ANALYSIS OF CONTAINERIZED GRAIN, DRIED DISTILLERS’ GRAINS, AND OTHER FEED COMMODITIES EXPORTS AND INLAND MOVEMENT
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Date
2025-05
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North Dakota State University
Abstract
Containerized shipping has become an increasingly important method for transporting
bulky products. This research investigates different topic areas associated with containerized
grain, Dried Distillated Grain, and other feed (DDG&oF) shipping. It covers both inland
movement and exports from the United States. The first part of the research provides a
descriptive analysis of U.S. containerized DDG&oF shipping trends, using the PIERS database.
This part examines variations by origin, port of departure, commodity type, and destination
country. The results are visualized using charts and spatial maps and show the amount of shipped
grains, DDG&oF in containers versus bulk shipments. In addition, it shows when the
containerized grain started declining, in which commodities, and for which exporting ports. This
part of the research aims to provide an understanding of shifts that occurred in recent years.
The second part of the research is a prescriptive analysis using a Linear Programming
transshipment model to optimize the inland transportation of containerized grain. Using data
from the Surface Transportation Board and Freight Analysis Framework, the optimization model
minimizes total logistics costs by considering transportation, operational, and freight expenses in
both rail and highway modes. It also evaluates potential new inland terminal locations and uses
sensitivity analysis to test the robustness of the model under varying conditions.
Third, the research explores the mode of choice between container vessels and bulk
carriers for exporting DDG and other feed (DDG&oF), a major U.S. agricultural export. A Beta
regression model is applied to PIERS data, focusing on shipments to top destination countries.
This analysis identifies the most influential key factors that affect transportation mode decisions,
such as shipping prices, exchange rate, Index of Industrial Production, and more. The findings
address gaps in current literature regarding DDG&oF modal choice and contribute new insights
into optimizing international agricultural logistics. In addition, the study applied multicollinearity
analysis to ensure the correlation of independent variables.
Together, studies provide a comprehensive analysis of containerized grain export trends,
logistics optimization strategies, and shipper decision-making in modal selection. The research
offers practical implications for improving cost-efficiency, network design, and policy
considerations in the evolving landscape of U.S. agricultural exports.
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Keywords
Supply Chain, Containerized grain, optimization, transportation, logistics