Book Description

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) operates 137 truck stations and 18 headquarter sites. Replacement of 80 of these truck stations will be required within the next 20 years based on expected life cycles. There is a need to optimize the locations of truck stations on a statewide basis. Truck stations serve several functions for MnDOT maintenance operations. They exist to maintain the state’s trunk highway system and provide a base of operation for many personnel and maintenance vehicles. Alternative locations were developed for each truck station and optimized individually. Truck station locations were optimized using a GIS optimization model to determine operational outputs. The outputs of each optimization model were used in a cost-analysis model to determine the 50-year life-cycle savings of each alternative. The cost analysis included factors for the number of events per year, number of cycles per event, wages, over time versus straight time, and vehicle operating costs. Implementation optimization was conducted to determine which alternatives should be implemented and in what order. The implementation modeling was an iterative process where each optimal location replaced the existing location and became the baseline scenario to which the next iteration was compared. Results indicated that 123 truck stations should be rebuilt on site, 24 should be relocated, and 2 should be combined. The total expected cost savings from implementing the optimal alternatives over a 50-year period is $23,362,000. The implementation plan recommends the order for truck station replacement for each district based on age, condition, and implementation priority.