Thesis (M.S.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Industrial Engineering. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Studies of log truck speeds and fuel consumption were made at four location in the southeastern United States. Execution of the study necessitated the development and testing of a microprocessor based data logger capable of withstanding the harsh operating environment found in forest harvesting and transport equipment. The first study investigated the normal operating pattern for a truck in a logging contractors flect. The truck was found to be highly utilized and to incur considerable distances of unloaded running to service the contractor's widely separated operations. A second study highlighted the fucl and speed penalties associated with operations on sand and gravel roads. The third study documented significant performance differences between routes delivering to one location even where road surface differences were minimal. A fourth, detailed study illustrated speed and fuel consumption differences between urban and mural operations. Tests on a group of five experienced drivers demonstrated considerable differences in speed and fuel usage. Some drivers appeared to have a driving style which delivered higher speed with low fuel consumption. A detailed analysis of individual speed profiles indicated that as much as 1/3 to 1/2 of the recorded fuel consumption on one section was associated with air resistance. In conclusion the studies noted that for the trucks and conditions evaluated: (1) there are significant performance losses and increased costs associated with operations on low standard road sections. Road roughness was a significant factor determining speed. (2) performance and cost differences between routes were demonstrated even for roads of comparable road surface type. This indicated that inter-route costs differences may be pervasive. These differences would require acknowledgement and evaluation if equitable route payment schedules were to be constructed. (3) All the trucks studied operated for at least part of the time at high speeds and may be incurring unnecessary fuel and maintenance expenses. Application of aerodynamic deflectors might be beneficial and their applicability should be tested. (4) Some driving styles appear more efficient and deserve further investigation and documentation. Changing driver behavior might present the most cost effective means of improvement in fleet performance. / Ph. D.

This research explores the feasibility of providing innovative and effective solutions for traffic congestion. The design of reservation systems is being considered as an alternative and/or complementary travel demand management (TDM) strategy. A reservation indicates that a user will follow a booking procedure defined by the reservation system before traveling so as to obtain the right to access a facility or resource. In this research, the reservation system is introduced for a cordon-based downtown road network, hereafter called the Downtown Space Reservation System (DSRS). The research is executed in three steps. In the first step, the DSRS is developed using classic optimization techniques in conjunction with an artificial intelligence technology. The development of this system is the foundation of the entire research, and the second and third steps build upon it. In the second step, traffic simulation models are executed so as to assess the impact of the DSRS on a hypothetical transportation road network. A simulation model provides various transportation measures and helps the decision maker analyze the system from a transportation perspective. In this step, multiple simulation runs (demand scenarios) are conducted and performance insights are generated. However, additional performance measurement and system design issues need to be addressed beyond the simulation paradigm. First, it is not the absolute representation of performance that matters, but the concept of relative performance that is important. Moreover, a simulation does not directly demonstrate how key performance measures interact with each other, which is critical when trying to understand a system structure. To address these issues, in the third step, a comprehensive performance measurement framework has been applied. An analytical technique for measuring the relative efficiency of organizational units, or in this case, demand scenarios called network Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), is used. The network model combines the perspectives of the transportation service provider, the user and the community, who are the major stakeholders in the transportation system. This framework enables the decision maker to gain an in-depth appreciation of the system design and performance measurement issues. / Ph. D.

SPATIAL & TRANSPORTATION MISMATCH IN SWEDEN, 2015: EFFECTS OF MISMATCH & EASEMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IN ÖRNSKÖLDSVIK & SUNDSVALL (Master thesis by Oscar Uneklint, 2018). The paper firstly aims to investigate how spatial and transportation workplace-access influences employment outcomes in the cities and municipalities of Sundsvall & Örnsköldsvik, located at the coastal north of Sweden. Secondly, the paper aims to evaluate the performance of the local public transportation networks in easing the effects of mismatch. Sweden’s sparse population, lesser degree of segregation and egalitarian economic model questions the influence of spatial mismatch in Sweden, recent increase in immigration and inequalities gives urgency to such questions. Accuracy of investigation is improved by the availability of microlevel-data but may be improved further by additional instruments. Results confirm minor influence of spatial access and major influence of transportation access on employment outcomes in the study area, 2015. The minor effect of job-access is stronger at the neighborhood-level, than commuting-level. The local public transportation networks reveal core-periphery structures and visualizes the strengths, weaknesses and complementarity of each system. While Örnsköldsvik’s network is more equitable and interconnected, Sundsvall’s network is better serviced with fewer but more relevant stations resulting in different challenges for public transportation in easing employment mismatch and improving life chances. / SPATIAL & TRANSPORTATION MISMATCH IN SWEDEN, 2015: EFFECTS OF MISMATCH & EASEMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IN ÖRNSKÖLDSVIK & SUNDSVALL (Masteruppsats av Oscar Uneklint, 2018). Studien syftar för det första till att undersöka hur transportoberoende och transportberoende tillgänglighet till arbetsplatser påverkar anställningsutfall i Sundsvalls och Örnsköldsviks tätorter och kommuner, lokaliserade vid norra Sveriges kuststråk. Sveriges fåtaliga befolkning, mindre segregation och utjämnande ekonomiska modell ifrågasätter tillämpningen av rumslig missmatchning i Sverige. Samtidigt leder ökad immigration och tilltagande socioekonomiska skillnader till att förståelsen av dessa frågor brådskar. Resultatet bekräftar ett mindre inflytande av transportoberoende tillgänglighet och ett större inflytande av transportberoende tillgänglighet till arbetsplatser inom undersökningsområdet, 2015. Samtidigt är effekten av arbetstillgång större inom kvarteret än på pendelavstånd. Precisionen av både de skattade effekterna och hur de lindras förbättras av tillgången till individbaserade data, men effektskattningen försvagas av få instrument-variabler. För det andra syftar studien att utvärdera det kollektiva transportsystemet i de båda städerna för att lindra och utjämna de skattade tillgänglighetseffekterna. Resultatet bekräftar tydliga centrum-periferi strukturer i båda nätverken och visualiserar tillgänglighet, frekvens, styrka, funktion och komplementaritet i respektive buslinjenät.