TRB Pubsindex
Text Size:
x

« Prev Next »

Return to Results | New Search

Bookmark and Share

Title:

Spatially-Based Model to Determine Price-Optimal Log Transportation by Trucks and Rail in the Upper Mid-West--Development and Initial Outcomes

Accession Number:

01337730

Record Type:

Component

Abstract:

Transportation of forest products is a complicated and competitive industry, where a significant portion of the overall supply chain costs goes to transportation. It is also a low margin industry where even small savings are important to secure a healthy industry outcome. In this environment, use of multiple modes of transportation should be considered, if they offer potential for reduced transportation costs. A research study at Michigan Tech University developed a spatially-based model to investigate the movements of over 100,000 actual truckload shipments of logs in northern Wisconsin, northern Minnesota, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Current road infrastructure, updated rail network and rail siding data, and publicly available rate information on each mode were combined to create a model that compares the overall trip cost between the actual truck trips and another transportation alternative that combines truck and rail transportation. This paper will review the development of the model and present the modeling outcomes which suggest that over 20% of transit ton-miles that were shipped by trucks could have been more cost-effectively moved through combined truck and rail (bimodal) transportation and would have led to roughly 3.75% reduction in transportation costs. In addition, sensitivity analysis conducted to analyze the effects of changing fuel prices for the modal split suggested that every one dollar increase in fuel price would warrant additional seven percent shift of ton-miles to bimodal transportation.

Monograph Accession #:

01329018

Report/Paper Numbers:

11-3632

Language:

English

Corporate Authors:

Transportation Research Board

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States

Authors:

Lautala, Pasi Tapio
Handler, Robert
Hicks, Justin W

Pagination:

15p

Publication Date:

2011

Conference:

Transportation Research Board 90th Annual Meeting

Location: Washington DC, United States
Date: 2011-1-23 to 2011-1-27
Sponsors: Transportation Research Board

Media Type:

DVD

Features:

Figures (6) ; References (14) ; Tables (2)

Uncontrolled Terms:

Transportation costs

Subject Areas:

Freight Transportation; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Railroads; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

Source Data:

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2011 Paper #11-3632

Files:

TRIS, TRB

Created Date:

Feb 17 2011 6:35PM