IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/marecl/v15y2013i3p309-331.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

An optimization model for the inland repositioning of empty containers

Author

Listed:
  • Alessandro Olivo

    (1] Department of Civil Engineering, Environment and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Piazza D’Armi 16, Cagliari 09123, Italy[2] Network Optimisation Research and Educational Centre (CRIFOR), University of Cagliari, via San Giorgio 12, Cagliari 09124, Italy. E-mails: olivo@unica.it; mdifrance@unica.it; zuddas@unica.it)

  • Massimo Di Francesco

    (1] Network Optimisation Research and Educational Centre (CRIFOR), University of Cagliari, via San Giorgio 12, Cagliari 09124, Italy. E-mails: olivo@unica.it; mdifrance@unica.it; zuddas@unica.it[2] Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Cagliari, via Ospedale 72, Cagliari 09124, Italy)

  • Paola Zuddas

    (1] Network Optimisation Research and Educational Centre (CRIFOR), University of Cagliari, via San Giorgio 12, Cagliari 09124, Italy. E-mails: olivo@unica.it; mdifrance@unica.it; zuddas@unica.it[2] Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Cagliari, via Ospedale 72, Cagliari 09124, Italy)

Abstract

The inland repositioning of empty containers is a crucial problem for shipping companies providing door-to-door transport services to customers. This activity consists of the allocation of heterogeneous fleets of empty containers between inland depots and ports, so that they can be properly positioned in anticipation of future customer requests. This article describes how shipping companies perform this complex activity and its links with truck routing problems and the repositioning of empty containers on maritime networks. To address the inland repositioning of empty containers, we propose a time-extended optimization model, whose innovative elements are decision variables and constraints on the so-called flexible leased containers, which can be on-hired and off-hired according to a number of clauses, and substitution options between container types. The experimentation shows that the model is an effective instrument to support the current decision-making process on this issue, because realistic size instances can be solved within time limits imposed by planning operations.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessandro Olivo & Massimo Di Francesco & Paola Zuddas, 2013. "An optimization model for the inland repositioning of empty containers," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 15(3), pages 309-331, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:marecl:v:15:y:2013:i:3:p:309-331
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/mel/journal/v15/n3/pdf/mel201312a.pdf
    File Function: Link to full text PDF
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/mel/journal/v15/n3/full/mel201312a.html
    File Function: Link to full text HTML
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Behzad Behdani & Bart Wiegmans & Violeta Roso & Hercules Haralambides, 2020. "Port-hinterland transport and logistics: emerging trends and frontier research," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 22(1), pages 1-25, March.
    2. Hjortnaes, T. & Wiegmans, B. & Negenborn, R.R. & Zuidwijk, R.A. & Klijnhout, R., 2017. "Minimizing cost of empty container repositioning in port hinterlands, while taking repair operations into account," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 209-219.
    3. Sarmadi, Kamran & Amiri-Aref, Mehdi & Dong, Jing-Xin & Hicks, Christian, 2020. "Integrated strategic and operational planning of dry port container networks in a stochastic environment," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 132-164.
    4. Kolar, Petr & Schramm, Hans-Joachim & Prockl, Günter, 2018. "Intermodal transport and repositioning of empty containers in Central and Eastern Europe hinterland," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 73-82.
    5. Lee, Chung-Yee & Song, Dong-Ping, 2017. "Ocean container transport in global supply chains: Overview and research opportunities," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 442-474.
    6. Xing, Xinjie & Drake, Paul R. & Song, Dongping & Zhou, Yang, 2019. "Tank Container Operators’ profit maximization through dynamic operations planning integrated with the quotation-booking process under multiple uncertainties," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 274(3), pages 924-946.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:marecl:v:15:y:2013:i:3:p:309-331. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.