Office of Operations Freight Management and Operations
Table of Contents

Cross-town Improvement Project Evaluation

1.0 Introduction

1.1 C-TIP Background

The Cross-town Improvement Project (C-TIP) was first conceptualized in 2004 as an “intermodal move database” that would help coordinate cross-town drayage moves between rail terminals, thus helping to reduce empty moves. This would reduce some of the noise, emissions, and congestion impacts of cross-town truck traffic. Over the years, the C-TIP concept grew to include other features, until in 2009 a detailed Concept of Operations (ConOps) was developed which detailed five core elements:

  • Intermodal Move Exchange (IMEX) – An open architecture port that allows for a collaborative dispatch management model among rail lines, truckers, and facility operators.
  • Wireless Drayage Updating (WDU) – Utilizes low-cost wireless technology as an interface between drivers and dispatchers, and between the core functions within C-TIP and its users.
  • Real-Time Traffic Monitoring (RTTM) – Real-time monitoring and distribution of route- and location-specific travel time and congestion information and control of traffic management systems and devices.
  • Dynamic Route Guidance (DRG) – Uses inputs from RTTM, a dedicated Geographic Information Systems (GIS) source, and specially developed simulation tools to provide truckers with real-time visual routing around congested areas.
  • Chassis Utilization Tracking (CUT) – An application that allows for collaborative use and management of intermodal chassis among railroads and trucking companies. (Intermodal Freight Technology Working Group, Cross-Town Improvement Project Concept of Operations: 2009 Update, July 2009.)

The C-TIP data architecture is shown in Figure 1.1, showing the relationships between the key C-TIP components and the data sources for each. Routing and trip information is pushed out to truck drivers through a specially designed iPhone app with voice command capability to avoid driver distraction problems. A screenshot of the iPhone app is provided in Figure 1.2, showing alternate routing instructions from RTTM.

An operational test of C-TIP was conducted from October 1, 2010 to January 31, 2011 in Kansas City. This test involved the RTTM, DRG, and IMEX components of C-TIP. Additionally, two drayage optimization tests – one in Kansas City, the other in Chicago – were conducted to assess the potential for truck bobtail move reduction using wireless technologies. Finally, an intermodal optimization analysis was conducted using gate move data between the CSX and UP railroads in Chicago to determine the potential benefits of C-TIP IMEX in a much larger intermodal market.

Figure 1.1 C-TIP Data Architecture

Flow chart - Figure 1.1 describes the Cross-town Improvement Project (C-TIP) data architecture, including the data elements and reporting relationships between the five key C-TIP: Wireless Drayage Updating (WDU), Intermodal Move Exchange (IMEX), Real Time Traffic Monitoring (RTTM), Dynamic Route Guidance (DRG), and Chassis Utilization Tracking (CUT).

Source: SAIC.

Figure 1.2 Sample iPhone RTTM Alternate Route Instructions

Screenshots - Figure 1.2 is a pair of screenshots from an iPhone running the Real-Time Traffic Monitoring (RTTM) application. The screen on the left shows RTTM predicted travel times for the primary and alternate routes. The screen on the right shows turn-by-turn directions for the alternate route.

1.2 Evaluation Goals and Methodology

FHWA commissioned a team led by Cambridge Systematics, Inc. (CS) to evaluate the freight performance, emissions, and other benefits that C-TIP may provide to the public and private sectors. This report documents the evaluation results. C-TIP-related items evaluated include:

  • The RTTM and DRG components of C-TIP in Kansas City, including driver compliance with route recommendations, travel time savings, accuracy of travel time predictions, and emissions reductions.
  • An IMEX simulation test in Kansas City, including potential reductions in bobtail trips, emissions, fuel use, and empty miles had all stakeholders followed the IMEX work plan.
  • The Chicago C-TIP intermodal optimization exchange model, which uses records for nearly 10,000 gate moves between the UP and CSX railroads in Chicago to develop a simulation of potential C-TIP benefits in the Chicago drayage market, including total potential matched loads, empty miles eliminated, fuel saved, and emissions reductions.
  • The Kansas City drayage optimization test, which involves dispatchers from IXT Drayage Company utilizing the C-TIP Open Source Architecture Package (C-TIP OSAP) to reduce unproductive bobtail moves.
  • The Chicago drayage optimization test, which involves the use of a specially developed Android app by Pride Logistics, LLC to reduce bobtails.

The RTTM, DRG, and IMEX C-TIP components (including the Chicago intermodal optimization model) are tested using the RMI Vantage performance monitoring system. Vantage is a business intelligence tool designed specifically for intermodal operations which provides the ability to monitor, measure, and manage key intermodal performance metrics in real-time. Vantage software is used at more than 80 intermodal rail terminals in North America and is widely accepted as an industry standard. Baseline and operational test data were fed into Vantage to develop dashboard displays of key evaluation metrics.

C-TIP benefits were assessed in multiple ways:

  • Driver compliance with RTTM and DRG route recommendations was evaluated by comparing GPS positional records supplied by the iPhone-equipped drayage trucks to the route recommendation data collected during the operational test phase.
  • Travel time savings were calculated by subtracting actual trip times (gathered via GPS time stamps) from the predicted travel times for the default route. For RTTM, the calculation was made for the entire trip from origin to destination; for DRG, it was performed from the point of redirect.
  • The accuracy of RTTM and DRG travel time predictions was assessed by taking the average difference between projected and actual travel times for each predefined intermodal lane.
  • RTTM and DRG emissions benefits were developed using dray truck emissions factors from the Environmental Protection Agency’s MOVES model. Using known distances and projected travel times between origin and destination points, average truck speeds for intermodal lanes were calculated; emissions factors for those speed bins (in grams per mile) were then multiplied by distance and compared to a baseline (i.e., no alternate routing) to assess emissions savings.
  • Potential IMEX benefits were estimated using simulation tests. (Actual IMEX benefits could not be evaluated due to lack of railroad participation in the C-TIP test deployment.) Gate move data supplied by railroads in Chicago and Kansas City were used to calculate the unproductive (bobtail) trips that would have been eliminated through daily implementation of the IMEX work plan to match loads. Potential bobtail reductions are the sum of loaded containers (identified by container ID) that could be moved sequentially by the same cross-town driver, given a set of assumptions about delivery windows and the length of time containers could remain in the rail terminal. Empty miles saved were thus derived by multiplying the number of bobtails reduced by the miles between origin and destination pairs. Fuel savings could then be calculated using average dray truck fuel economy factors, while emissions benefits were developed by multiplying empty miles saved by the same emissions factors used for the RTTM and DRG evaluation.
  • The drayage optimization tests in Kansas City and Chicago used data provided by the trucking companies involved to develop bobtail reduction metrics. The IXT drayage test relies on a spreadsheet analysis of move records supplied by Profit Tools (a drayage software provider), covering IXT cross-town moves from April 1, 2011 through August 31, 2011. The Chicago drayage optimization test utilizes information provided by Pride Logistics for drivers using the Android app based on a methodology developed by Pride.

Beyond these quantitative assessments, the team also conducted qualitative research to better understand potential C-TIP benefits and limitations. This was accomplished through:

  • C-TIP user interviews in Kansas City and Chicago; and
  • A specially defined Delphi study of the potential benefits of a Chicago C-TIP deployment. Delphi is a research method that seeks to quantify expert opinion on a given topic through iterative polling.

1.3 Organization of Report

The remainder of this report is organized as follows:

  • Section 2.0: Kansas City and Chicago C-TIP Tests presents the results of the RTTM/DRG test in Kansas City, the IMEX analyses in Kansas City and Chicago, and the results of C-TIP user interviews;
  • Section 3.0: Drayage Optimization Tests summarizes the results of the IXT test in Kansas City and the Pride Logistics test in Chicago; and
  • Section 4.0: Delphi Study Results analyzes the results of the Delphi process.
  • Section 5.0: Summary of Findings summarizes the key points and major findings of the evaluation.

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