The potential benefits of access management for carrier operations in intermodal freight transportation

Paper in proceeding, 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the potential benefits of access management for carrier operations in intermodal freight transportation. Research Approach: The research is conducted in two phases. In the first phase, problems with poor access management in intermodal freight transportation systems are identified. A literature study on extant research together with real-life observations and conversations are synthesized into a problem description as well as an analysis model. In the second phase, the identified problems are studied and the analysis model is applied to generate a list of potential benefits of access management for carrier operations in intermodal freight transportation. Findings and Originality: This paper presents the potential benefits of access management in order to solve some of the problems (i.e. fully congested terminals, crucial interaction between carriers, and lack of high quality real-time data) for carrier operations in intermodal freight transportation. In addition, since a gap in existing research regarding the intersection between haulier, intermodal terminal and access management was identified, a higher level of access management has been defined, called “prioritised access management”. It focuses on prioritised access for certain resources (such as a bus lane or specific time slot window) in order to increase efficiency and sustainability. Research Impact: The main theoretical implications are improved understanding and knowledge of access management, how it is defined, and how it works in different transportation modes. Future research should continue the benchmarking of access management and broaden the inquiry to learn from industries other than transportation. In addition, soliciting important input regarding future requirements and the needs of access management from other stakeholders in the industry will be key to developing the newly defined “prioritised access management” function. Practical Impact: The focus of the contribution is on stakeholders within the disciplines Logistics and Transportation and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). With access management, several potential benefits in carrier operations for intermodal freight transportation are identified.