TransSonic

The TransSonic project is a 4-year project in the Complexity in Logistics call of NWO and the Top Institute Logistics in The Netherlands that starts in July 2017. The project will research the technical and organizational blockers and enablers, and their interaction, for providing integrated seamless multimodal transport services in the Netherlands. In such a system, a network of interdependent actors –on different transport modalities– have to work together and adapt in real time to changing demands of freight forwarders and shippers as well as changing availability of infrastructure and assets. We will research whether such services can emerge from the combination of social interactions between transport network organizations and novel, but already existing, technologies for sensing and for information exchange between partners, such as sensor networks, a blockchain ledger, and smart contracts. For the social interaction, simulation and gaming will be used as the main research instrument to study inter-organizational interactions as well as intervention and reward mechanisms that would lead to new types of services. Two issues play a central role in the research: lack of situational awareness about the current state of the system, and the low level of trust between transport partners Both are known to be major blockers for organizing multimodal or synchromodal transport. The project will therefore study the effects of utilizing sensor technology and new smart contracts between parties to (partly) overcome these issues. To develop and test the technological and organizational solutions, and their integration, a combination of simulation, gaming, data analysis and case studies in industry will be conducted.

Rotterdam School of Management leads the work on technical asspects and solutions. The project website can be found here,

The value of big data to big ports

Citation Rob Zuidwijk (2015). The value of big data to big ports, RSM Discovery.

Link https://discovery.rsm.nl/articles/detail/177-the-value-of-big-data-to-big-ports/

Het plannen van truck platoons: Zullen we samen rijden

Citation Anirudh Kishore Bhoopalam, Niels Agatz, Rob Zuidwijk (2018). Het plannen van truck platoons: Zullen we samen rijden, NM Magazine.

Link http://www.nm-magazine.nl/artikelen/truck-platoonen-zullen-we-samen-rijden/

Ports in Global Supply Chains: Challenges and Opportunities

Citation Rob Zuidwijk (2018). Ports in Global Supply Chains: Challenges and Opportunities. Port Technology International Journal, Edition 79 – Smart Ports & Supply Chains.

Link https://www.porttechnology.org/technical_papers/ports_in_global_supply_chains_challenges_and_opportunities

Abstract This paper focuses on the on business developments in global supply chains and the accompanying logistics challenges for ports and port hinterlands, driven by the opportunities that new technologies provide. It discusses a number of challenges related to the organization of global supply chains and container logistics markets.

Managing Global Supply Chains and Logistics: The Role of Supply Chain Structure

Citation Rob Zuidwijk (2019). Managing Global Supply Chains and Logistics: The Role of Supply Chain Structure. Port Technology International Journal, Edition 86 – Smart Ports.

Link https://www.porttechnology.org/technical-papers/managing_global_supply_chains_and_logistics_the_role_of_supply_chain_struct/Link

Abstract This paper focuses on the on business developments in global supply chains and the accompanying logistics challenges for ports and port hinterlands, driven by the opportunities that new technologies provide. It discusses a number of challenges related to the organization of global supply chains and container logistics markets.

Zembla documentary on port and cross-border security

I have contributed as expert to the ZEMBLA documentary with (Dutch) title: “Druk aan de poort”, which was broadcasted on Wednesday November 9 at 21:15 PM with VARA television on channel NPO.

Link https://www.bnnvara.nl/zembla/artikelen/veilige-haven

Collaborative Fleet Deployment and Routing for Sustainable Transport

Citation Panagiotis Ypsilantis, Rob Zuidwijk (2019). Collaborative Fleet Deployment and Routing for Sustainable Transport. Sustainability 11(20): 5666.

Link https://doi.org/10.3390/su11205666

Abstract Efficient multi-modal transportation in the hinterland of seaport terminals depends on consolidation of container volumes in support of frequent services of high capacity means of transport, such that sustainable multi-modal transport can compete with uni-modal road transport in cost and time. The tactical design of barge scheduled transport services involves fleet selection and routing through the inland waterway network. The resulting network service design should meet expected demand and service time requirements set by the shippers. We develop a tight MILP formulation for the Fleet Size and Mix Vehicle Routing (FSMVRP) especially adapted for the Port-Hinterland multi-modal barge network design. Also, an analytical model is developed to help understand important design trade-offs made. We consider the case of horizontal cooperation of dry port container terminals that share capacity. Our results show that in case of cooperation, both cost savings and service levels are improved, and allow for sustainable multi-modal transport to be competitive with uni-modal truck transport.

Flow consolidation in hinterland container transport: an analysis for perishable and dry cargo

Citation Yun Fan, Behzad Behdani, Jacqueline Bloemhof, Rob Zuidwijk (2019). Flow consolidation in hinterland container transport: an analysis for perishable and dry cargo. Transportation Research Part E 130: 128-160.

Link https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tre.2019.08.011

Abstract The continuously increasing container throughput has created complex operational problems for port operations and port-hinterland transportation. Increase in negative externalities such as air pollution and road congestion are examples of challenging issues. Consolidation of cargo/container flows may help to alleviate the situation by better utilizing the means of transport and containers. Using analytical models for three scenarios – only-trucking (no-consolidation), container consolidation and combined container/cargo consolidation – we discuss the conditions under which the consolidation of flows can be beneficial. The results imply that shipment distance and type of cargo are important factors that affect the performance of flow consolidation in port-hinterland logistics.

Assessing the Technical Efficiency of Intermodal Freight Transport Chains Using a Modified Network DEA Approach

Citation Hamid Saeedi, Rob Zuidwijk, Behzad Behdani, Bart Wiegmans (2019). Assessing the Technical Efficiency of Intermodal Freight Transport Chains Using a Modified Network DEA Approach. Transportation Research Part E 126: 66-86.

Link https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tre.2019.04.003

Abstract This paper presents a modified Network DEA model (NDEA) to measure the performance of intermodal freight transport (IFT) chains and to find the sources of inefficiencies. The model addresses two challenges in the application of NDEA to the IFT domain: first, the chains may differ in the number of divisions (i.e., transshipment/transportation activities); and second, one needs to define a relevant intermediate service. For purposes of illustration, the model is applied to a particular European IFT network for which the inefficient transport/transshipment segments are identified and discussed.

The Role of Customs in Securing Containerized Global Supply Chains

Citation Morteza Pourakbar and Rob Zuidwijk (2018). The Role of Customs in Securing Containerized Global Supply Chains. European Journal of Operational Research 271(1): 331-340

Link https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2018.05.012

Abstract Customs has to deal with a massive number of containers arriving at ports. This massive flow of cargo provides an opportunity for organized crime infiltration. Risk management and the security of the supply chain has become a top priority for Customs administrations and for private firms. In this paper, we develop models that allow Customs to optimize its inspection process to target high-risk containers without hindering the flow of safe containers with extra delays at ports. The model characterizes optimal informational and physical inspection rates as a function of the risk factors attributed to containers. We use this model to analyze how an effective public–private partnership for risk and security management can be established between Customs and private firms.