Intermodal Competition: Cargo Airships versus Long-Haul Trucking for Perishable Commodities

Intermodal competition changes with changes in technology, economics, and environmental concerns. Trucks and airships are generally considered not to be competitors, but this depends on the distance of haul. The tonne-kilometer cost of trucking rises much more quickly with distance than it does the cost of a cargo airship. At some distance, the two modes are direct substitutes. The costs of the Mexico-Canada refrigerated truck supply chain are compared with the costs of a 100t-lift, electrically-powered airship. The flight characteristics of the Hindenburg Zeppelin are used as a model for a modern cargo airship. The supply chain cost of trucking tomatoes is used to test the theorical proposition. The cost difference works out to about US10￠/kg (5￠/lb) advantage for trucking Mexican tomatoes to Canada. However, this cost disadvantage of the airship could be made up by their vibrationless ride, better air circulation and one-day service versus four days by truck. This alternative form of transportation could have a positive impact on worldwide north-south distribution of food. Airships can overcome trade barriers and distance to open new markets for perishable food exports. In addition, they would reduce the carbon emissions of transport. Canada imports 160,000 refrigerated truckloads of fruits and vegetables by from the southern US and Mexico. With an average driving distance of 3,000 km, these trucks emit 606,000 MT of CO2 annually. Airships powered by hydrogen fuel cells would have zero-carbon emissions. Markets are not yet incorporating the environmental advantage of airships in any freight comparison, but inevitably this will be important.

Timber Trucking Characteristics in Greece

Wood transportation begins from the landing or the forest road where the processed wood assortments are placed, they are loaded on trucks and then transported to the wood-working industry and/or the consumption centers. Wood transportation in Greece is carried out, almost exclusively, by trucks. The aim of this study is to analyze the evolution of timber trucking in Greece through the analysis of wood transportation waybills. A total of 1,471 waybills have been collected and analyzed that cover the period 1981-2008 from nine of the most productive and representative forest districts in Greece, in terms of timber production. The final dataset included information on the type and technical characteristics of truck types, the transported wood quantities and haulage distances. Furthermore, data on the wood transportation cost for the year 2010 have been collected and analyzed. According to the results, the number of two-axle trucks that dominated in the 1980s is reducing rapidly, mostly to the benefit of larger three-axle and four-axle trucks. More than three quarters （77%） of wood transportation is conducted in the period June-October. Mean vehicle load per vehicle type differs between conifer and broadleaved species from 7.1% up to 23.9%. Transportation of stacked wood with semitrailers is conducted with overloaded trucks, which could entail serious problems for public safety and the condition of road network. New design standards will enhance serviceability of the wood transportation routes and environmental protection.

A comparative study on kinetics and dynamics of two dump truck lifting mechanisms using MATLAB simscape

In this paper,two lifting mechanism models with opposing placements,which use the same hydraulic hoist model and have the same angle of 50°,have been developed.The mechanical and hydraulic simulation models are established using MATLAB Simscape to analyze their kinetics and dynamics in the lifting and holding stages.The simulation findings are compared to the analytical calculation results in the steady state,and both methods show good agreement.In the early lifting stage,Model 1 produces greater force and discharges goods in the container faster than Model 2.Meanwhile,Model 2 reaches a higher force and ejects goods from the container cleaner than its counterpart at the end lifting stage.The established simulation models can consider the effects of dynamic loads due to inertial moments and forces generated during the system operation.It is crucial in studying,designing,and optimizing the structure of hydraulic-mechanical systems.

Real-Time Co-optimization of Gear Shifting and Engine Torque for Predictive Cruise Control of Heavy-Duty Trucks

Fuel consumption is one of the main concerns for heavy-duty trucks.Predictive cruise control(PCC)provides an intriguing opportunity to reduce fuel consumption by using the upcoming road information.In this study,a real-time implementable PCC,which simultaneously optimizes engine torque and gear shifting,is proposed for heavy-duty trucks.To minimize fuel consumption,the problem of the PCC is formulated as a nonlinear model predictive control(MPC),in which the upcoming road elevation information is used.Finding the solution of the nonlinear MPC is time consuming;thus,a real-time implementable solver is developed based on Pontryagin’s maximum principle and indirect shooting method.Dynamic programming(DP)algorithm,as a global optimization algorithm,is used as a performance benchmark for the proposed solver.Simulation,hardware-in-the-loop and real-truck experiments are conducted to verify the performance of the proposed controller.The results demonstrate that the MPC-based solution performs nearly as well as the DP-based solution,with less than 1%deviation for testing roads.Moreover,the proposed co-optimization controller is implementable in a real-truck,and the proposed MPC-based PCC algorithm achieves a fuel-saving rate of 7.9%without compromising the truck’s travel time.

A Predictive Energy Management Strategies for Mining Dump Trucks

The plug-in hybrid vehicles(PHEV)technology can effectively address the issues of poor dynamics and higher energy consumption commonly found in traditional mining dump trucks.Meanwhile,plug-in hybrid electric trucks can achieve excellent fuel economy through efficient energy management strategies(EMS).Therefore,a series hybrid system is constructed based on a 100-ton mining dump truck in this paper.And inspired by the dynamic programming(DP)algorithm,a predictive equivalent consumption minimization strategy(P-ECMS)based on the DP optimization result is proposed.Based on the optimal control manifold and the SOC reference trajectory obtained by the DP algorithm,the P-ECMS strategy performs real-time stage parameter optimization to obtain the optimal equivalent factor(EF).Finally,applying the equivalent consumption minimization strategy(ECMS)realizes real-time control.The simulation results show that the equivalent fuel consumption of the P-ECMS strategy under the experimentally collected mining cycle conditions is 150.8 L/100 km,which is 10.9%less than that of the common CDCS strategy(169.3 L/100 km),and achieves 99.47%of the fuel saving effect of the DP strategy(150 L/100 km).

Application of Connected Truck Data to Evaluate Spatiotemporal Impact of Rest Area Closures on Ramp Parking

Ensuring adequate access to truck parking is critical to the safe and efficient movement of freight traffic. There are strict federal guidelines for commercial truck driver rest periods. Rest areas and private truck stops are the only places for the trucks to stop legally and safely. In locations without sufficient parking areas, trucks often park on interstate ramps, which create safety risks for other interstate motorists. Historically, agencies have employed costly and time intensive manual counting methods, camera surveillance, and driver surveys to assess truck parking. Connected truck data, available in near real-time, offers an efficient alternative to practitioners to assess truck parking patterns and identify areas where there may be insufficient safe parking spaces. This paper presents a case study of interstate I-70 in east central Indiana and documents the observed spatiotemporal impacts of a rest area closure on truck parking on nearby interstate ramps. Results showed that there was a 28% increase in parking on ramps during the rest area closure. Analysis also found that ramps closest to the rest area were most impacted by the closure, seeing a rise in truck parking sessions as high as 2.7 times. Parking duration on the ramps during rest area closure also increased drastically. Although it was expected that this would result in increased parking by trucks on adjacent ramps, this before, during, after scenario provided an ideal scenario to evaluate the robustness of these techniques to assess changing parking characteristics of long-haul commercial trucks. The data analytics and visualization tools presented in this study are scalable nationwide and will aid stakeholders in informed data-driven decision making when allocating resources towards improving the nations commercial vehicle parking infrastructure.

Excessive Drowsiness among Truck Drivers in Benin in 2023: Associated Factors and Risk of Crashes Occurrence

Introduction: Over-drowsiness is a condition with serious consequences, including road accidents. The condition, however, is often ignored both by carers as well as victims themselves. The aim of the present study was to investigate the factors associated with excessive drowsiness in Cotonou, Benin 2023, along with its influence on the occurrence of crashes among truck drivers. Methods: This was a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study, held from March 13 to April 10, 2023, focusing on large truck drivers over 18 years of age, selected by convenience from parking lots in and around the city of Cotonou. Data collected using questionnaires on socio-demographic and behavioral factors, sleeping habits and working conditions were processed using Stata 15.0 software. Excessive drowsiness was defined by a score above 10 on the Epworth scale. Associated factors were found by multiple logistic regression, at a threshold of 0.05. Results: Altogether 304 drivers, all male and aged 35.98 ± 8.42 years, were surveyed. The prevalence of excessive drowsiness was 29.2%. The associated factors identified were not practicing sport OR = 2.27, CI95% = [1.33;3.86], p = 0,002;sleep duration per working day OR = 1.82;CI95% = [1.06;3.11], p = 0,027 and average distance travelled per day OR = 3.40;CI95% = [1.53;7.56], p = 0,003. Excessive drowsiness was associated with a 1.73-fold increased risk of road accidents (CI95% [1.04;2.87];p = 0.03). Conclusion: Communicating excessive drowsiness and its associated factors to all the stakeholders in the haulage chain is essential to help prevent road accidents.

Quantifying the Impact of In-Cab Alerts on Truck Speed Reductions in Ohio

In-cab alerts warn commercial vehicle drivers of upcoming roadway incidents, slowdowns and work zone construction activities. This paper reports on a study evaluating the driver response to in-cab alerts in Ohio. Driver response was evaluated by measuring the statistical trends of vehicle speeds after the in-cab alerts were received. Vehicle speeds pre and post in-cab alert were collected over a 47 day period in the fall of 2023 for trucks traveling on interstate roadways in Ohio. Results show that approximately 22% of drivers receiving Dangerous Slowdown alerts had reduced their speeds by at least 5 mph 30 seconds after receiving such an alert. Segmenting this analysis by speed found that of vehicles traveling at or above 70 mph at the time of alerting, 26% reduced speeds by at least 5 mph. These speed reductions suggest drivers taking actional measures after receiving alerts. Future studies will involve further analysis on the impact of the types of alerts shown, roadway characteristics and overall traffic conditions on truck speeds passing through work zones.

Seroprevalence Survey of HIV and Hepatitis B Virus and Behavioral Characteristics among Heavy Truck Drivers along Port Sudan-Khartoum Highways

The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (AIDS) and hepatitis B virus among heavy truck drivers and their assistants has been well documented globally in correlation with their behavioral characteristics. The present study aimed to screen for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and behavioral characteristics among heavy truck drivers in Port Sudan. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 274 heavy truck drivers and their assistants who used the highway Port Sudan-Khartoum in Port Sudan city during 2019-2021. Data on behavioral characteristics and substance use habits were collected using a structured questionnaire, and an ELISA test was used to screen for HIV and HBV infections in the study participants. The chi-square test, odds ratio, and confidence intervals were used to find the association between behavioral characteristics and seropositive HIV/HBV. Of the 274 enrolled participants, the seroprevalence rates of HIV were 2.7% and HBV was 23.7%. Ninety-four (34.3%) of them had a history of high-risk sexual behavior outside of marriage;only two (0.7%) used condoms;14.2% of participants reported alcohol use;and 1.1% reported drug use. Univariate analysis revealed that having a sex history outside of marriage with ≥1 sex partner and never using a condom with a spouse or casual partner were significant risk factors for HIV and HBV among drivers. Fortunately, we found that most of the drivers reported low alcohol and drug use. Concerning this study, the seroprevalence of HIV and HBV is highly associated with a history of having sex outside of marriage and sexual behavior among truck drivers and assistances. Additional studies are needed to further investigate other STIs and behavioral characteristics associated with factors in truck drivers/assistance in different truck stop regions in Sudan.

Reducing Electrical Consumption in Stationary Long-Haul Trucks

On average, long-haul trucks in the U.S. use approximately 667 million gallons of fuel each year just for idling. This idling primarily facilitates climate control operations during driver rest periods. To mitigate this, our study explored ways to diminish the electrical consumption of climate control systems in class 8 trucks through innovative load reduction technologies. We utilized the CoolCalc software, developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), which integrates heat transfer principles with extensive weather data from across the U.S. to mimic the environmental conditions trucks face year-round. The analysis of the CoolCalc simulations was performed using MATLAB. We assessed the impact of various technologies, including white paint, advanced curtains, and Thinsulate insulation on reducing electrical demand compared to standard conditions. Our findings indicate that trucks operating in the eastern U.S. could see electrical load reductions of up to 40%, while those in the western regions could achieve reductions as high as 55%. Such significant decreases in energy consumption mean that a 10 kWh battery system could sufficiently manage the HVAC needs of these trucks throughout the year without idling. Given that many long-haul trucks are equipped with battery systems of around 800 Ah (9.6 kWh), implementing these advanced technologies could substantially curtail the necessity for idling to power air conditioning systems.

PCTC货舱通风关键技术

为降低汽车运输船(Pure Car Truck Carrier,PCTC)的噪声,减小其电力消耗,对风机房和风道的主要组成部分、独立风机房和结构风机房的不同的特点进行分析,并对货舱内部流场、通风阻力、噪声控制等3方面的关键技术进行研究。结果表明:货舱内部流场主要取决于通风总体方案;控制风道通风阻力是设计的关键,对风机房选型和控制噪声有很大影响;计算流体力学(Computational Fluid Dynamics,CFD)分析可有效提高设计的准确性。研究成果可为PCTC货舱通风设计提供一定参考。

A Comparative Study on the Truck Frame Stiffness with Solid and Beam Element FEA Models

Truck frames should be designed and fabricated with enough rigidity to avoid excessive deflections. Finite element analysis (FEA) plays an important role in all stages of frame designs. While being accurate, 3D solid element FEA models are built upon frame configuration details which are not feasible in the preliminary design stage, partially because of limited available design data of frames and heavy computation costs. This research develops 1D beam element FEA models for simulating frame structures. In this paper, the CAD model of a truck frame is first created. The solid element FEA analysis, which is adopted as the baseline in this study, is subsequently conducted for the stiffness of the frame, Next, beam element FEA analysis is performed for validating the feasibility of the beam element FEA model by comparing the results from the solid and beam element FEA models. It is found that the beam element FEA model can predict the frame stiffness with acceptable accuracy and reduce the computation cost significantly.

Simulating Transport Capacity, Delivery Speed, and Routing Efficiency to Predict Economic Growth

This study uses a simulation-based approach to investigate the impact of delivery delays due to constraints on transport capacity, transit speed, and routing efficiencies on an economy with various levels of interdependency among firms. The simulation uses object-oriented programming to create specialized production, consumption, and transportation classes. A set of objects from each class is distributed randomly on a 2D plane. A road network is then established between fixed objects using Prim’s MST (Minimum Spanning Tree) algorithm, followed by construction of an all-pair shortest path matrix using the Floyd Warshall algorithm. A genetic algorithm-based vehicle routing problem solver employs the all-pair shortest path matrix to best plan multiple pickup and delivery orders. Production units utilize economic order quantities (EOQ) and reorder points (ROP) to manage inventory levels. Hicksian and Marshallian demand functions are utilized by consumption units to maximize personal utility. The transport capacity, transit speed, routing efficiency, and level of interdependence serve as 4 factors in the simulation, each assigned 3 distinct levels. Federov’s exchange algorithm is used to generate an orthogonal array to reduce the number of combination replays from 34 to just 9. The simulation results of a 9-run orthogonal array on an economy with 6 mining facilities, 12 industries, 8 market centers, and 8 transport hubs show that the level of firm interdependence, followed by transit speed, has the most significant impact on economic productivity. The principal component analysis (PCA) indicates that interdependence and transit speed can explain 90.27% of the variance in the data. According to the findings of this research, a dependable and efficient regional transportation network among various types of industries is critical for regional economic development.

Cycle Time Analysis of Open Pit Mining Dump Trucks

This study demonstrates a practical cycle time analysis of dump truck haulage system of “Ukhaa Khudag” open-pit coal mine located in Umnugobi Province, Mongolia. It examines the possibility of minimizing the cycle time of the haulage system as well as factors impacting the speed of the dump truck. The current study divides the open pit mine road for the dump trucks into five sections which are bench road, ramp, surface road, dump road uphill, and dump road. Meanwhile, it investigates the influence of the length, the grade, and the rolling resistance of the road section on the cycle time. The data is analyzed using mathematical regression methods via Microsoft Excel program. For each of the five road sections, we compare the statistical calculations of three regression models: linear, quadratic and exponential;thus, a total of thirty regression models are obtained in this research. Accordingly, the cycle time for each road section is predicted by the most accountable model. The loaded and empty direction of the movement is measured and calculated for each road section, and it appears that the difference between the calculated mean value and the actual cycle time of the models is 0.82 seconds with a relative error of 2.51 percent.

Study on Truss Robot Structure of Refrigerator Automatic Loader

Aiming at the requirements of intelligent loading and shipping in large household appliance industry,an automatic loading and unloading robot for refrigerator is proposed.The robot is a gantry truss robot,which is composed of active support,passive support,beam and fixture components at both ends to realize the taking and placing of the refrigerator on the logistics transmission line to the truck.In the actual working conditions,the no-load truss robot experiment,found that the robot in the design problems,and the robot was optimized.It not only solves the safety hazards of the refrigerator when grabbing and stacking products,but also realizes the automation and intelligence of the refrigerator conveying process.

Design and Optimization of New Smoke Exhaust Pipe for Mining Trucks

In order to improve the maintenance efficiency,extend the use time,ensure that the exhaust emission meets the standard,forthe 830E truck heating bucket exhaust pipe design defects,the current single smoke exhaust system is transformed into atime period,convertible smoke exhaust system.After the transformation,it can not only realize the side row to prevent direct corrosion of the box bucket in summer,but also realize the heating of the box bucket at low temperature in winter to prevent snow and ice and frozen blocks from sticking to the box bucket and the materials transported.After the transformation can save a lot of manpower,material resources,financial resources,improve the service life.

基于刚柔耦合的混凝土泵车臂架浇筑特性分析（英文）

混凝土泵车臂架属于大型柔性机械臂。由于受到激振力和混凝土载荷的影响,泵车臂架在工作中产生振动,影响浇筑质量和臂架强度。针对泵车水平定点浇筑的工况,计算了泵车臂架所受载荷,基于ANSYS和ADAMS软件建立了混凝土泵车臂架的刚柔耦合模型,对臂架水平状态下高压和低压工况进行了仿真,并计算了臂架强度,验证了该臂架满足设计要求。仿真结果表明:该方法适用于大型柔性机械臂的仿真,可以为该类结构的设计与校核提供理论指导。

Trucks at Roundabouts: A Synthesis Study

Roundabouts in United States and other countries have been proved to be very successful, effective, and a safe traffic control treatment. Roundabouts in the context of regularly expected truck configuration have also been successful for effective roundabout designs;however, there are always some site specific issues for trucks accommodation at roundabouts. Therefore, there is a great need for an informational guide in the form of synthesis report for roundabout designs specific to unique trucking traffic activity. While there are not significant literatures and studies in this subject, there are few studies/reports spread out which address various issues in this subject area. This study attempts to synthesize the research and knowledge of truck accommodation at roundabouts by synthesizing various research studies, reports, and articles;various subject areas such as roundabout designs for trucking activity, roundabout designs and accommodation strategies for specialized trucking activity such as oversized trucks, truck safety at roundabouts, and motor carrier perspective of trucking at roundabouts have been analyzed and relevant knowledge has been synthesized. This synthesis can be useful o researchers, designers, planners, and decision makers to determine effective ways to address specific trucking related issues at a roundabout.

英语中的“车”

在英语中,有许多表示“车”这一概念的词,但具体意思各不相同,现在整理如下:ambulance救护车armored vehicle/car装甲车autobus[美]公共汽车automobile[美]汽车(英国人称之为motorcar,简称motor,通常只称car)automobile

Truck Cab Design： Perceptions of Women Truck Drivers

The trucking industry is a major force behind the United States （US） economy with approximately 750,000 interstate motor carriers. Trucks deliver 70% of all freight tonnage while 80% of U.S. communities receive goods exclusively by truck. The motor carrier industry provides jobs, generating significant income and tax revenue, representing approximately 5% of U.S. GDP （gross domestic product）. Despite one of every 13 people employed in a trucking-related job, there is a significant driver shortage. The ATA （American Trucking Associations） currently projects a shortage of 20,000 to 25,000 drivers in the for-hire truckload market. Women are well positioned to address this shortage. In 2011, women represented 7% of total employment in the U.S. trucking industry. The purpose of this study was to identify truck design needs for women truck drivers. This research is significant due to limited data sources about truck design needs for women drivers. This study also contributes to the body of knowledge about women in the trucking industry. In response, a 33-question survey was developed using QualtricsTM survey software. In April, 2012, an electronic survey was distributed to 663 Women in Trucking Association members over a two-week period with a response rate of 18%. Results were separated into quantitative and qualitative data and analyzed accordingly. Adjustability was a central issue facing women truck drivers. Recommendations for seat design, side mirrors, steps, handrails, hydraulic hood lifters, and steering consoles will be presented. Limitations of the study and recommendations for future research will be discussed.