Assessing the Effects of Container Handling Strategies on Enhancing Freight Throughput

TL;DR

This paper addresses SPPC congestion by evaluating an inland intermodal handling strategy that relocates container sorting from port-area yards to distribution centers across CA, NV, AZ, and UT. Using an AnyLogic-based agent model with nine agent types and two transport modes, it analyzes how inland facilities, workforce fluctuations, and rail utilization affect cost and throughput. The study demonstrates that random warehouse drop-off can minimize unmet demand and that installing intermodal capability at four warehouses may reduce overall costs, though results are stochastic. The findings offer practical guidance for policy and operation to improve freight throughput while mitigating labor-related bottlenecks, with avenues for extending the framework to multiple ports and more dynamic demand.

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

Figures (4)

• Figure 1: The insertion of a satellite terminal in port operations, adopted from Rodrigue2020IntermodalTerminals.
• Figure 2: Proposed network of the southwest supply chain.
• Figure 3: Network topology.
• Figure 4: A demonstration of installed intermodal equipment.