FHWA researchers assessed drayage optimization algorithms to improve the productivity and efficiency of intermodal carriers in the United States
Statewide, Tennessee, United States
Development of a Cross Town Improvement Project (C-TIP) Drayage Optimization Application
Summary Information
In cooperation with industry and on behalf of the U.S. DOT, the Federal Highway Administration, in 2013, finalized an assessment of a drayage optimization application sponsored under the Cross-Town Improvement Project (C-TIP). The purpose of this project was to test methods for leveraging technology to improve drayage operations. The evaluation of this application quantified benefits resulting from improved algorithms that optimize intermodal shipments from origin to destination.
Approach
To effectively handle the complexity of the drayage problem inherent in the Memphis C-TIP and ensure that the algorithm was working properly:
- The development and validation of the algorithm was divided into multiple iterations.
- The algorithm performance was tested over a set of different problems ranging from well-known benchmark problems to specially customized ones.
- The performance assessment of the algorithm relied on sets of real data that were collected from the daily operations of the drayage company in Memphis, TN over a six-month period.
Results
In order to compare the Pre-Deployment and Post-Deployment phases, three levels of analysis – ranging from relaxed to restricted – were conducted on the data points collected during the Pre- and Post-Deployment periods. From each data set, 31 data points were selected to conduct a pairwise comparison of two data subsets with the same operational behavior. By comparing averages of the selected Pre- and Post-Deployment data points, the analysis found the following:
- The required fleet reduced by 21 percent.
- Total miles reduced by 9 percent.
- Average miles per truck increased by 14 percent.
- Total bobtail miles reduced by 13 percent.