Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
Spring 5-31-1995
Degree Name
Master of Science in Transportation - (M.S.)
Department
Executive Committee for the Interdisciplinary Program in Transportation
First Advisor
Lazar Spasovic
Second Advisor
Louis J. Pignataro
Third Advisor
Athanassios K. Bladikas
Abstract
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.
Recommended Citation
Moy, David Jr., "Reducing rail-truck freight intermodal drayage costs" (1995). Theses. 1154.
https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/theses/1154
