Colleen/Assignment 3

Book Number	Author	Book Title	Publication Info	ISBN
MC 412	Konings	The Future of Intermodal Freight Transportation	Edward Elger Publishing 2008	978-1-84542-238-7

This week we will discuss quality (Chapter 6), as it applies to intermodal transportation, factors and methods to measure. In Chapter 7 we discuss container handling in ports specifically trends and factors impacting decisions on equipment, infrastructure, automation, and business processes improvements and investments. Where in previous weeks the discussion was more theoretical, this week we will begin to focus on the functional aspects of intermodal transportation.

Before moving on to the next week, be sure you have completed the following: * Understand the importance of container handling quality, its importance, factors, and methods of evaluation * Understand the trends affecting main port development. * Understand how future trends will drive main port development…how will they adjust to maintain competitiveness. Next week we will go into the Agile Port System (APS) and take a look at intermodal design and networking.  Week five will include another written paper. Please make sure that you look over the first paper and do not make the same mistakes, as the same errors will result in the loss of double points for the same errors committed.

Week 5 Notes:

This week we will continue our discussion on how to deal with the aforementioned trends with increased scale while maintaining quality. Chapter 8 explores the concept of the Agile Port System. The goal of this system is to increase throughput while reducing container dwell time; in other words increase port and transfer efficiency. This as you will see is accomplished through the use of unique handling equipment that supports a new business process. As one would expect, effective planning is essential to achieving and sustaining efficiency. Chapter 9 expands on Chapters 5 discussion of “bundling” and network planning. This chapter can be quite intense as the author uses mathematical models in his discussion of complex network planning. Remember, our goal is to learn the basics of intermodal transportation, therefore don’t get bogged down with the details in Chapter 9. Instead focus on the broader concepts being presented, that is, the impact of network planning on efficiency and quality as scales increase, and how “bundling” and the impact that network planning has on the Agile Port System.

The mariner pool was not an issue of concern until Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm brought about the largest fleet activation since the Vietnam Conflict.

To meet Ready Reserve Force crewing requirements during the Gulf War, mariners from the Great Lakes and retired mariners ranging up to eighty years of age were mobilized.

Additionally, Military Sealift Command had to hire as many as 162 foreign-flag ships to supplement its sealift capabilities. This raised concerns over the mariner pool and its effects on national sealift capabilities in terms of the national defense strategy. However, there is no organization that can state and validate the number of United States merchant mariners.

Questions quickly arose to try and determine if there are enough qualified merchant mariners to meet the crewing requirements brought on by two nearly simultaneous major theater wars without sacrificing manning levels in the commercial fleet.

Other questions arose to try and determine the causes of the mariner shortages. Some study estimates suggest the number of mariners available is not sufficient to fulfill surge requirements in support of national sealift strategy.