The inclusion of a hauling contractor in the business plan provides the best opportunity for all of the technology developed for other logistics systems to be applied to feedstock logistics. The information technologies applied include a GPS receiver in every truck and a bar code on every load as well as geographic mapping and routing management tools. Thus, time and location information can be observed at every SSL and the weigh-in scale at the receiving facility. The data collected can be used to optimize asset utilization in real time, and it will also feed needed data into the accounting software to compensate the farmgate and haul contracts.

It is expected that the collected data will be presented in real time. The information will provide a "Feedstock Manager," maps showing the location of all assets with updates at suitable time intervals. The goal is to provide an opportunity for the Feedstock Manager to make optimization decisions in real time. Examples are: trucks rerouted to avoid traffic delays, assets redeployed during breakdowns, increase at-plant inventory when inclement weather is forecasted, and a turn-down of plant consumption when a delay in feedstock deliveries cannot be avoided.

Some perspective of the logistics complexity, as presented to the Feedstock Manager, can be gained from the following sample parameters. This example presumes that operations will be in the Upper Southeast of the United States where switchgrass is harvested over an 8- month harvest season. Suppose the supply area has 199 SSLs within a 48-km radius of the plant, and each SSL has a different amount of material stored as shown in Figure 6. The producer desires to fill their SSLs at least twice during the harvest season to minimize per — Mg SSL investment. Suppose there are five SSL crews under contract and each of them wants the same opportunity to earn income (total Mg mass hauled per year). The Feedstock Manager’s job is to treat all farmgate and haul contractors fairly.