The performance of a freight interchange warehouse can be improved and/or enhanced through the analysis, study and optimization of active processes for the treatment/handling of goods. This paper proposes a discrete event microsimulation model as a tool useful to design a freight interchange warehouse and, particularly, to manage the exchange of freights between heavy lorries, coming from extra-urban regions, and small electric vans used for urban distribution. In particular, the paper focuses on dimensioning the warehouse structure and handling means in order to optimize the operational activities in relation to inbound freight flows (vehicles from extra-regional areas) and outbound freight flows (urban distribution service). The micro-simulation model allowed ex-ante and ex-post evaluations proving to be a useful decision support tool in planning.
The remarkable demographic growth and economic development of the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean regions stimulate an ever increasing need for trade between the shores, especially from regions of North Africa and the Middle East towards Western European countries. Today, these exchanges take place mainly by sea and by roll on-roll off (Ro-Ro) ships; but the connections by container ships and by road transport are important too. Ro-Ro services are particularly crammed in some North-South directions, with relationships among few ports and with rather limited frequencies. Road transport, especially between the Middle East and Europe, has different limits in terms of cost, safety, and reliability. The paper proposes a hypothesis of a logistic organization on a Euro-Mediterranean scale, through the transition from a network of direct links to a hub and spoke (H&S) network, according to the scheme envisaged for air transport. The research aims to explore, within a framework of the socio-economic system and the mobility demand system, the feasibility of a H&S network for Ro-Ro freight in the Mediterranean basin, based on a hub with high logistical performances, limiting the planning to supply and process consequent impact assessments.
The paper focuses on the receiving area of a logistics platform operating in the agri-food sector. The main aim of this work is to propose a "what to" approach for the resolution of problems related to the vehicles and goods receiving. The approach is based on a dynamic, stochastic, discrete-event micro-simulation model, which was properly specified and calibrated. The work proposes the formulation of the mathematical model defining the receiving activities in the logistics platform. The aim of the objective function is to minimize the average trucks turnaround in accordance with constraints allowing to establish the optimal entry sequence of the inbound trucks. The problem formulation considers the introduction of ITS to support the receiving activities management.
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