Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb. 18, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Dr. James S. Noble, Thesis Supervisor. Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of this research is to increase transportation engineering knowledge about trucking operations and truck size and weight regulations in Costa Rica. This is done to reveal issues that should be considered in defining, evaluating, and choosing among alternative courses of action to improve truck operations and safety in the country. The research analyzes truck operations in Costa Rica with respect to the transportation system, truck size, weight and safety regulations, trucking activity and operating weights of trucks, and future transportation developments that may impact truck operations. This is done through the analysis of available data related to truck operations including an analysis of weight data to determine compliance with weight regulations and the associated operations of the trucking industry in Costa Rica. A series of interviews and site visits were used to understand the transportation system, regulations, enforcement, and associated issues.

The purpose of this research is to increase transportation engineering knowledge about trucking operations and truck size and weight regulations in Costa Rica. This is done to reveal issues that should be considered in defining, evaluating, and choosing among alternative courses of action to improve truck operations and safety in the country. The research analyzes truck operations in Costa Rica with respect to the transportation system, truck size, weight and safety regulations, trucking activity and operating weights of trucks, and future transportation developments that may impact truck operations. This is done through the analysis of available data related to truck operations including an analysis of weight data to determine compliance with weight regulations and the associated operations of the trucking industry in Costa Rica. A series of interviews and site visits were used to understand the transportation system, regulations, enforcement, and associated issues.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2005. / Supervisor: C. Michael Walton. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 143-152). Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2005. / Supervisor: C. Michael Walton. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 143-152). Available online from the University Texas and UMI.

The traffic moved between two cities by a long-haul carrier is commonly termed a lane. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate methods to assess the profitability of individual lanes. To tackle the problem of lane profitability, one needs to have accurate and valid data of revenue and costs. In view of the importance of properly prepared data, a secondary purpose of this study is to recommend accounting procedures to record data in a usable form for further studies of this kind. The concept of revenue for a lane is not difficult to understand. However, the concept of cost for a lane raises some difficult questions. Since a terminal handles traffic from a variety of lanes, the crux of the problem is to disaggregate the terminal costs to each individual lane. Statistical costing is the main tool used in this study. It is not the most accurate method but is less costly than most other methods. Thus, it is often an indeal substitution for detailed engineering studies. Statistical methods have applicability when direct observation of the relationship between cost and output is difficult or impossible. To this end, regression analysis was proposed extensively in the study to examine the behaviour of different cost elements. With a good grasp of the relationship between terminal costs and terminal output (activities) one can apportion the related terminal costs to the lanes of interest. This study presents a normative model. To construct the model, the examination of a common motor carrier's operation has provided much insight regarding (1) the kinds of data that are generally available, (2) how the available data can be improved, and (3) how the constructed model relates to the motor carrier examined. To appreciate the subtleties inherent in this study, a general understanding of the industry as well as the daily operation of a motor carrier is required. To assess the profitability relating to different lanes, one requires some workable methods, and above all, workable data. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

M.Comm. / Statistics on private road freight transportation services (not for reward) (defined as: “a business’s own vehicles that are used to transport its own products to its own customers”) are very limited in South Africa. Statistics South Africa’s (SSA) research focuses on road freight carriers for reward and excludes the data on private (not for reward) carriers. The CSIR in 2004 published a report entitled Second Annual State of Logistics Survey for South Africa. The focus of this study was on land freight transport, i.e. road and rail. Maritime, air and pipeline volumes were not included in this study’s scope. Therefore, the number of studies investigating the private (not for reward) road freight market and even the total freight market in South Africa is limited to the above-mentioned two sources and the Rand Afrikaans University’s (RAU) 1991-study (published in 1993), entitled Freight Transport Survey. / Prof. J. Walters Prof. G. Prinsloo.

No description available.

The raw forest products transportation sector is inherently unique when compared to other transportation industries. The loggers and contractors who transport raw forest products are at a competitive disadvantage. Older equipment is also commonly used by the raw forest products transportation industry in harsh working environments. The average log truck age is 9.7 years while all trucks average only 3.9 years. Nineteen percent of log trucks are 15 years old or older while only 5.9% of all trucks are older than 8 years. Log trucks are regulated by both the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the state that the truck operates in, thus making interstate transportation more difficult. In addition to these challenges, there is a lack of information concerning efficiency and productivity improvement opportunities related to transporting forest products. This study evaluated truck turn times at both the harvesting site and mill facilities in order to identify important trucking productivity factors and efficiency improvement opportunities. Regression equations were created to estimate truck turn times at harvesting sites and mill facilities. Gross level studies found that 1268 truck turns at the tract scale averaged 1.40 hours while 576 truck turns at the mill scale averaged 0.56 hours. Elemental time studies at four harvesting locations found that log trucks were idle 32% of the time. Trucks spent 29% of time being loaded and 26% of the time waiting. Elemental time studies at mill facilities found that trucks were idle 27% of the time. Trucks spent the greatest amount of time unloading while unbinding was the second greatest contributor to turn times. Reductions in loading and waiting times can have significant effects on the overall turn time. Harvesting contractors could benefit from maintaining balanced harvesting crews. Estimates indicate that harvesting contractors could earn an additional profit of $106,500 over a period of five years by purchasing an additional skidder for those crews whose production is limited due to a lack of skidding capacity. It is estimated that if adding an additional trailer to harvesting crews would allow an additional 2 loads to be transported to the mill each day, harvesting crews could earn an additional $22,100 per year of profit. Road construction can also affect harvesting contractors profits. By minimizing road construction through the use of easements and improved pre-harvest planning, harvesting contractors could reduce road construction costs by as much as $14,000 per tract. With tools available to estimate truck turn around times, harvesting contractors, fleet managers, and truck drivers will be able to make more informed decisions regarding fleet management. This will enable those owning and operating trucks to operate in more efficient and profitable manners. The models created during this study will allow managers to estimate tract and mill turn times so as to better allocate trucking resources. / Master of Science