Showing papers on "Fleet management published in 2000"

Vehicle tracking, communication and fleet management system

Abstract: A vehicle fleet management information system (10) for identification of location and direction of movement of each vehicle in the fleet in real-time and automatic communication directly with management offices to report its location and heading, and status of predetermined events in which the vehicle may be engaged. Each fleet vehicle is assigned a unique time slot to transmit its reporting information over a communications network (10) without substantially interfering with transmissions from other vehicles in their own respective time slots.

Advanced public transportation systems: the state of the art update 2000

Abstract: This report documents work performed under FTA's Advanced Public Transportation Systems (APTS) Program, a program structured to undertake research and development of innovative applications of advanced navigation, communication, information, computer and vehicle technologies that most benefit public transportation. This report is the latest in a series of state-of-the-art reports, the last of which was published January 1998. It contains the results of an investigation of the extent of adoption of advanced technology in the provision of public transportation services in North America. It focuses on some of the most innovative or comprehensive implementations, categorized under five types of service/technologies: Fleet Management, Traveler Information, Electronic Fare Payment, Transportation Demand Management, and Intelligent Vehicle Initiative. The objective of the effort was to increase the industry's knowledge of successful applications of advanced technologies with the expectation that this will lead to their widespread adoption.

Holonic transport scheduling with teletruck

Abstract: TELETRUCK is a multiagent-based dispatch support system developed in close collaboration with forwarders and transport engineers. The system supports dispatch officers in route planning, fleet management, and driver scheduling. TELETRUCK allows for dynamic planning and online optimization of transport orders based on an integration with modern telecommunication facilities. The TELETRUCK approach uses holonic agents, i.e., agents composed of subagents that act in a corporated way, in order to achieve a flexible, structured resource management in the planning process. A brief overview is given of the current implementation status of the TELETRUCK application prototype. Communication, coordination, and resource control distinguishing holonic from common multiagent systems are discussed. The underlying algorithms and protocols are described. Future extensions of the approach for intermodal and intercompany transport planning are discussed aiming at a smooth integration of modern transport and telecommunicatio...

Optimization of the handover algorithm based on the position of the mobile terminals

Abstract: Position location of mobile terminals is expected to be one of the key services for mobile network operators in the near future. A variety of services may be offered, such as emergency-call assistance, fleet management, location-based value added services, navigation, stolen vehicle monitoring, improved network management and differential billing. Currently, network suppliers and research institutes worldwide are trying to conclude on the integration of positioning techniques, that fulfils related FCC and ETSI localization requirements, without exaggerating network costs. Furthermore, the rapidly increasing number of mobile subscribers in addition to the introduction of new circuit/packet-based data services, will cause serious traffic overload in cellular networks. Handover procedures use the signaling resources of the network and this is one of the system's parameters that has to be optimized. We propose an intelligent algorithm that makes use of the user's location to simplify the procedure and results in a stable system, decreasing the signaling congestion and the call-drop probability.

A dynamic model and algorithm for fleet planning

Abstract: By analysing the merits and demerits of the existing linear model for fleet planning, this paper presents an algorithm which combines the linear programming technique with that of dynamic programming to improve the solution to linear model for fleet planning. This new approach has not only the merits that the linear model for fleet planning has, but also the merit of saving computing time. The numbers of ships newly added into the fleet every year are always integers in the final optimal solution. The last feature of the solution directly meets the requirements of practical application. Both the mathematical model of the dynamic fleet planning and its algorithm are put forward in this paper. A calculating example is also given.

Optimal fleet utilization and replacement

Abstract: The fleet replacement problem of a profit-maximizing manager is examined using an optimal control model that captures both utilization and replacement decisions. Conditions for optimal utilization of each vessel in the fleet and optimal vessel acquisition and retirement strategies are discussed. The results indicate that the optimal replacement schedule and fleet size are influenced by utilization schedules, and vice versa. Thus, replacement and utilization strategies should be determined jointly. We develop a numerical example to illustrate the model's potential as a practical management decision tool and the procedures to solve it.

An Efficient Airline Re-Fleeting Model for the Incremental Modification of Planned Fleet Assignments

Abstract: Airlines typically manage their annual business cycle by subdividing the year into a sequence of scheduling periods that span about a month each. Fleet assignment represents an important step in the planning process for each new scheduling period and is usually undertaken using computer-based optimization models. Once an initial fleet assignment solution is achieved and before "freezing" the assignments, planners spend significant effort in analyzing, modifying, and committing the individual components of the solution throughout the flight network. This manual step results in local modifications to the initial solution, and is necessary to reflect business judgment calls that cannot be captured by the optimization model. In addition, planners find it imperative to modify the initial fleet assignment solution to react to inevitable changes to the planning environment related to the planned schedule, demand forecast, number of available aircraft, crew staffing levels, and a host of other scheduling constraints. The above-described process of incrementally fine-tuning and modifying the initial fleet assignment solution is referred to as re-fleeting. It is characterized by (1) the requirement of quick solution time to allow frequent re-fleeting exercises, (2) the need for multiple alternative high-quality solutions to choose from, and (3) the constraint that the new solution differs from the prior one in a controlled and limited fashion. We demonstrate in this paper that global fleet assignment model formulations can be used to address the re-fleeting problem in an effective fashion.

A Multiplier Adjustment Method for Dynamic Resource Allocation Problems

Abstract: Dynamic fleet management problems (with a homogeneous fleet) are classically formulated as dynamic networks, or linear programs with side constraints. Recently, a new dynamic control approach was introduced, called a logistics queueing network. Instead of a large linear program, the problem is decomposed into small subproblems that are guided by two control variables that push these local problems to produce a solution that is close to a global optimum. In prior work, these control variables were updated using a subgradient approximation. In this paper, we propose a multiplier adjustment method for solving the same problem. Numerical experiments show that this method produces better solutions with greater stability. The new method is somewhat slower, and is more difficult to implement. We believe that both methods will represent reasonable choices for solving the problem.

Local Optimization Approaches to Solve Dynamic Commercial Fleet Management Problems

Abstract: Strategies are presented that a dispatcher may use to take advantage of real-time information to manage a fleet of trucks to provide truckload pickup-and-delivery service under time windows for service and computing time constraints. These strategies are hybrid in that they combine very efficient dynamic local heuristic rules for quick initial assignment, with formal optimization-based procedures for subsequent load reassignment decisions within the time requirements of the dynamic problem. Simulation experiments were performed to test these strategies under alternative specifications and parameter values. In the first stage, the acceptance decision and initial schedule of trucks were determined so as to respond rapidly to incoming customer requests for service. Then, some time is allowed to improve the schedule of trucks by swapping the assigned loads using local optimization at the reassignment stage. Two strategies are described to control the computation time of the reassignment optimization problem by controlling the problem size. The simulation results confirm the significant potential for reassignment strategies under real-time information to improve system performance and suggest that considerable improvement is attainable even under restricted problem formulations.

Determining Rail Fleet Sizes for Shipping Automobiles

Abstract: Automobile manufacturers (shippers) provide railroad companies with annual forecasts of their monthly shipping volumes from various origins to different destinations. The railroad companies (carriers) jointly operate pools of railcars to transport automobiles. Each pool comprises equipment of a particular type and serves one or more shippers. RELOAD, a fleet management group within TTX (an independent company), manages the repositioning of empty railcars of each type for the carriers. The problem is to determine the smallest fleet size that will provide adequate service. The parties involved have settled on a coordinated use of static and dynamic fleet-sizing models along with appropriate correction factors to recommend the number of railcars of each type that should be acquired for any year. The approach incorporates such operating realities as queue times, forecast accuracy, and daily demand variability. By using this process, the railroad companies have reduced equipment commitments, saving over half a billion dollars annually.

When the road controls the sea: a case study of ro-ro transport in the mediterranean

Abstract: This paper presents, as a case study, a descriptive critique of the system of liner Ro-Ro services, sailing between some Turkish ports and the Italian port of Trieste. These Ro-Ro services were started in 1987, and have developed rapidly since 1992. In that year, the no-profit Turkish International Transport Association (UND) decided to independently manage a number of Ro-Ro vessels on that route. The increasing success of the service (from circa 25000 lorries in 1993, to almost 86 000 in 1998) has caused the UND shipping companies to broaden their services, introducing new vessels and improving the organization. The UND shipping companies aim to manage the fleet in the unbiased interests of all the haulage companies, maintaining rigid neutrality towards each one of the road hauliers. Outlining in detail a single subject for the case study is considered of general interest, since this system of maritime supply displays such singular and innovative elements (e.g. the capital coming from the road transport ...

Changing ownership structures in the Dutch fleet

Abstract: The new Dutch shipping policy has given rise to high expectation and curiosity in the world of shipping. This, together with the obvious difficulties of an ex-post study of the effectiveness of such innovative policy, has prompted the authors to take an interest in attempting to investigate changes in ownership of the Dutch fleet 2 years after the new policy has been introduced. To do this, a rather new concept of ‘flagging out’ has been adopted, which is interpreted as a process leading to different degrees of ‘foreignness’ in a shipping operation. In this paper, a method to structure is presented, and ownership information, and changes in it are presented, that are essentially based on the theory of stochastic processes. The data used is the Dutch fleet data, which includes information on the nationality of the flag, parent ownership and management over the period 1994–1998. The results yield interesting insights in the shifts in the ownership and operational structure of shipping companies induced by t...

Headway-based bus priority in London using AVL: first results

Abstract: Bus priority is being widely implemented across many UTC areas in London, following successful field trials in the EC-funded projects PROMPT and INCOME. Installation has now been completed at over 100 junctions, with full evaluations being undertaken in each case. The remaining roll-out programme includes over 500 additional junctions. This roll-out has initially been based on the existing technology of bus transponders and inductive loop technology. However, the committed London-wide implementation of automatic vehicle location (AVL) technology for fleet management and passenger information at bus stops offers the potential to use new technology and more sophisticated control for bus priority. In particular, the real-time bus location information, provided by AVL, enables the level of priority provided for each bus to be tailored to its needs. The possibility of using AVL to support bus priority at traffic signals in London was raised in the early 1990s, when the first AVL-based COUNTDOWN trials were commissioned. A feasibility study undertaken for London Transport Buses (LTB) by the Transportation Research Group (TRG) at Southampton University indicated potential benefits and likely cost-effectiveness. A method of selective priority for buses, that differentiates between buses based on their headways, was developed and evaluated by TRG using simulation. This method was integrated into the bus priority system, and known as the Headway Regularity Algorithm. System commissioning on a section of the Uxbridge Road was undertaken in 1998/99, leading to technical trials and the first live trials in June/July 1999. The paper summarises this research, development and installation process before describing the first results of the trials in more detail.

An investigation into incident duration forecasting for FleetForward

Abstract: Traffic condition forecasting is the process of estimating future traffic conditions based on current and archived data. Real-time forecasting is becoming an important tool in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). This type of forecasting allows ITS to enact control and management strategies that are "one step ahead" rather than "one step behind" the onset of traffic conditions. For example, an ITS traffic management system can take measures to anticipate congestion rather than reacting to congestion once it is present. Real-time forecasting has benefits to many research fields including route guidance, incident management, public transportation operation, and traveler information. The most common traffic conditions that are forecasted on a real-time basis are flow rate and travel time. The specific traffic condition that the University of Virginia Smart Travel Laboratory is attempting to forecast in this research effort is incident duration, a relatively new area of research for transportation forecasting. To date, there has been limited research into models that can predict how long a certain incident will affect traffic. It has been said that the target audiences of predictive traffic information are commuters and motorists on business. Motor carriers fit nicely in this category, as their business is to provide transportation services. Incident duration forecasts will be extremely important to motor carriers and thus will be a useful tool for FleetForward, a traveler information system for motor carrier operations. Knowing how long an incident will affect traffic allows motor carrier dispatchers and drivers to more intelligently schedule and route shipments

Texas dot vehicle fleet warning light policy research

Abstract: This paper presents an overview and preliminary results of current research being conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to improve the latter's vehicle fleet warning light policy and procedures. Although the need for vehicle warning lights is well understood and mandated by law, the large number of design options available (types of lights, lens colors, mounting positions, and combinations thereof) to transportation agencies such as TxDOT makes establishment and maintenance of a consistent policy regarding vehicle warning lights difficult. Also, there is considerable and growing pressure to incorporate into maintenance and service vehicles lighting technologies that are visually similar to those implemented on police and other emergency vehicles (e.g., light bars or blue flashers). Research conducted by TTI and TxDOT and presented in this paper includes the results of a national survey of vehicle warning light policies by state DOTs, a review of human factors and driver behavior research that has influenced warning light policies over the years, and studies of motorist comprehension and driving responses to different warning light configurations. Specifically, studies are being conducted in several cities statewide to determine the types of vehicle (police, fire, maintenance, tow services, and so forth) and the relative degree of concern or caution drivers commonly associate with different vehicle warning light color configurations. Field studies are also being performed to determine the differences in driver behavior (measured in terms of speed, lane choice and lane changing, and brake application) as drivers approach a vehicle parked on the shoulder with one of three different vehicle warning light configurations displayed (red-blue-yellow configuration, blue-yellow configuration, or all-yellow configuration). These objective data on motorists' perceptions and responses will help TxDOT policymakers to ensure that the vehicle warning light systems utilized fulfill a real need, that they are credible to the public, and that they elicit correct and consistent reactions by drivers.

Influence of Capacity Constraints on Airline Fleet Mix

Abstract: This report documents the findings of research sponsored by the Los Angeles World Airports to examine the influence of airport capacity constraints on airline fleet mix and to explore the potential effects of policy options to influence airlines to use larger aircraft types and thereby accommodate growth in passenger or cargo demand without a corresponding increase in the number of aircraft operations. This issue is of growing importance at many major airports in the United States and indeed around the world, as a steadily increasing demand for air transportation has resulted in volumes of air traffic that are approaching the capacity of the existing airport infrastructure, resulting in the prospect of significantly greater levels of aircraft delay in the future. At the same time, environmental and other concerns are limiting the ability of airports to construct additional runways to increase their airside capacity.

Intelligent transportation systems: research products for public works professionals

Abstract: Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) hold great promise for public works professionals seeking to optimize those public investment strategies that deal with traffic congestion and other growth pressures. Advanced traffic and fleet management systems, as well as traveler information and vehicle-based systems, can take advantage of information technology advances and private market products to substantially improve the productivity, connectivity, and safety of transportation. And, as new federal transportation legislation further spurs deployment of these systems, ITS research programs will continue to play a vital role in supporting such deployment and the overall evolution of ITS. Such research includes developing technology tools, providing testing and evaluation environments, and helping advance the state of the practice.

Occupant Risk, Partner Risk and Fatality Rate in Frontal Crashes: Estimated Effects of Changing Vehicle Fleet Mass in 15 Years

Abstract: The effect of vehicle fleet mass on car crash fatalities was estimated, using a new mathematical model to isolate vehicle mass from related factors like size, stiffness and inherent protection. The model was based on fatality risk data, impact speed, fleet mass distribution, and collision probabilities. The fleet mass distribution was changed over 15 years to (a) a homogeneous fleet of 1300 kg cars, (b) a bimodal fleet of 600 and 1600 kg cars, and (c) a 300 kg lighter fleet. Occupant and collision partner fatality risks were estimated for the new fleets. The new fleets were achieved by various strategies, and the average fatality rate was calculated after and during the transition to the new fleet.Occupant fatality risk decreased and partner risk increased as occupants changed to a heavier car. The average fatality rate was 59% higher after the transition to a bimodal fleet mass, and 11 % lower for a homogeneous fleet. A 300 kg lighter fleet had a 8% higher fatality rale, but the strategy influenced the n...

Real-time aid to decision system for bus operators

Abstract: The progress in telematics at the level of surface public transport resulted in the progressive implementation of centralised fleet management systems based on automatic vehicle monitoring systems (AVM). However faced with the many disturbances on public transport, the operators have much difficulty in detecting situations with problems and make the right decisions. In this respect the decision domain, Scemama and Gaudin (1998), represents a major challenge for the new AVM generation. The paper presents a decision aid system for AVM operators, called SATIR (“Systeme d'Aide au Traitement des Incidents pour les Regulateurs”). After an introduction presenting the state of the art of AVM systems, the functions of SATIR are presented. Then its technical achievement and the first results of its assessment on the public transport network of STIB in Brussels are addressed.

Satellite Communications and Fleet Management ? An Integrated Approach to the Road Transport Industry

Abstract: This paper first presents a review of the course of communications in the past twenty years Focus is on the trucking industry and the use of satellite telecommunication systems The benefits of using data communications instead of voice are the examined Integration of data and the benefits for the transportation industry are reviewed The paper concludes with a discussion of current developments and suggests future possibilities

Transportation emissions in Lebanon: Extent and mitigation

Abstract: Transportation related emissions have long been associated with adverse impacts on air quality particularly in densely populated urban areas. This paper evaluates the contribution of the road transportation sector, in a typical small developing country, to exhaust emissions. The Motor Vehicle Emissions Inventory (MVEI) computer based model, with inputs adjusted to the fleet and conditions at hand, is used to predict the contributions of different classes of vehicles and to forecast the corresponding emissions for the year 2020. Emissions reduction and the sensitivity to changes in factors such as fleet age, fleet technology, average speed and travel volume are assessed. Two scenarios are developed to explore the feasibility and benefits of different mitigation approaches. Mitigation measures best applicable in Lebanon, economically and technologically, are presented. A general framework for air quality management to implement these mitigation measures is also addressed in this paper

Bus rapid transit and automation: opportunities for synergy

Abstract: This paper identifies the opportunities for making significant improvements to bus transit operations by combining a variety of technical and service innovations that have heretofore been treated separately. Recently, increased attention has been devoted to "bus rapid transit" as an operational concept for enabling buses to provide a level of service closer to that normally only achievable in more expensive rail transit systems. When this concept is combined with APTS fleet management and passenger information systems, automated vehicle control technologies and innovative high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) facility and operational improvements, there is a potential for larger improvements in service and economics, referred to here as Automated Bus Rapid Transit (ABRT). The components and deployment staging issues are identified here, and the longer-term implications for progress toward automated highway systems are also described. For the covering abstract see ITRD E114174.

Color your world.

Abstract: Color Your World is the latest addition to the set of resources developed by the Secondary Education Project of the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA.) The Secondary Education Project has been supporting efforts to bring the great educational potential of geographic information systems (GIS) to the K-12 schools. This module/game introduces students to geographic data and the geographic information system, ArcView 2.0 which is a commercially available GIS produced by ESRI.

Telematics for helicopters involves automated exchange of position/application information with central station using positioning system with mobile communications

Abstract: The method is connected to a satellite-supported and/or terrestrial positioning system. Air unit and fleet management are established with wholly or partly automated transfer of position and application information between helicopters and a central station based on the connection of a positioning system with mobile speech and/or data communications. Automatically, semi-automatically or manually controlled communications with a database are used.

The atena project "ambiente traffico telematica napoli"

Abstract: ATENA is a pilot project to test a fleet of low-environmental impact vehicles and to develop and strengthen an original trial involving the urban traffic management. The following topics were investigated in order to obtain an assessment of several real applications of telematics in the urban traffic scenario. Realisation of a centralised service of remote dynamic navigation with the use of traffic information from the public infrastructure. Realisation of the remote managing of the car engine control strategies from a ground station. Realisation of a floating probe car system where all the 80 vehicles are used in order to feed the traffic model with traffic data. Evaluation of benefits from the introduction of ecological vehicles through numeric simulation of several scenarios of penetration. The modelling uses estimates of emissions and consumption obtained from statistical analysis of fleet experimental data. The development of this topic taken in accounts the transferability of the concept of other urban scenarios. Realisation of a novel traffic control management ground station that will be used also after the end of the pilot project by the Municipality. For the covering abstract see ITRD E114174.

By-pass filters: taking your fleet the extra mile

Abstract: There has been an industry-wide push over the last few years to extend oil drain intervals on fleet equipment. This industry demand is an effort to reduce downtime, reduce waste oil generation, and cut maintenance costs. Extended oil drain intervals can offer huge benefits for department of transportation fleets, providing that the extended program is structured to ensure that engine life is not compromised. The oil manufacturers have responded to this demand by developing new oils with improved additive packages to extend oil drain intervals. Many manufacturers advertise their new oil in many of the fleet maintenance magazines, with claims of extending oil drain intervals up to 40,000 mi (64,360 km). However, the question must be asked whether the use of these new oils in a "pour-in-and-go" program is the best approach to achieving satisfactory extended oil drain intervals. This paper describes an approach to achieving effective and safe extended lube oil drain intervals. This approach has achieved extended equipment life with reductions in downtime, maintenance man-hours, waste oil generation, and costs. This approach utilizes ultra fine by-pass lube oil filters, an effective technology in use for over 20 years, along with a comprehensive monitoring process for tracking of wear and oil condition and detection of potential problems. This paper also addresses problems and hurdles encountered when extended oil drain programs are explored.

Fleet management using mobile working unit positioning and wireless communications systems

Abstract: A fleet management system instructs a mobile working unit at which position to transmit a report containing the position of the mobile working unit to a fleet management center. An area of interest is defined by the fleet management center and sent to a mobile working unit via a public wireless communications system. The mobile working unit automatically reports to the fleet management center over the public wireless communications system when the requirements for reporting are encountered. The requirements of reporting may be merely entering or exiting the defined area, or the requirements may have other conditions that include a location dependency. The reporting by the mobile working unit is not dependent on the relative position of the mobile working unit to a base station or the mere occurence of a particular event. Instead, the reporting is based on the mobile working unit's position with respect to a defined area of interest transmitted to the mobile working unit over the wireless system.