Export Growth, Energy Costs, and Sustainable Supply Chains
Dan Seedah and Robert Harrison, University of Texas at Austin, November 2010, 140 pp. (476660-00069-1)
The report examines sustainable supply chains in North America and the role played by rail intermodal operations in lowering ten-mile fuel and emission costs. It examines whether current systems favor imports over exports – a current complaint from some shippers – and whether the development of inland intermodal ports offers a solution to moving future freight into and out of large metropolitan areas. The work is the second of five inter-related UTCP studies examining key changes in intermodal freight transportation in the United States at both national and state levels. It highlights the important role played by rail operations in developing sustainable freight supply chains serving future export and import flows. The major product of the work – a basic rail cost model – serves as a tool to sharpen current metropolitan freight planning and is designed to be enhanced and calibrated by users to address more specific regional issues such as multi-modal corridors.
Keywords: Rail Model, Supply Chains, Freight Transportation, Export Flows, Dry Ports
ENTIRE REPORT (Adobe Acrobat File – 2.2 MB)