Truck Platoon matching for collaborative planning

The introduction of 2-truck platooning – two trucks virtually coupled driving at less than 1 second headway – will introduce new logistics concepts in the Supply Chain. Carriers obtain fuel consumption reductions through platooning and even higher benefits if they form 2-truck platoons with other carriers. Shippers may encourage their carriers to form as many platoons as possible to exploit the synergy potential, and benefit from lower emissions and more sustainable transport services.

This project addresses the industrial challenge to be able to schedule platoons or dynamically form platoons on-the-fly, by realizing a collaborative matching and planning competency. This competency builds on Vehicle Routing Problem solutions adding 2-truck platoon planning characteristics and parameters. To that end, we develop a quantitative Platooning-Optimizer (PLATO) that enables the planning and formation of scheduled and dynamic truck platoons. Platoons will be formed within one supply chain network, across multiple networks, and by means of a neutral intermediary Platooning Service Provider (similar to a 4C). Real world data from port-related container transportation and supply chain operations will be used to provide a proof of concept. The collaborative planning has to be evaluated in light of the impact on the supply chain, from financial, strategic, and operations perspectives. Hence, platooning will only become successful if the crucial stakeholders in the supply chain have a positive business case with regards to platooning. To that end, we develop a generic platooning business case build on 2 scenarios for platooning formation: centralised scheduled and on-the-fly ad-hoc matching.

The project is funded by the Netherland Organisation for Scientific Research, SmartPort, and Port of Rotterdam; see summary.

INDEEP: Innovation Network Design Enables Excellent Ports

Het doel van INDEEP is om de randvoorwaarden en het mechanisme vast te stellen om effectief en succesvol een innovatietraject te doorlopen, specifiek voor de logistieke sector met haar eigenschappen. Het innovatieproces staat daarmee centraal in deze aanvraag. Een aantal reeds gehonoreerde TKI-projecten van de SmartPort roadmap ‘logistieke connectiviteit’ gebruiken wij als casuïstiek om een toolkit te genereren met best practises en lessons learned. In deze toolkit zijn deze best practises en lessons learned ’gesynthetiseerd’ en verrijkt met de ‘outside-in’ kennis van de innovatiepraktijk van andere sectoren, met als doel het versnellen van innovaties in de logistiek om een aantal KPI’s zoals geformuleerd door de TKI Logistiek daadwerkelijk te kunnen realiseren. INDEEP wil de kennis benutten van een aantal sectoren —denk aan farmacie of consumentenelektronica of high-tech systemen en materialen—waar veel ervaring bestaat met het op succesvolle wijze doorlopen van de weg van kennisontwikkeling naar impactvolle toepassing.

De centrale vraagstelling in dit project is: ‘Hoe kunnen de SmartPort logistieke community, het brede SmartPort ecosysteem (bestaande uit meerdere (niet-logistieke) roadmaps en innovatieorganisaties zoals InnovationQuarter, Yes!Delft, RDM Campus, iTanks) én de logistieke sector in het algemeen effectiever innovaties implementeren?’ 

Het versnellen van innovaties in de logistiek draagt bij aan het structureel verbeteren van de concurrentiepositie van de sector en om de TKI-doelen sneller en effectiever te bereiken. Tot nu toe blijven veel innovaties in de logistiek hangen in een pilot fase maar komt het niet tot impactvolle implementaties.

Het project wordt financieel ondersteund door NWO, SmartPort, Deltalinqs, Havenbedrijf Rotterdam, en TNO; zie aankondiging.

Integrated Synchromodal Transport System Analysis (ISOLA)

The ISOLA program provides the academic underpinning of the ambition and innovation vision that is formulated for synchromodality in the Topsector Logistics. The research will support the development of the multimodal transport system in the Netherlands, and by extension in Europe, into a truly synchromodal transport system, in which infrastructure use, transport services and operations are perfectly aligned with market demand. This requires the integration of data on infrastructure, services and transportation, the development of new synchromodal control mechanisms, and the analysis of demand characteristics of shippers. So far research has addressed horizontal alignment between modes into a coherent network. The main research angle for this program is the vertical alignment, however, i.e. the shipper/client orientation and the relations with the underlying network management. These vertical aspects will become apparent in 4 main scientific contributions:

• Advanced freight transport demand models that include shippers’ logistics responses.
• Models for the design and allocation of multimodal capacity.
• Advanced planning and pricing algorithms for synchromodal networks.
• An ICT infrastructure that allows interactions between the above three systems.

The project is funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research; see news item (in Dutch).

Inaugural Address “Are we connected?”

On November 13, 2015, I formally accepted the Trust Fund Endowed chair “Ports in Global Networks” at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. On this occasion, I gave an inaugural address with slide presentation.

The slides are published via slide share here.

The booklet with an extended version of the address can be found here.