Multi-stage approach for the transshipment of import containers at maritime container terminals

• Published in: IET intelligent transport systems Vol. 13; no. 4; pp. 714 - 728
• Main Authors: Expósito-Izquierdo, Christopher, de Armas, Jesica, Lalla-Ruiz, Eduardo, Melián-Batista, Belen, Moreno-Vega, José Marcos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Institution of Engineering and Technology 01.04.2019
• Subjects: challenging tasks; container flows; container terminal; containerisation; containers; decision making; freight containers; freights; goods distribution; import containers; integer programming; internal vehicles; involved operations; involved processes; maritime container terminals; multistage approach; operational decisions; requested containers; requesting companies; requiring companies; Research Article; scheduling; sea ports; solution approach; strategic planning; technical resources; technical terminal resources; terminal managers; time windows; transportation; vessel berthing time; yard assignment; integer programming; technical resources; requested containers; involved processes; operational decisions; sea ports; containerisation; freight containers; vessel berthing time; terminal managers; solution approach; yard assignment; technical terminal resources; requesting companies; goods distribution; time windows; scheduling; freights; container terminal; container flows; maritime container terminals; import containers; transportation; strategic planning; involved operations; decision making; internal vehicles; requiring companies; containers; multistage approach; challenging tasks
• ISSN: 1751-956X; 1751-9578
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-its.2018.5147

The management of container flows is one of the most challenging tasks for terminal managers. In this regard, the freights inside the containers have to be transported towards their requesting companies. This delivery is subject to many factors such as the vessel berthing time, yard assignment, time windows of the companies, availability of internal vehicles etc. Therefore, the time a given company waits for its requested containers is highly dependent on the management of the technical resources at the container terminal. To appropriately address the coordination of involved operations, a multi-stage approach is proposed. It is aimed at providing a complete schedule of all the involved processes and supporting the operational decisions related to the technical terminal resources in an integrated way, from the berth to the delivery of the freights inside containers to the requiring companies. The computational results indicate that this solution approach provides a suitable solution in all cases and is appropriate for supporting terminal managers when addressing strategic decisions involving the technical equipment.