Transportation Cost Modeling of Containerized Soybean Exports in the United States

Intermodal container transportation is a growing market for soybean exports in the United States. In an effort to understand the optimal strategies for improving the United States’ economic competitiveness in this emerging market, this research developed a detailed, multi-modal transportation cost analysis model focusing on U.S. soybean container shipments. By using mode-specific transportation network and cost information, the model estimated and compared the “point-to-point” supply chain costs of alternative shipment routes from a domestic production site to a foreign port. For each candidate route, the analysis estimated the transportation time, distance, and cost of each modal segment. This cost analysis model is a building block for a larger research effort that aims to develop strategies to improve freight transportation infrastructure and operations in the context of existing and potential changes in the transportation industry and global market.