Intermodal traffic has been steadily increasing on the nation's railroads since the mid 1950's. Intermodal flatcar activity is now second only to coal in terms of total car loadings throughout the industry. The intermodal segment of the nation's transportation system is expected to play an ever increasing role in the future. Intermodal managers faced with increasing demands on their systems, have expressed a need for methods to aid in the development of new management techniques, economic costing models, and management information systems. The computer simulation intermodal model that is presented in this paper is designed to aid managers with the analysis of their current terminal systems and to plan for future growth in intermodal activity. The intermodal terminal model employs discrete, next event, simulation techniques. The Q-GERT simulation language, developed by A. Allen B. Pritsker, provides the vehicle necessary to approximate the required activities and associated flow of transactions through the terminal system. Three specific types of containers and flatcars are provided for, in addition to provisions for over-the-road container pick up and delivery. Thus, the model is adaptable to complex terminal systems, including sea ports where highly specialized containers are commonly encountered with rail, truck and ship interfaces. It is possible to simulate terminal activities for any period of time required for a specific analysis. The model's simulation output can also be modified, with little difficulty, to provide estimates of specific variables of interest for a particular terminal. Provisions for the operating environment of a terminal are also included in the model. These include week-end work rules, switching rules, container consignee notification rules, types of handling equipment employed and the standard working hours for a terminal. The primary applications of the model are viewed to be in the areas of planning and analysis for intermodal terminal current operations and future design concepts. The graphical network orientation of the model, however, could provide managers with a communications tool to apprise upper level decision makers of new concepts. Current problems, with recommended solutions, could also be visually illustrated. / Ph. D.

by Chung Wai Yin, Jessie. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1992. / Includes bibliographical references. / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.v / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.viii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.ix / Chapter CHAPTER I --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- History of the Hong Kong Container Port X / Chapter 1.2 --- Present Operations in the Port --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3 --- Future Expansion --- p.6 / Chapter 1.4 --- Regional and Local Competition --- p.8 / Chapter CHAPTER II --- RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1 --- Background and Overview --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2 --- Research Objectives --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3 --- The Belief --- p.16 / Chapter 2.4 --- Significance of the Research --- p.18 / Chapter 2.5 --- Research Methodology --- p.18 / Chapter 2.5.1 --- Personal Interviews --- p.19 / Chapter 2.5.2 --- Literature Survey --- p.20 / Chapter CHAPTER III --- LITERATURE SURVEY --- p.22 / Chapter 3.1 --- Terminal Capacity --- p.22 / Chapter 3.2 --- Huge Rise in Future Throughput --- p.23 / Chapter 3.3 --- Handling Efficiency --- p.25 / Chapter 3.4 --- Tariff --- p.26 / Chapter 3. 5 --- New Threats --- p.27 / Chapter 3.6 --- Consolidated Bibliography --- p.28 / Chapter CHAPTER IV --- PRESENT MARKETING STRATEGIES --- p.30 / Chapter 4.1 --- "Mission, Goals and Objectives" --- p.30 / Chapter 4 .2 --- Strategic Plan --- p.31 / Chapter 4.3 --- Marketing Strategy Review --- p.32 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Service Quality --- p.32 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Tariff Policy --- p.37 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Market Share --- p.39 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Customer Relationship --- p.41 / Chapter 4.3.5 --- Other Business Opportunities --- p.44 / Chapter 4.3.6 --- Company Image --- p.45 / Chapter CHAPTER V --- SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL FINDINGS --- p.46 / Chapter 5.1 --- Research Results and Analysis --- p.46 / Chapter 5.2 --- Marketing Objectives --- p.47 / Chapter 5.3 --- Maintain Existing Customers and Marketing Share --- p.50 / Chapter 5.4 --- Evaluate Existing customer Base --- p.51 / Chapter 5.5 --- Increase Yard Capacity --- p.52 / Chapter 5.6 --- information Technology --- p.54 / Chapter 5 .7 --- Competitive Pricing --- p.56 / Chapter 5.8 --- Cost Strategy --- p.58 / Chapter CHAPTER VI --- CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS --- p.59 / Chapter 6.1 --- Control --- p.59 / Chapter 6.2 --- Uncertainties --- p.60 / APPENDICES / Chapter A. --- LIST OF INTERVIEWEES (SHIPPING LINES) --- p.A1 / Chapter B. --- LIST OF INTERVIEWEES (MTL PERSONNEL) --- p.A2 / Chapter C. --- NOTES AND MAJOR ASSUMPTIONS --- p.A3 / GRAPH A HK THROUGHPUT AND GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT --- p.A5 / GRAPH B REGRESSION ANALYSIS ON HK GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT AND THROUGHPUT --- p.A6 / TABLE A HK GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT FORECAST --- p.A7 / TABLE B THROUGHPUT HANDLED IN HONG KONG --- p.A8 / Chapter D. --- PERFORMANCE INDICATORS --- p.A9 / Chapter E. --- CUSTOMER LINES --- p.A10

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Transport Policy and Planning / Master / Master of Arts in Transport Policy and Planning

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Transnet, the entity responsible for port infrastructure and the operating thereof, are faced with the difficult task of ensuring that the port system in South Africa is always ready to cater to all import and export requirements of the country. A major portion of these volumes will enter and leave the country in the form of containerised cargo, which effectively unitises the cargo for easier handling. What makes the task for Transnet that much more difficult, is that volumes are not easily forecasted and when one takes into account that ports need to be looking at least ten years down the line to ensure infrastructure can be put in place in time, it makes the problem that much more difficult. International studies show that trade between India, Europe and South America are growing, which provides South Africa with the opportunity to become a hub port based on the countries central location between these three areas. Currently Durban and the recently opened port of Ngqura are and will be serving as hub ports to cater for these and other volumes, but it is not certain under what conditions there would be a need for an additional hub port, if at all. Through the course of this research report three scenarios of growth are examined in an effort to answer this question. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Transnet, die entiteit verantwoordelik vir hawe-infrastruktuur en die werking daarvan, is met die moeilike taak geplaas om te verseker dat die hawe-stelsel in Suid-Afrika altyd gereed is vir al die invoer en uitvoer vereistes van die land. 'n Groot gedeelte van hierdie vereistes sal die land betree en verlaat in die vorm van houers, wat goedere unitiseer vir makliker hantering. Wat die taak vir Transnet soveel moeiliker maak, is dat die volumes nie maklik geskat kan word nie, en wanneer Transnet ten minste tien jaar in die toekoms moet skat om seker te maak dat die infrastruktuur in plek kan gestel word in tyd, maak dit die probleem soveel moeiliker. Internasionale navorsing dui dat die handel tussen Indië, Europa en Suid-Amerika groei, wat vir Suid-Afrika die geleentheid skep om 'n ‘hub port’ to word wat gebaseer is op die land se sentrale ligging tussen hierdie drie lande. Op die oomblik sal Durban en die onlangs geopende hawe van Ngqura, as ‘hub ports’ funksioneer om voorsiening te maak vir hierdie en ander volumes, maar dit is nie seker onder watter omstandighede sou daar 'n behoefte vir 'n ekstra-hub port wees nie. Deur die loop van hierdie navorsing word verslag gelewer van die drie scenario's, en word hierdie vraag ondersoek in 'n poging om hierdie vraag te beantwoord.

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Transport Policy and Planning / Master / Master of Arts

This thesis studies the feasibility and methodology of applying state-of-the-art computer technology in scientific workflow modelling, within a collaborative environment. The collaborative environment also indicates that the people involved include non-computer scientists or engineers from other disciplines. The objective of this research is to provide a systematic methodology based on a web environment for the purpose of lowering the barriers brought by the heterogeneous features of multi-institutions, multi-platforms and geographically distributed resources which are implied in the collaborative environment of scientific workflow.

This thesis deals with seaborne transport with emphasis on transport of containerized goods, contract terms and conditions of imports of goods to the European Union. It also describes the current situation of maritime transport on the route the EU - Vietnam. The practical part is focused on the import of goods into the Czech Republic using a freight forwarder services.

This research develops a computer simulation method for federating an Arena© port operations model and a VISSIM© roadway network operations model. The development of this method is inspired by the High Level Architecture (HLA) standard for federating simulations, and incorporates several elements of the HLA principles into its design. The federated simulation model is then tested using a time-lag experiment to demonstrate the presence of feedback loops between federated model components wherein changes to input parameters of one model during runtime can be shown to affect the operational performance of the other model. This experiment also demonstrates how several initial transient phase and steady state operating characteristics of the federated system can be determined from the federation output data. The results indicate that the method developed in this study is capable of capturing the dynamic interaction of two models in federated simulation. It is shown that feedback loops can exist between two models in federated simulation. Most notably, the federation output shows that increased traffic volume in the roadway network model influences the accumulation of containers in the port terminal queue of the port model. The federation output also shows that increased container volume leaving the port terminal model affects both port and road truck utilization, as well as the total number of port trucks in the roadway network model. Challenges and future directions for research in federating transportation-related simulations are also presented.