Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge many people for their assistance and support during my doctoral work. I would especially like to thank my advisor, Dr. Peter Swan, for his generous time, commitment, and encouragement.

I would also like to thank the rest of my committee members—Dr. Alan Stenger, Dr. John Spychalski, and Dr. Paul Jovanis; as well as Dr. Jim Miller and Dr. John (Gene) Tyworth who were also members of my committee at one time. The support of all the faculty and staff from the Department of Supply Chain and Information Systems at Penn State was fantastic, and a sincere thank you goes out to each and every one of them.

I am also very grateful to the many friends and colleagues who inquired about my dissertation over the years and kept up my motivation toward completion. In particular, thank you to all the faculty and staff from North Dakota State University and the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute who supported this research financially and in terms of assistance, feedback, and insights.

The acknowledgements would not be complete without a big thank you to my family. My mom and dad's steadfast faith and confidence in me and my abilities has helped me to achieve many goals throughout my life. I am especially grateful to my husband John and my son Nicholas who have supported me both mentally and emotionally throughout my doctoral program, and endured many long hours of my time away from them with love, patience, and unwavering support.

I am truly blessed with the best family, friends, and colleagues that a person could ever want, and once again, thank you to each of you.

Disclaimer

The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and accuracy of the information presented herein. This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program, in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. government assumes no liability for the contents or use thereof.