Control systems for freight movement

Freight movement in the United States is severely crippled by congested roadways leading into and out of port areas. This congestion is due, in part, to significant growth in freight movement over the last decade. In the next twenty year, international marine trade is expected to double, pointing to the need for improvements in landside access to port terminals. Technological advances made in the movement of freight at port terminals may provide opportunities for using valuable information available through these advanced technologies for use in optimizing and controlling freight movement on roadways accessing the port area. Information available through advanced technologies and freight management systems can be integrated with roadway management systems to promote an integrated dynamic information system for freight movement. This paper provides an approach for accomplishing this integration using control theory.