Shipper Response Surveys and their Importance in the Evaluation of U.S. Inland Waterways

Abstract Shipper response surveys have been growing in favor recent years and if administered correctly, can help quantify shipper’s behaviors opinions which present themselves as transportation demand functions by mode of delivery (water, rail or truck). Demand functions, defined economists “numeric elasticities” changes quantity demanded a result rates/duration/reliability, enabled to the Corps analyze (1) lock reliability component failures; (2) projections vs. system capacity determine equilibrium waterway traffic (3) selection sequence replacement, repair modernization efforts over planning horizon. This paper highlights this innovative approach predicting shipper behavior using that were recently applied two major waterways U.S.– Upper Mississippi River Ohio Rivers) how resulting outputs could be used investment priorities well impacts due closures other events.