When containers are transported on a-modal bookings, the transport supplier can decide which combination of trucks, trains, ships, etc. to use. This gives the flexibility to transport suppliers to route the containers in accordance with the current state of the synchromodal transport network. At the same time, it enables the transport providers to route their vehicles in real time based on the current need for transportation. The interdependency of the routes of containers and of vehicles has not yet been discussed explicitly in the synchromodal literature. The aim of this paper is thus to illustrate the effect of planning the routes of containers and trucks as one integrated problem. This is addressed with a model predictive control planning method. Simulation experiments of a synchromodal hinterland network are used to illustrate the method's potential.
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