Assessing the Effects of Container Handling Strategies on Enhancing Freight Throughput

TL;DR

This study uses agent-based simulation to evaluate how different container handling strategies, including relocating classification facilities, can improve freight throughput and reduce costs at the San Pedro Port Complex amid growing transportation demands.

Contribution

It introduces a novel agent-based simulation model to assess the impact of relocating container classification to warehouses outside the port on freight throughput and costs.

Findings

Strategic warehouse placement increases freight throughput.

Relocating classification reduces transportation costs.

Workforce shortages impact system efficiency.

Abstract

As global supply chains and freight volumes grow, the U.S. faces escalating transportation demands. The heavy reliance on road transport, coupled with the underutilization of the railway system, results in congested highways, prolonged transportation times, higher costs, and increased carbon emissions. California's San Pedro Port Complex (SPPC), the nation's busiest, incurs a significant share of these challenges. We utilize an agent-based simulation to replicate real-world scenarios, focusing on the intricacies of interactions in a modified intermodal inbound freight system for the SPPC. This involves relocating container classification to potential warehouses in California, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada, rather than exclusively at port areas. Our primary aim is to evaluate the proposed system's efficiency, considering cost and freight throughput, while also examining the effects of workforce shortages. Computational analysis suggests that strategically installing intermodal capabilities in select warehouses can reduce transportation costs, boost throughput, and foster resour