The primary purpose of the JTM is to publish managerial and policy articles that are relevant to academics, policymakers, and practitioners in the transportation, logistics and supply chain fields.Acceptable articles could include conceptual, theoretical, legal, case, and applied research that contributes to better understanding and management of transportation and logistics.Saying that, our policy requires that articles be of interest to both academics and practitioners, and that they specifically address the managerial or policy implications of the subject matter.Articles that are strictly theoretical in nature, with no direct application to transportation and logistics activities, or to related policy matters, would be inappropriate for the
Railroads were instrumental in opening the western U.S. in the 19th century. The main incentive provided for the railroads to connect San Francisco, CA and Omaha, NB were land grants out of the public domain. In a period of 21 years (1850-1871), 174 million acres were patented (deeded) primarily to what would become four major railroads. Many acres were returned to the government, some were sold and many others were retained or disposed of through holding companies. This paper emphasizes an oft-overlooked reality: that in many cases the railroads leveraged these land grants in support of the growth and prosperity of the U.S. and that privatizing these lands to the railroads was the most productive use of those resources at that point in history. Further, those grants continue to bear fruit in the present day. We contend that the counterfactual, one in which those lands remained in the public domain and under control of the federal government, would not have yielded anywhere near the development and wealth that they created under the railroads’ control.
This article explores the relationships among factor market rivalry, factor market myopia, and strategic blind spots in the context of the labor market for truck drivers. Levitt (1960) developed the concept of market myopia to explain how managers often overlooked key competitors in product markets. Trucking managers might do the same thing in looking at competition for truck drivers. Factor market myopia and strategic blind spots help to explain how this happens, and how it becomes more severe in the context of factor market rivalry. In the trucking industry, factor market myopia and strategic blind spots may mean that managers overlook competition for workers who not only can drive trucks, but can also do many other jobs. We find that the labor market for truck drivers offers important lessons on the practical and theoretical ways in which these ideas interact.
This study investigates the impact of four subcategories of flight delays on total flight delays over the period from May 2005 through December 2019. Total flight delays are divided into weather, air carrier, security, and non-weather National Aviation System (NAS) delays. Using the flight data provided by the Air Travel Consumer Report of the U.S. Department of Transportation for a consistent set of ten airlines, each time- series is decomposed. Trend and seasonality are determined. Total flight delays, and each of its subcategories, demonstrate strong seasonality and follow a random walk model without drift during the sample period. Total flight delays are composed of approximately one-half air carrier caused, one-third weather related, and one-sixth non-weather NAS delays. In the period prior to 2012, weather, air carrier, non-weather NAS, and security delays follow the same pattern as total flight delays. After 2012, air carrier and non-weather NAS (infrastructure) delays follow a similar pattern as total flight delays, but weather and security delays are far fewer than would be suggested by the pattern of total delays. The latter period was consistent with a period of increased investment in “disruption management,” which may have had the desired effect on weather and security delays. Flight delays under the control of air carriers or from infrastructure issues (non-weather NAS delays) increased from 2012 through 2019.
