Date of Award
5-2026
Culminating Project Type
Starred Paper
Styleguide
ieee
Degree Name
Computer Science: M.S.
Department
Computer Science and Information Technology
College
School of Science and Engineering
First Advisor
Dr. Jalal Khalil
Second Advisor
Dr. Maninder Singh
Third Advisor
Dr. Jayantha Herath
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Keywords and Subject Headings
Agent-based freight simulation MATSim vehicle routing optimization FAF5 freight demand modeling OpenStreetMap facility identification Minnesota transportation network Multi-carrier logistics simulation
Abstract
Freight transportation plays a critical role in regional economies and supply chain efficiency, yet detailed tools for analyzing freight movement at a local level remain limited. This study presents a comprehensive freight simulation framework for Minnesota using the MATSim (Multi-Agent Transport Simulation) platform integrated with the Jsprit vehicle routing optimization library. Freight demand was estimated using the Freight Analysis Framework (FAF5) dataset published by the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. A data processing pipeline was developed to extract Minnesota-specific freight flows, convert annual commodity tonnage into estimated daily truck demand, and identify candidate freight facility locations using OpenStreetMap data. Python-based analysis was conducted to examine freight flows, identify major inbound and outbound counties, visualize commodity movement patterns, and investigate time-of-day truck movement data from multiple sources. Two simulation scenarios were executed on the St. Cloud, Minnesota road network: a baseline scenario with one carrier and one shipment, and a scaled scenario with six carriers and twelve shipments. Multi-agent replanning behavior was observed as carriers with overlapping routes adapted their departure times across iterations to reduce congestion on shared segments. All shipments were completed within defined time windows across all simulation iterations, confirming the framework's operational validity. The framework provides a foundation for data-driven, scenario-testable freight planning in Minnesota and can be extended to statewide coverage.
Recommended Citation
Pednekar, Mihir, "MATSim Freight Simulation for Minnesota" (2026). Culminating Projects in Computer Science and Information Technology. 73.
https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/csit_etds/73
Comments/Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Dr. Jalal Khalil for his time, guidance, and support as the chair of my starred paper committee. His patience and insights were very helpful throughout the development of this project.
I would also like to thank the other members of my committee, Dr. Maninder Singh and Dr. Jayantha Herath, for their time and for reviewing my work.
Finally, I would like to thank St. Cloud State University, and the faculty and staff in the Department of Computing, Informatics and Data Science, for providing the academic environment and resources that made this research possible.