Flow balancing-based empty container repositioning in typical shipping service routes

This article formulates the empty container repositioning problem for general shipping service routes based on container flow balancing. Two types of flow balancing mechanisms are analysed. The first is based on point-to-point balancing, which leads to a point-to-point repositioning policy. The second is based on coordinated balancing in the whole service, which leads to a coordinated repositioning policy. A simple heuristic algorithm is presented to solve the coordinated balancing problem which aims to minimize total empty container repositioning costs. The above two repositioning policies are then applied to a range of shipping services, representing typical route structures in existing shipping networks. The relative performances of these two policies and their sensitivity to route structure and trade demand are examined in both deterministic and stochastic situations. Managerial insights are subsequently derived.

[1]  Kin Keung Lai,et al.  Empty container management in a port with long-run average criterion , 2004, Math. Comput. Model..

[2]  K. Lai,et al.  Shipping Container Logistics and Allocation , 1995 .

[3]  D.-P. Song,et al.  Characterizing optimal empty container reposition policy in periodic-review shuttle service systems , 2007, J. Oper. Res. Soc..

[4]  Michel Gendreau,et al.  A tabu search procedure for multicommodity location/allocation with balancing requirements , 1992, Ann. Oper. Res..

[5]  Michael H. Cole,et al.  Empty container management for intermodal transportation networks , 2002 .

[6]  D. Song,et al.  Empty container repositioning in liner shipping , 2009 .

[7]  Loo Hay Lee,et al.  An approximate dynamic programming approach for the empty container allocation problem , 2007 .

[8]  Akio Imai,et al.  Strategic fleet size planning for maritime refrigerated containers , 2001 .

[9]  Andrew Lim,et al.  A network flow based method for the distribution of empty containers , 2005 .

[10]  Ke Liu,et al.  Allocation of empty containers between multi-ports , 2007, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[11]  C. M. Khoong,et al.  A DSS for empty container distribution planning , 1995, Decis. Support Syst..

[12]  Hwa-Joong Kim,et al.  Optimizing the transportation of international container cargoes in Korea , 2008 .

[13]  C. Feng,et al.  Empty container reposition planning for intra-Asia liner shipping , 2008 .

[14]  Drewry Shipping Consultants.  Container Market Review and Forecast : Annual Report 2012/2013 , 2012 .

[15]  Teodor Gabriel Crainic,et al.  Branch-and-bound parallelization strategies applied to a depot location and container fleet management problem , 2000, Parallel Comput..

[16]  Martin W. P. Savelsbergh,et al.  Global Intermodal Tank Container Management for the Chemical Industry , 2005 .

[17]  Chuen-Yih Chen,et al.  A Two-Stage Stochastic Network Model and Solution Methods for the Dynamic Empty Container Allocation Problem , 1998, Transp. Sci..

[18]  Dong-Ping Song,et al.  Cargo routing and empty container repositioning in multiple shipping service routes , 2012 .

[19]  William W. White,et al.  Dynamic transshipment networks: An algorithm and its application to the distribution of empty containers , 1972, Networks.

[20]  Jie Zhang,et al.  On cost-efficiency of the global container shipping network , 2005 .

[21]  Antonio Manca,et al.  An Operational Model for Empty Container Management , 2005 .

[22]  Michel Gendreau,et al.  Dynamic and Stochastic Models for the Allocation of Empty Containers , 1993, Oper. Res..

[23]  Qiang Meng,et al.  Robust schedule design for liner shipping services , 2012 .

[24]  Dong-Ping Song,et al.  Container fleet sizing and empty repositioning in liner shipping systems , 2009 .

[25]  D. Song,et al.  Empty Container Management in Cyclic Shipping Routes , 2008 .