The Transportation Game

Peter L. Jackson, John A. Muckstadt

School of Operations Research and Industrial Engineering

Cornell University

Sponsored in part by the National Science Foundation Synthesis Coalition for Engineering Education.

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Sample Screens

Routing Map

Trucking Schedule

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Abstract

The Transportation Game is a simulation game of a regional distribution system. The goal is to cost effectively manage the routing and scheduling of a fleet of trucks to satisfy customer demand.

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Related Topics

Routing and scheduling

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Background Assumed

None. Game has been played by freshmen, industrial engineers, and M.B.A. students.

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Duration of Exercise

The exercise is designed to be run in a 2 hour microcomputer laboratory period. It is typically given as a homework assignment. It is used in conjunction with the Llenroc Plastics series of cases.

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Supplementary Lecture

A brief description of the game setup is required. The help file will be extensive in the finished version. Llenroc Plastics case 1 (available separately) assigns a series of exercises based on this game.

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Software Requirements

Microsoft Windows 3.1

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Copyright

Public domain. Modify exercise as you wish. Source code is proprietary.

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Assessment

The first version of this software failed badly: too many bugs. However, student reviews of the original spreadsheet version of the game were enthusiastic. The later versions are more robust. The current version is distributed to participants in the Workshop on Experiential Learning in Manufacturing System Design. An older version can be downloaded from this Web site. See Files.

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Files

To download the zip file, click here: trucks.zip (270631 bytes). Contents:
trucks5.exe
Game software. Requires vbrun300.dll. (Windows 3.1 executable)
trucks.hlp
Draft help file explaining game software. Needs considerable revision. (Windows 3.1 help file)
game1.trk
Input file with first problem. (ASCII text: tab-separated fields)
game2.trk
Input file with second problem. (ASCII text: tab-separated fields)
vbrun300.dll
Visual Basic 3.0 run time library.

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Other Documents

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Peter L. Jackson / March 18, 1996 / pj16@cornell.edu