IMPROVING EFFICIENCY OF COMMERCIAL VEHICLE OPERATIONS USING REAL-TIME INFORMATION: POTENTIAL USES AND ASSIGNMENT STRATEGIES

Advances in communication, automatic vehicle location, and geographic information system technologies have made available several types of real-time information with benefits for commercial vehicle operations. Continuous updates on vehicle locations and demands create considerable potential for developing automated, real-time dispatching systems. The potential benefits of a diversion strategy in response to real-time information are explored under idealized conditions, and the technologies that are available for use in commercial vehicle operations and selected results derived from simulation are described. The results illustrate potential savings from simple diversion strategies under real-time information and highlight the need for methodological development to support improved truckload carrier operations decisions.