Inland Waterway Shipment Management System

The inland waterway network is perfectly positioned to increase its prominence in the nation's supply chain system. Increasing fuel costs, environmental concerns, and changes in the freight distribution network due to the widening of the Panama Canal are pressing shippers to find better ways to move their product from manufacturer to market. Inland waterways offer several key advantages when compared to traditional modes of transport. Specifically, the cost per ton of moving freight via inland waterways is significantly lower, and waterway freight movement is more environmentally friendly than other transport options. To capitalize on these opportunities, it is essential that the inland waterway industry move toward increased supply chain management efficiency. Currently, some data is shared among interested parties with regard to inland waterway freight movements. However, this data is often not sent in real-time and is seldom processed in a timely manner. The coordinated use of real-time tracking, electronic manifests, and electronic route plans will allow stakeholders of inland waterways to better utilize the network via the Inland Waterway Shipment Management System (IWSMS). Furthermore, the creation of the IWSMS will help to greatly increase the efficiency of inland waterways and improve the competitiveness of the United States in the global economy.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $254590.00
• Contract Numbers:

  312100

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Multimodal Transportation and Infrastructure Consortium

  Marshall University
  1900 3rd Avenue
  Huntington, WV  United States  25703
• Performing Organizations:

  University of Kentucky, Lexington

  Kentucky Transportation Center
  College of Engineering, 176 Raymond Building
  Lexington, KY  United States  40506-0281
• Principal Investigators:

  Kreis, Doug

• Start Date: 20120510
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20140930
• Source Data: RiP Project 31908

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Freight traffic; Inland water transportation; Real time information; Supply chain management; Tracking systems
• Identifier Terms: Panama Canal
• Uncontrolled Terms: Electronic manifests; Expansion projects
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Freight Transportation; Marine Transportation; Terminals and Facilities; I15: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01566195
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Multimodal Transportation and Infrastructure Consortium
• Contract Numbers: 312100
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jun 12 2015 1:01AM