Empirical Analysis of Resiliency of Terminal Operations for Roll-On–Roll-Off Vessels

Regular maritime lines with roll-on–roll-off vessels must offer a reliable service without substantial cost increases to be competitive. Port terminals need to respond quickly to any disturbance and return to a smooth operational state in a minimum amount of time (resilient terminals). In this paper, a complete taxonomy of the disturbances affecting the operational processes in a roll-on–roll-off terminal is introduced together with a system able to assess the performance of any measure used to mitigate those disturbances. This study is based on an overview of the existing literature on the topic, a detailed diagram of the operational processes of the terminal, and a set of interviews with the staff involved in the processes occurring in the terminal, along with field measurements. The main vulnerabilities are identified, and possible corrective and preventive measures are emphasized.