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SYNCHROMODAL FREIGHT
TRANSPORT:
What, Why and How?
Behzad BehdaniOperations Research & Logistics Group
Wageningen University
What is discussed here
2
What is Intermodal freight transport?
Challenges for intermodal freight transport
What is synchromodal freight transport?
Main enablers for synchromodal freight transport
Hierarchy of decision problems in a synchromodal
freight transport system
© Behzad Behdani
For whom this might be useful?
3
For practitioners in Container Transport, Logistics
and Supply Chain domains who would like to know
more about Synchromodality and how it can be
achieved in a freight transport system
For researchers who want to have a clear
understanding of this concept and its main enablers
For technical support and business consultancies that
inevstiagte the Synchromodality in freight
transport systems and support operationalizing this
concept
© Behzad Behdani
Intermodal freight transport
4
Definition by European Commission (1997) for
Intermodal Freight Transport :
“the movement of goods in one loading unit, which uses
successively several modes of transport without handling of
the goods themselves in transshipment between the modes”.
© Behzad Behdani
Inland
Terminal
Sea
Terminal Main transport
Barriers for intermodal transport
5
1. Operational problems, for example:
Train decoupling
Use of rail infra for both passenger/freight transport
Terminal opening hours
2. Organizational problems, for example:
Co-ordinations between multiple partners and timing of road
haulage
3. Economical problems , for example
High transshipment cost
Source: Wichser, J. (2001). Technical and operational developments needed for a better market success of intermodal freight
transport.
Customer perception of Intermodal
Transport vs. Road Transport
6Source: INRETS (2000). IQ - Intermodal quality Final report for publication.© Behzad Behdani
Synchromodality aims at strengthening the strong elements and addressing the existing weaknesses of intermodal transport.
7
What is synchromodal transport?
A Map of Relevant Concepts
8
Many different
concepts are
discussed around the
synchromodality
concept.
Which of them are
really the core
elements of
Synchromodality?
© Behzad Behdani
What is synchromodal transport?
A Map of Relevant Concepts
9
Some concepts are
more the pre-
requisites for
synchromodality,
some are only
relevant for some
specific business
models.
Only TWO
concepts are in the
core definition of
Synchromodality.
© Behzad Behdani
How to arrange the concepts?
10© Behzad Behdani
Two concepts at the heart of Synchromodality
11
1) Systemic (integrated) view: Looking at the complementary nature of modalities:
Not looking at one modality for freight transport but looking at all available modalities in defining intermodal services.
Managing multiple transport chains in an integrated (and orchestrated) way.
Looking at the complementary nature of transport network:
Not looking at the individual routes and corridors (independently) but looking at the whole network in defining intermodal services.
Planning and operation at the network level.
2) Flexibility (easy re-configuration): The possibility to switch between modalities (or routes) and making
decision for the best available service based on actual circumstances (e.g., traffic information and real-time availability of modalities)
Making the real-time adjustments to handle an unexpected event (e.g., the late arrival of barges, order cancellations, or the late releasing of containers)
© Behzad Behdani
Two concepts at the heart of Synchromodality
12
To provide Flexibility in intermodal transport, we need: Availability:
Firstly, multiple options (e.g., modalities or routes) must be available; otherwise, we cannot have any flexibility or switching in our transport system.
Mobility:
There should be little penalty (e.g., in terms of regulation, insurance, documentation or technical inconsistency) to switch from one option to another option. Otherwise, although there might be multiple options available but - as there is a high penalty- we cannot switch freely to the best available one at the operational level.
Two important points:
1. One of the main drivers of Mobility in a Synchromodal System is A-Modal Booking (or Mode-free Booking); if shippers book containers on specified transport modes (or services), there is no freedom/possibility to provide flexibility by switching between different modes
2. More STANDARDIZATION in terms of Documentation, Processes (for different modalities) etc. improves the Mobility and support implementing a Synchromodal System
Visibility:
Flexibility needs insight into available options. So, there can be cases in which different options are available and there is little penalty to switch from one option to another (better) one, but as we are not aware of those options, we cannot switch and achieve the flexibility in the freight transport system © Behzad Behdani
Conceptual framework to define
synchromodality
13
Synchromodality
Systemic View
(or Integrated
View)
Flexibility
(easy re-
configuration)
Availability
(range of
options)
Mobility
(little transition
penalty)
Visibility
(transparency of
options)
Information availability and
network monitoring
Inter-operability and
Standardization in freight
transport system
Design based on
complementary nature of
modalities
© Behzad Behdani
Dual integration in a Synchromodal
Freight Transport System
Vertical Integration
Ho
rizo
nta
l In
tegra
tio
n
Uni-modal
(Road) Transport
Inter-modal
Transport
Synchro-modal
Transport
14© Behzad Behdani
Potential impact of Synchromodality
on freight transport system
Synchromodality
Reliability
Resilience
Sustainability
Capacity
Utilization
+
+
+
+
Improved
Service
Provision
+
15© Behzad Behdani
What must be synchronized?
Synchronized System
Customer Demand/
Need
Moving Resources
Stationary Resources
Multiple
Transport
Chains
16
Details can be found in:
Behdani, Behzad and Fan, Yun and Wiegmans, Bart and Zuidwijk, Rob, Multimodal Schedule Design for Synchromodal Freight Transport
Systems. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2438851 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2438851
Different types of Synchromodality
17© Behzad Behdani
Hierarchy of decision problems in a
synchromodal freight transport system
18
Synchromodal
Network Design
Synchromodal
Service Pricing
Strategies
Intermodal Gain
Sharing and
Contract Design
Synchromodal
Service Design
Operational
Resource
Scheduling
Exceptional
Handling & Real-
time Switching
Op
era
tio
nal
Tacti
cal
Str
ate
gic
Details can be found in:
Behdani, Behzad and Fan, Yun and Wiegmans, Bart and Zuidwijk, Rob, Multimodal Schedule Design for Synchromodal Freight Transport
Systems. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2438851 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2438851
19
Synchromodal
Service Design
Operational
Resource
Scheduling
Customer
Demand/
Need
Stationary
Resources
Moving
Resources
Expected demand
Actual demand
Route/Frequency of service
(for each mode)
Different synchromodal requirements
for different decision problems
© Behzad Behdani
Synchromodal Network
Design
Synchromodal Service
Design
Synchromodal
Operation & Control
Enablers for Synchromodal Freight
Transport System development
20© Behzad Behdani
21
Thanks for your attention.
What is presented here is based on an ongoing exploratory research
in which we have interviewed more than 15 experts who have
done several projects on Synchromodal Freight Transport or
have been actively involved in the development of this concept.
If you have done some business cases or projects on synchromodality
and would like to share your experience and knowledge with us in
this research, please kindly contact me at the following e-mail
address: Behzad. [email protected].
Some details of our resaerch is persented in:
Behdani, Behzad and Fan, Yun and Wiegmans, Bart and Zuidwijk, Rob,
Multimodal Schedule Design for Synchromodal Freight Transport
Systems. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2438851.
If you would like to have further information about this work or you
have some comments about the content, please also send me an
email at my afore-mentioned email adress.© Behzad Behdani
