b'30American Journal of Transportation ajot.comACL AJOT_SailSchedule_2020_ACL2/27/209:33 AMPage 1AI optimization software helping ports improveOONNEESSHHIIPPintermodal rail operations C onCo nttaaiinneerrss,,RROORROO,,BBrreeaakkbbuullkkCCaarrggooBy Dr. Eva Savelsberg & Justin Newell, INFORM Software Corp., Special to the AJOTAmerican seaports are vitalPre-pandemic efforts to digitize to the U.S. economy, providingwork processes can partially be a gateway to the global market- creditedforthisperformance. place. Today, however, they areStill,thepandemichasshown inneedofcriticalinfrastruc- the need for real-time optimiza-tureandtechnologyimprove- tion of terminal work processes.ments.MostpressingaretheirPriortothepandemic,the needs in upgrading and expand- rise in ultra-large container ship ing their rail infrastructure andtraffic placed considerable strainsA SERVICE AL1 SERVICE AL2 SERVICE RORO Customer Service877-918-7676intermodalcapacity.Canadianon port infrastructure and opera- Cuto Friday Cuto Thursday Cuto Monday Export Customer Serviceports are already investing heav- torsabilitytoexpedientlypro- FROM NEW YORK LOLO RORO LOLO LOLO 800-225-1235ilyinthisarea.TheCanadiancess growing cargo volumes. TheTO Transit Time Transit Time Transit Time Transit Time Export Documentation National Railway (CN), a classfirst two quarters of 2020 markedANTWERP 1620 18888-802-0401one freight railway, announcedacontinuedincreaseintheseDUBLIN 12Import Customer Servicethat it will invest approximatelyship arrivals, creating congestionBELFAST 13888-802-0403GTEBORG 21 $445millionCanadiandollarspeaksandoverwhelmingland- HAMBURG 13 17 15 22 Logisticsin rail track infrastructure proj- sideandyardoperations.ThisLE HAVRE17 866-821-7449ectsatthePortofVancouverresulted in multi-day cargo clear- LIVERPOOL 9 13 Credit & CollectionsandthePortofPrinceRupert,ing delays and lost cargo move- LONDON GATEWAY20 19 888-225-7747among other projects. ments.ToincreasecontainerROTTERDAM11 20Existing rail terminal oper- handling and intermodal loading ationsatseaportsarecomplexefficiencies, as well as enhance and capacity fluctuations createtheirexistingTerminalOperat- New agreement could make Cairo, Illinois port challengingoperationalsce- ing Systems (TOS) capabilities, narios.Disruptiveeventssuchproactive terminal operators area model for 21st century container shippingas COVID-19 create additionalturning to agile optimization soft-volatility.Tooptimizetheirware. One example is DP WorldA new agreement could posi- gestion and logistics cost. Cairo, Illinois as a new option to operationsandincreaseinter- Vancouver.Itplanstoincreasetion Cairo, Illinois as a nationalPlaquemines Port announcedprovide faster, more reliable, cost modal rail capacity, progressiveits handling capacity at its Cen- logisticsanddistributionhubon August 13th that it is develop- efficient and greener container portsareturningtoArtificialterm container terminal by nearlyfor the rapidly expanding inter- ingastate-of-the-artcontainershipping for international trade.Intelligence (AI) based optimi- 65% to 1.5 million TEU, whilemodal container shipping indus- terminalcapableofhandlingTheshippingindustryis zation software. onlyincreasingtheterminalstry. The agreement between the22,000-TEU class container ves- evolving rapidly and creating a i NcreasiNGc oNtaiNer footprintby15%.CentermhasAlexanderCairoPortDistrict,sels moving goods to and fromhugeopportunityforstate-of-been reconfigured and has under- PlaqueminesPortHarbor&international markets via the Gulfthe-art inland ports like the one v elocity aNdm aximiziNG gone various road work projects.TerminalDistrictandAmeri- of Mexico. The Cairo port wouldbeing developed here in Cairo, c riticals Pace Its intermodal rail facilities alsocanPatriotContainer Transportserve as a vital link between thesaid Sal Litrico, CEO of Ameri-TheAmericanAssociationwere expanded and modernized.would make the proposed CairoMidwest,thenewPlaqueminescan Patriot Container Transport. of Port Authorities (AAPA) reportsA key component of the projectriverportterminalamodelforterminal, and global markets. Wereproudtopartnerwith that its members identified $20was the real-time optimization of21stcenturyinlandwaterwayOnAugust4th,GovernorAlexander Cairo Port District as billioninmultimodalportandyardoperations.AI-basedopti- shipping and key logistics termi- J.B. Pritzker announced that thewe develop a cost efficient and rail access needs through 2028.mization software helps improvenal for the newest inland water- StateofIllinoiswouldinvestmoreenvironmentallyfriendly Railaccessisassociatedwithintermodalyardoperations,way vessels that are larger, faster$40 million in the developmentshippingoptiontohelpkeep speedier vessel processing and iswhilemaximizingproductivityand more efficient than anything crucial to the multimodal move- and reducing the need for futureon US waterways today.mentofgoods.Although93%infrastructure investments. TheAlexanderCairoPort, of ports have rail access, manybeing developed in Illinois at the ports on-dock and near-dock railt ermiNalo PeratiNG confluence of the Mississippi and systems infrastructure and tech- s ystems Ohio rivers, and the Plaquemines nologyrequireupdates.WhenMultimodal terminal opera- Port, located at mile 50-55 on the askedinan AAPAsurveyhowtions are complex and have manyMississippiRiver,bothagreed much more throughput capacitycomponents. By applying a TOSto provide intermodal container-could be added to their ports withtogatherdata,moreefficienthandlingservicesfor American improvedrailaccess,42.86%management of assets, labor andPatriotContainerTransports responded they expected capac- work processes can be achieved.next-generationcontainership-ity gains of more than 25%. However,largerterminalsandping vessels.Lastyear,AAPAreportedincreasingcontainervolumes,American Patriots patented cargoactivitiesatU.S.portscoupledwithheightenedvola- designed Liner vessels can trans-alone were responsible for $5.4tilityanduncertainty,demandport2,375twenty-footlengthA rendering of American Patriot Container Transports next-generation trillion in annual economic activ- improvedad-hocdecisioncontainers (TEUs)the equiva- container shipping vessels sailing along the Mississippi River.ity, supporting 30.8 million jobsmaking.Optimizationsoftware,lentofsixtrainloadsofcargo and providing $378.1 billion inpoweredby AIandOperationsor 2,375 semi-trucks, while theandconstructionoftheCairoAmericamorecompetitivein tax revenue to federal, state, andResearch (OR) based algorithms,HybriddesigncancarryuptoportthroughtheRebuildIlli- the global markets.local governments. According tohasproventosignificantlyapproximately 1700 TEUs. Thenoiscapitalplan.ThestatesTheMississippiRiveris AAPA President and CEO Chris- improve the capabilities of exist- vessels can safely travel upriverinvestment will allow the CairothekeytounlockingtheMid-topher J. Conner, The economicingTOSs.Concurrently,yard,at three times the speed of tra- project to take advantage of thewests supply chain advantages, downturnthisyearhascausedcrane, and vehicle utilization, asditionalinlandtows,provid- container shipping opportunitiesand the new port in Cairo will significanteconomicdamagewell as train load planning andingfastershippingtimesandcreated by the agreement. provide a direct link to the global toourports,withanestimatedreal-time train load adjustmentscost savings of up to 45% overContainershippingplaysamaritime trade sector that is set decline of 20% to 30% of theirare significantly enhanced. otheroptions.Bymaximizingcritical role in the global trade ofto double in the next 10 years, total annual receipts. cargocapacityandrunningonitemsrangingfromagriculturalsaidSandySanders,executive Althoughtheportsectoro Ptimizers forr ail LNG fuel, the American Patriotproductsandbuildingmateri- director of the Plaquemines Port has been one of the hardest hito PeratioNs vesselscangreatlyreducethealstoconsumergoods.WithHarbor&TerminalDistrict. by COVID-19 disruptions to theAmongthemostvaluablecarbonfootprintandenviron- demand for container ports pro- Were look forward to working supply chain, it largely continues(HELPINGcontinued onmental impact of shipping whilejected to increase 260% by 2025,(MODELcontinued on to operate without interruption.page 31) decreasingrailandtruckcon- industryplayersarelookingatpage 31)'