration was modelled using multilevel ordered probit and multilevel multinomial logit models. Market segmentation improved modelling results, and multilevel models performed better than single level models.
  Authors: Sharman, Bryce; Roorda, Matthew J.
  Authors: Sharman, Bryce; Roorda, Matthew J.
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-1816
• Overview of Bunker Consumption Optimization in Shipping
  Abstract: Bunker consumption optimization is significant for shipping companies because bunker cost constitutes a large proportional of the total operating cost and bunker consumption is directly related to emissions. Bunker consumption optimization problems can generally be formulated as the mixed-integer nonlinear programming models, which are challenging in algorithm design for solving large-scale problems. In this paper, we review the solution algorithms in the literature and propose a number of new algorithms. The algorithms that are reviewed and proposed include enumeration, dynamic programming, discretization, linear (and quadratic) static (and dynamic and branch-and-bound) outer-approximation (and secant-approximation) algorithms, and a second-order cone programming approach. The applicability, optimality, and efficiency of these methods are investigated.
  Authors: Wang, Shuaian; Meng, Qiang; Liu, Zhiyuan
  Authors: Wang, Shuaian; Meng, Qiang; Liu, Zhiyuan
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-1859
• Risk-Based Vehicle Routing and Scheduling Problem with Time Windows in Hazardous Material Transportation
  Abstract: Unlike normal traffic incidents, incidents involving hazardous material are associated with significant traffic delays. As highways in cities are getting more and more crowded, monetary loss of the delay is getting massive. The formulation of the hazardous material routing and scheduling problem presented in this paper considers such potential effect of a hazardous material incident, in addition to the traditionally considered risk to exposed population. Loss due to congestion created by the incident is used as its measure. The objective is to minimize sum of the population-based and congestion-based risk cost. The model was used to explore routing and scheduling in a virtual instance of hazardous material transportation derived from road network of Osaka City, Japan. The problem was solved using Ant Colony System-based algorithms and was compared with optimal routes obtained considering population-based and congestion-based risk, respectively, as the sole criterion. The comparison showed that the model provides a better alternative to the conventional population-based model as it gives compromised optimal solution avoiding paths that causes large increase of the congestion-based cost.
  Authors: Pradhananga, Rojee; Taniguchi, Eiichi; Yamada, Tadashi; Qureshi, Ali Gul
  Authors: Pradhananga, Rojee; Taniguchi, Eiichi; Yamada, Tadashi; Qureshi, Ali Gul
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-1865
• Development of Freight Demand Generation Model: Application to California with Validation
  Abstract: The growth in freight transportation demand prompts the development of better tools to evaluate and analyze goods movement. Tools such as freight demand generation models can improve decision-making through the analysis of the types and quantity of goods moved from one point to another. This paper concerns with the disaggregation of the Federal Highway Administration’s Freight Analysis Framework database (version 3.0) on freight origin-destination data and the development of linear regression equations to describe the relationships between commodity-based productions/attractions to specific economic variables. Instead of generating a production/attraction equation for each commodity, the grouping of commodities can simplify model development and application. We consider three grouping methods and two model selection criteria (with and without intercepts). Commodity equations with high R2 values were more likely to generate outputs closer to the actual 2007 data in the calibration process. In addition to the discussion of model selection and commodity grouping, the freight generation models are further validated using county-level economic data in California and applied to predict 2015 commodity outputs. This study can be used as a guideline for city, county, metropolitan and state level planning agencies to develop their own customized freight demand generation model.
  Authors: Lim, Robert; Qian, Zhen; Zhang, H. Michael
  Authors: Lim, Robert; Qian, Zhen; Zhang, H. Michael
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-1937
• Estimation of Inventory-Theoretic Model of Mode Choice in Freight Transport
  Abstract: A model of freight mode choice is developed on the basis of the economic order quantity model, an inventory theoretic model of optimal shipment size. Shipment size is not explicit in the mode choice model; however the specifications of the utilities associated to each transport mode account for the fact that shipment size and transport mode are two related decisions, which depend on transport costs and on the logistic costs of shippers. The explanatory variables of the mode choice model are: the total commodity flow between the shipper and the receiver, the distance between the origin and the destination, the value density of the commodity, and a few additional variables. No transport supply data is used.Four similar versions of the model are estimated using the French shipper survey ECHO. As a result of these estimations, the terms of the utility functions inspired from inventory theory substantially improve the statistical goodness-of-fit of the models. The approach taken in this paper illustrates the potential of inventory theory to improve freight mode choice modeling. It also shows that the commodity flow between the shipper and the receiver is an important explanatory variable of mode choice, and insists on the fact that this variable should be observed in shipper surveys.
  Authors: Lloret-Batlle, Roger; Combes, François
  Authors: Lloret-Batlle, Roger; Combes, François
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-2513
• Assessing Redundancy of Freight Transportation Networks
  Abstract: Freight transportation network is an essential backbone for supporting the industrial activities and economic developments of the nation and global trade. In this paper, we develop a quantitative approach for assessing the redundancy of freight transportation networks, one of the four “Rs” (Robustness, Redundancy, Resourcefulness, and Rapidity) for calculating the resiliency triangle. Redundancy is characterized by two main dimensions: route diversity and network spare capacity. The route diversity dimension is to evaluate the existence of multiple efficient routes available for users or the degree of connections between a specific origin-destination (O-D) pair. The network spare capacity dimension is used to quantify the network-wide spare capacity with an explicit consideration of congestion effect. These two dimensions can complement each other by providing a two-dimensional characterization of freight transportation network redundancy. The case study of Utah statewide freight transportation network is provided to demonstrate the features of the two-dimensional approach as well as the applicability of the evaluation methodology.
  Authors: Jansuwan, Sarawut; Chen, Anthony; Xu, Xiangdong; Yang, Chao
  Authors: Jansuwan, Sarawut; Chen, Anthony; Xu, Xiangdong; Yang, Chao
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-2798
• Estimation of Warehouse Throughput in a Freight Transport Demand Model for the Netherlands
  Abstract: This paper presents an extension of the classical 4-step freight modeling framework with a logistics chain model. Modeling logistics at the regional level is important because it establishes a link between trade flow and transport flow, allows determination of the warehouse and distribution centers locations and throughput volumes, and permits more detailed and accurate policy decision support systems. This paper describes a two-stage logistics model that estimates the volumes of regional warehouse throughput. The first stage estimates interregional trade flows by means of a gravity model application starting from regional production and consumption volumes. The second stage, the logistics chain model, splits the production-consumption flow between direct shipments and shipments via warehousing facilities. We use an aggregate multinomial logit discrete choice model to determine flow volumes for each of the possible logistics chains. We achieve consistency between the gravity and logistics chain models by a joint estimation of unknown parameters. We use a new transport flow survey dataset produced by Statistics Netherlands with information on loading and unloading location types. This dataset allows the required model calibration with respect to regional warehouse throughput. The proposed logistics chain model produces accurate estimates of regional warehouse throughput volumes and plausible parameter values. In the paper we present the specification of the new model, the dataset used and the results of the estimation.
  Authors: Davydenko, Igor Y.; Tavasszy, Lóránt A. Antal
  Authors: Davydenko, Igor Y.; Tavasszy, Lóránt A. Antal
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-3590
• Scheduled Hyperpath: Strategy for Reliable Routing and Scheduling of Deliveries in Time-Dependent Networks with Random Delays
  Abstract: The paper presents a new method for improving on-time arrival reliability of deliveries. The dispatcher wishes to minimise the total expected travel time and determines a pre-trip set of attractive links, but the choice between them is made en-route by drivers, based on observation of traffic conditions on immediate successor links. Such a set of attractive paths with associated departure time and decision rule, that collectively offer better expected travel time than any single path on its own is referred to as a ‘scheduled hyperpath’.The hyperpath concept, originally proposed in the context of public transport assignment where uncertainty exists regarding the arrival time of services, is exploited here by drawing a parallel between waiting for randomly arriving public transport services and waiting for available capacity in traffic networks with random delays. Adapting those methods to the just-in-time delivery context follows from established assertions that considering multiple paths and adaptive path selection in networks with random travel times offers lower travel times than a priori least-expected time paths.The HyperDOT algorithm presented here identifies an optimal scheduled hyperpath sequentially in reverse topological and chronological order using historical distributions of link travel times for discrete time intervals as inputs. Two application areas are briefly discussed: multiple simultaneous deliveries and repetitive shipments, indicating that the proposed strategy is advantageous in networks with multiple delays, though it may lead to discarding of routes that remain the shortest even when delayed, due to the myopic character of information about the network conditions.
  Authors: Kanturska, Urszula; Trozzi, Valentina; Bell, Michael G.H.
  Authors: Kanturska, Urszula; Trozzi, Valentina; Bell, Michael G.H.
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-3696
• Mode and Shipment Size Choice Models in the FAME Simulation Framework
  Abstract: The paper describes the estimation of two discrete choice models for analyzing freight shipment size and mode choice for the commodity flow in the U.S. The multinomial logit structure is used for the model estimation for both choices. The data used in this study were gathered through a large-scale establishment survey carried out in 2011 at the national level. The survey provided detailed information on more than 1840 individual shipments that were used to develop the highly disaggregate models. The estimated disaggregate models are implemented in an activity-based freight microsimulation framework, named FAME, and the results of simulation are compared with the publicly available freight data sets. The comparison shows a satisfactory match and validates the proposed models.
  Authors: Pourabdollahi, Zahra; Javanmardi, Mahmoud; Karimi, Behzad; Mohammadian, Abolfazl; Kawamura, Kazuya
  Authors: Pourabdollahi, Zahra; Javanmardi, Mahmoud; Karimi, Behzad; Mohammadian, Abolfazl; Kawamura, Kazuya
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-4914
• Vehicle Routing Problem: Simultaneous Deliveries and Pickups with Split Loads and Time Windows
  Abstract: The Vehicle Routing Problem with Simultaneous Deliveries and Pickups (VRPSDP) has attracted great interest in research due to its potential cost savings to transportation and logistics operators. There exist several extensions of VRPSDP, and among these extensions, Simultaneous Deliveries and Pickups with Split Loads Problem (SDPSLP) is particularly proposed for eliminating the vehicle capacity constraint, as well as allowing the deliveries or the pickups for each customer to be split into multiple visits. Although delivery and pickup activities are often constrained by time windows, few studies considered such constraints when addressing SDPSLP. To fill the gap, this paper formulates the Vehicle Routing Problem of Simultaneous Deliveries and Pickups with Split Loads and Time Windows (VRPSDPSLTW) as a Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) problem. A hybrid heuristic algorithm is developed to solve this problem. Solomon datasets are applied with minor modifications to test the effectiveness of the solution algorithm. The computational experiment results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is superior to other solution approaches for VRPSDPSLTW in terms of the total travel cost, number of vehicles, and loading rate. The proposed formulation and solution algorithm for the VRPSDPSLTW problem may serve as a general analytical tool for optimizing vehicle routing in practice.
  Authors: Wang, Yong; Ma, Xiaolei; Lao, Yunteng; Wang, Yinhai; Mao, Haijun
  Authors: Wang, Yong; Ma, Xiaolei; Lao, Yunteng; Wang, Yinhai; Mao, Haijun
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-5014
• Disaggregate Tour-Based Truck Model with Simulation of Shipment Allocation to Trucks
  Abstract: Recent advances in freight and commercial vehicle modeling have tended to focus on either tour-based truck models or on logistics supply chain models, but relatively little progress has been made on combining the two paradigms into an integrated model framework that models both shipments and truck movements in a disaggregate manner, such that the amount of travel and the travel patterns of local freight truck movement is responsive to changes such as the amount of production and consumption of commodities in a region. This paper describes a tour-based truck model for urban commercial vehicle movement that is part of such a complete framework, developed by the authors and demonstrated in the Chicago metropolitan region.The tour-based truck model’s demand for truck trips derives from a microsimulation of individual shipments, the businesses that ship and receive the shipments, and the distribution centers through which the shipments are moved. The model links shipments coming through distribution centers with the vehicles that will deliver them. The model is comprised of a sequence of discrete choice models and clustering and sequencing models to build vehicle tours. The discrete choice models were estimated using the Texas commercial vehicle survey and then applied in Chicago. The paper presents the specifications of the models that comprise the tour-based truck model and discusses their reasonableness with respect to observed truck movements from the Texas commercial vehicle survey.
  Authors: Smith, Colin; Chen, Jason; Sana, Bhargava; Outwater, Maren L.
  Authors: Smith, Colin; Chen, Jason; Sana, Bhargava; Outwater, Maren L.
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-5158
• Tabu Search Heuristics for Inventory Routing Problem with Route Duration Limits and Stochastic Inventory Capacity Constraints
  Abstract: This paper studies the inventory management and routing problem in a two-level supply chain where a single plant serves a set of warehouses, which in turn serve a set of customers with stochastic demands. A set partitioning based probabilistic chance constrained nonlinear integer programming formulation is provided for the combined continuous inventory control and multi-depot vehicle routing problem while accounting for probability of inventory capacity violation, order quantity capacity, service levels, vehicle capacity restrictions and route duration limits. Two tabu search heuristics, differing in the way initial solutions are generated, are applied to solve the problem. Computational tests on standard tests networks reveal that integrating the inventory management and routing decisions by solving the combined inventory management and routing problem may yield cost savings of up to 14% over the sequential approach where both problems are solved separately. The best objective function value obtained by the tabu search heuristic was found to increase with increase in customer demand variance but decrease with increase in order quantity capacity and route duration limit. The safety stock levels, the reorder points and total holding costs were found to increase with increase in customer demand variance. The available inventory capacity was found to decrease with increase in customer demand variance. The total ordering costs in the best solution increases with the decrease of the order quantity capacity, whereas the total holding costs decreases with the decrease of the order quantity capacity. The routing costs increases with the decrease of route duration limit.
  Authors: Karoonsoontawong, Ampol; Unnikrishnan, Avinash
  Authors: Karoonsoontawong, Ampol; Unnikrishnan, Avinash
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-1175
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Joint Model of Freight Mode and Shipment Size Choice
  Abstract: Mode and shipment size choice are among the most critical logistics decisions that despite their strong correlations are typically studied separately in freight demand studies. This paper employs an innovative copula-based framework to model freight mode and shipment size choice simultaneously as a joint decision-making problem. A copula-based joint MNL-MNL model is employed in which both mode choice and shipment size are modeled as discrete choices using multinomial logit structure. The intention of proposed copula-based model is to capture the potential effects of observed and unobserved factors that jointly affect both choices. The data used in this study were gathered through a large-scale establishment survey conducted in 2011 in the U.S.A. The survey provided detailed information on more than 1840 individual shipments that were used to develop the disaggregate models. Results of estimated model underline the importance of inter-relationship between freight mode choice and shipment size and suggest that there are common influential unobserved factors that affect mode and shipment size choices. The model provides the ability to better capture the effects of observed and unobserved factors that affect both choices simultaneously.
  Authors: Pourabdollahi, Zahra; Karimi, Behzad; Mohammadian, Abolfazl
  Authors: Pourabdollahi, Zahra; Karimi, Behzad; Mohammadian, Abolfazl
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-3238
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Location Optimization of Multiple Distribution Centers Based on Fuzzy Clustering Algorithm
  Abstract: Locating distribution centers optimally is a crucial and systematic task for logistics operators and decision makers. Optimally located distribution centers can significantly improve the logistics system’s efficiency and reduce its operational cost. However, it is not an easy task to optimize distribution center locations and previous studies focused primarily on location optimization of a single distribution center. With the growing logistics demands, multiple distribution centers become necessary to meet customers’ requirements, but few studies have tackled the Multiple Distribution Center Locations (MDCL) problems. This paper presents a comprehensive algorithm to address the MDCL problem. Fuzzy integration and clustering approach using the Improved Axiomatic Fuzzy Set (AFS) theory is developed for location clustering based on multiple hierarchical evaluation criteria. Then, Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is applied for evaluating and selecting the best candidate for each cluster. Sensitivity analysis is also conducted to assess the influence of each criterion in the location planning decision procedure. Results from a case study in Guiyang, China, reveals that the approach developed in this study outperforms other similar algorithms for multiple distribution center location selections. This new method may easily be extended to address location planning of other types of facilities, including hospitals, fire stations, and schools.
  Authors: Wang, Yong; Ma, Xiaolei; Lao, Yunteng; Li, Zhibin; Wang, Yinhai; Mao, Haijun
  Authors: Wang, Yong; Ma, Xiaolei; Lao, Yunteng; Li, Zhibin; Wang, Yinhai; Mao, Haijun
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-3246
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Using Theory of Constraints to Analyze Bottlenecks in the Freight Transportation System: Case of the Center-North Corridor in Brazil
  Abstract: Looking at the logistics chain in Brazil, it is easy to find several problems that need to be solved in order to obtain maximum efficiency in moving goods around the national territory, especially because in such country the commodities exportation is one of the most important elements of the country’s economy. In this context, the problem this paper aims at studying is: how can the bottlenecks in the logistics chain of freight transportation be analyzed in order to deliver efficient freight transportation in a given region? Considering these aspects, this study seeks to develop a methodology for analyzing the logistics bottlenecks in order to promote improvements in the logistics chain of freight transportation in Brazil. This methodology was developed using the concepts of the Theory of Constraints, which has been created by Eliyahu Goldratt when he became interested in problems regarding logistics of production. The methodology was applied to the case of the Center-North Corridor in Brazil in order to be validated.
  Authors: Almeida, Cristiano Farias; Penaforte, Mariana Figueiredo; Yamashita, Yaeko
  Authors: Almeida, Cristiano Farias; Penaforte, Mariana Figueiredo; Yamashita, Yaeko
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-0562
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• PathWorld: New Software Approach to Vehicle Routing on Large Networks
  Abstract: The Shortest Path Problem (SPP) is a set of classic logistics problems whose main objective is to minimize total cost between origin and destination on a network or fulfill the demand of each customer on a tour while satisfying additional requirements. To this end, a wide variety of software and algorithms have been developed and applied to solve this problem. Examples range from everyday usage in Google Maps and vehicle GPS to more detailed professionally-oriented which provide users more robust functions for scheduling delivery tours and related tasks. This paper introduces a set of new variations on the SPP in a software package tentatively entitled PathWorld which is developed in Matlab environment and the software mainly deals with the shortest path problem on large data sets by applying a binary tree spanning algorithm (BTSM) to find basic route recommendations. This process was linked with a Graphical User Interface to illustrate the route recommendation on the scale of the entire North American Continent. The paper begins with an overview on the algorithms devoted to the shortest path problem and some commercialized software that incorporate these algorithms. The paper continues with a review of the main algorithm (BTSM) used in the PathWorld software for solving basic shortest path problems. Finally, the paper provides an overview of the functionalities of PathWorld, its architecture, and the main techniques for the GUI as a means to introduce a new perspective on creation of specialized logistics software. The paper concludes with a discussion on future development.
  Authors: Wang, Qifeng; Lindquist, Peter S,.; Eloff, Jeffrey J.
  Authors: Wang, Qifeng; Lindquist, Peter S,.; Eloff, Jeffrey J.
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-1728
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Incorporating Urban Area Truck Freight Value into Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s Urban Mobility Report
  Abstract: For nearly 30 years, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) has developed methodologies and appropriate performance measures for estimating congestion performance and communicating them to technical and non-technical audiences. Historically, TTI’s Urban Mobility Report (UMR) has focused on passenger-car congestion (i.e., the average commuter). However, roadway traffic congestion certainly impacts both commuters and goods movement. With the documented growth of freight shipments and value, particularly in trucking, researchers developed and applied a methodology to include urban area truck freight commodity value that is impacted by congestion into the UMR. The methodology uses data from Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) and Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS). Commodity values supplied by FAF are integrated with truck vehicle-miles of travel (VMT) calculated from the HPMS roadway inventory.Researchers estimated that $7 trillion worth of commodities was trucked on America’s urban streets and highways during 2020. At the urban area level, the results of the truck value measure appear intuitive as bigger cities consume more goods, which mean a higher value of freight movement. The addition of truck value to the UMR provides another dimension to inform policy-makers and decision-makers about the congestion problem. It also serves to inform trucking stakeholders by estimating the amount of truck value that is impacted by congestion. Researchers will continue to include the truck freight value performance measure in subsequent releases of the UMR.
  Authors: Eisele, William L.; Schrank, David Lynn; Bittner, Jason J.; Larson, Gregory
  Authors: Eisele, William L.; Schrank, David Lynn; Bittner, Jason J.; Larson, Gregory
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-1237
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Modeling Carrier Truckload Freight Rates in Spot Markets
  Abstract: Most transportation research has focused on the cost determinants of long-term motor carrier contracts for specific lanes. However, with the emergence of third-party logistics (3PL) providers in the U.S. following deregulation in the 1980s, a significant amount of capacity for shipments is secured via spot market transactions as opposed to contracts. Carrier rates for shipments with even the same origin and destination can vary widely from transaction to transaction in this scenario. This research investigates the factors behind this occurrence and identifies the major determinants of carrier costs in spot market transactions at both an individual shipment level and at a more aggregate lane level. Additionally, it also explores a tactical planning scenario in which a 3PL provider addresses chronic fiscal underperformance on certain lanes. The research has found that factors such as distance, characteristics of the shipping lane and the required truck type are among the most important determinants of motor carrier rates at both the individual shipment and the lane level. Also, seasonality and overall market conditions play a major role in determining rates for truckload shipments. The study then goes on to show that the results of the cost determinant analysis may be used to set better baseline prices on underperforming lanes.
  Authors: Lindsey, Christopher; Frei, Andreas; Ali Babai, Hamed; Mahmassani, Hani S.; Park, Young-Woong; Klabjan, Diego; Reed, Michael; Langheim, Gregory; Keating, Todd
  Authors: Lindsey, Christopher; Frei, Andreas; Ali Babai, Hamed; Mahmassani, Hani S.; Park, Young-Woong; Klabjan, Diego; Reed, Michael; Langheim, Gregory; Keating, Todd
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-4109
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Building Tomorrow’s Clean Freight System: The Potential Zero Emission Freight Corridor System In Southern California
  Abstract: The Southern California Association of Government’s (SCAG)’s 2012 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) includes a “Regional Clean Freight Corridor System” as a regional highway strategy. This Clean Freight Corridor is a proposed system of dedicated truck facilities extending from the San Pedro Bay Ports to downtown Los Angeles along I-710, connecting to an east-west segment, and finally reaching I-15 in San Bernardino County. Concepts and operational details for this system have been evolving over the last decade, and the initial operating segment (I-710) is now in the environmental review stage. Current plans for this system will provide a platform for the introduction and adoption of zero- and/or near-zero emission technologies – including electrified trucks. This paper focuses on planning analysis part of this clean freight corridor – the portion that would connect I-710 in the west of the SCAG region, and I-15 in the east of the region- henceforth known as the “East West Freight Corridor (EWFC)”. It summarizes the analytical and stakeholder outreach work completed since 2008 to advance the EWFC concept, including: a better understanding of markets served by the EWFC, the identification of non-freeway alignments that could help mitigate community impacts and create synergies with other public works projects, a better understanding of truck movement in the region and traffic impacts from an EWFC, and development of a plan for how the corridor could be used to help introduce new clean truck technologies to the region. Finally, it describes the process by which potential alignments for the EWFC were identified, screened, and analyzed, and summarizes the potential benefits of the current preferred corridor alignment.
  Authors: Hartshorn, Sophie; Nam, Annie; Fischer, Michael J.
  Authors: Hartshorn, Sophie; Nam, Annie; Fischer, Michael J.
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-4589
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Incorporating Local Truck Performance Characteristics into the Calibration of Microsimulation Models
  Abstract: Traffic microsimulation models incorporate default vehicle performance characteristics that might not be representative of local conditions. In spite of this, many users do not perform a rigorous calibration of the model parameters and even when this is done, the vehicle performance parameters are generally omitted. Where significant differences exist between the default vehicle performance characteristics and those of the local traffic, results of the microsimulation analyses can be misleading. For example, the default acceleration and deceleration curves for simulating truck movements in VISSIM, a widely used traffic microsimulation model, are based on data from Western Europe that might not be directly applicable to the U.S. truck fleet.This paper proposes an approach for incorporating the unique operating characteristics of the local truck fleet into the calibration process of microsimulation models. In particular, the desired acceleration and deceleration functions for trucks are treated as unknowns that must be estimated as part of the model calibration process as opposed to using their default values. It is expected that such explicit consideration of local truck characteristics will lead to more reliable microsimulation results. The applicability and potential usefulness of the procedure was demonstrated through a case study using VISSIM. The results indicated that calibrating the acceleration and deceleration function in addition to the driver behavior parameters reduced the average discrepancy between observed and simulated speeds by 42.5%. The methodology may be of potential interest to many transportation agencies as it is based on data that are often readily available.
  Authors: Appiah, Justice; Naik, Bhaven; Rilett, Laurence Russell; Sorensen, Scott
  Authors: Appiah, Justice; Naik, Bhaven; Rilett, Laurence Russell; Sorensen, Scott
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-4645
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Geographic Energy Adaptive Potential of Farmers' Market System as Compared with Conventional Supermarket System
  Authors: Asuncion, Janice
  Authors: Asuncion, Janice
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-1158
• Tabu Search Heuristics for Inventory Routing Problem with Route Duration Limits and Stochastic Inventory Capacity Constraints
  Authors: Unnikrishnan, Avinash
  Authors: Unnikrishnan, Avinash
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-1175
• PathWorld: New Software Approach to Vehicle Routing on Large Networks
  Authors: Wang, Qifeng
  Authors: Wang, Qifeng
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-1728
• Overview of Bunker Consumption Optimization in Shipping
  Authors: Meng, Qiang
  Authors: Meng, Qiang
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-1859
• Multilevel Modeling of Commercial Vehicle Interarrival Duration Using GPS Data
  Authors: Sharman, Bryce
  Authors: Sharman, Bryce
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-1816
• Assessing Redundancy of Freight Transportation Networks
  Authors: Jansuwan, Sarawut
  Authors: Jansuwan, Sarawut
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-2798
• Location Optimization of Multiple Distribution Centers Based on Fuzzy Clustering Algorithm
  Authors: Wang, Yong
  Authors: Wang, Yong
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-3246
• Joint Model of Freight Mode and Shipment Size Choice
  Authors: Karimi, Behzad
  Authors: Karimi, Behzad
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-3238
• Building Tomorrow's Clean Freight System: The Potential Zero Emission Freight Corridor System In Southern California
  Authors: Hartshorn, Sophie
  Authors: Hartshorn, Sophie
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-4589
• Network Flow Methodology to Estimate Empty Trips in Freight Transportation Models
  Authors: Mesa-Arango, Rodrigo
  Authors: Mesa-Arango, Rodrigo
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-4684
• Vehicle Routing Problem: Simultaneous Deliveries and Pickups with Split Loads and Time Windows
  Authors: Wang, Yong
  Authors: Wang, Yong
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-5014
• Using Theory of Constraints to Analyze Bottlenecks in the Freight Transportation System: Case of the Center-North Corridor in Brazil
  Authors: Almeida, Cristiano
  Authors: Almeida, Cristiano
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-0562
• Mode and Shipment Size Choice Models in the FAME Simulation Framework
  Authors: Karimi, Behzad
  Authors: Karimi, Behzad
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-4914
• A Strategic Rail Network Optimization Model for Freight Transportation
  Authors: Maia, Luis
  Authors: Maia, Luis
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-1177
• Incorporating Urban Area Truck Freight Value into Texas A&M Transportation Institute's Urban Mobility Report
  Authors: Eisele, William
  Authors: Eisele, William
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-1237
• Risk-Based Vehicle Routing and Scheduling Problem with Time Windows in Hazardous Material Transportation
  Authors: Pradhananga, Rojee
  Authors: Pradhananga, Rojee
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-1865
• Incorporating Local Truck Performance Characteristics into the Calibration of Microsimulation Models
  Authors: Appiah, Justice
  Authors: Appiah, Justice
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation; Poster
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-4645
• Network Flow Methodology to Estimate Empty Trips in Freight Transportation Models
  Abstract:

  Commodity based freight transportation models, e.g., Freight Analysis Framework (FAF), transform volume of commodities into traffic flow applying vehicle utilization factors. However, they cannot accurately capture the number of empty trips that result as a consequence of moving these commodities. Previous research has proposed a number of methodologies to incorporate empty trips as a function of loaded trips and some assumptions about the trip chains. Parameters in these models are calibrated with extensive origin-destination surveys. However, freight transportation data is usually scarce or not properly available for models. This paper presents a novel methodology to estimate the number of empty trips based on a time expanded network flow approach that captures behavioral and operational characteristics of the carriers. The model is formulated as a linear optimization problem that minimizes the system costs associated to truck trips. The model is validated with a commercial vehicle survey from Colombia. The results show that under some operational assumptions, the model appropriately represents the amount of empty vehicle-hours in a freight transportation network.

  Authors: Mesa-Arango, Rodrigo; Ukkusuri, Satish V.; Sarmiento, Ivan
  Authors: Mesa-Arango, Rodrigo; Ukkusuri, Satish V.; Sarmiento, Ivan
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities
  Session: 248
  Paper Number: 13-4684
  Practice-Ready: Yes