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Strategic fleet size planning for maritime refrigerated containers

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  • Akio Imai
  • Fausto Rivera

Abstract

In the present economic climate, it is often the case that profits can only be improved, or for that matter maintained, by improving efficiency and cutting costs. This is particularly notorious in the shipping business, where it has been seen that the competition is getting tougher among carriers, thus alliances and partnerships are resulting for cost effective services in recent years. In this scenario, effective planning methods are important not only for strategic but also operating tasks, covering their entire transportation systems. Container fleet size planning is an important part of the strategy of any shipping line. This paper addresses the problem of fleet size planning for refrigerated containers, to achieve cost-effective services in a competitive maritime shipping market. An analytical model is first discussed to determine the optimal size of an own dry container fleet. Then, this is extended for an own refrigerated container fleet, which is the case when an extremely unbalanced trade represents one of the major investment decisions to be taken by liner operators. Next, a simulation model is developed for fleet sizing in a more practical situation and, by using this, various scenarios are analysed to determine the most convenient composition of refrigerated fleet between own and leased containers for the transpacific cargo trade.

Suggested Citation

  • Akio Imai & Fausto Rivera, 2001. "Strategic fleet size planning for maritime refrigerated containers," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(4), pages 361-374, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:marpmg:v:28:y:2001:i:4:p:361-374
    DOI: 10.1080/03088830010020629
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Teodor Gabriel Crainic & Michel Gendreau & Pierre Dejax, 1993. "Dynamic and Stochastic Models for the Allocation of Empty Containers," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 41(1), pages 102-126, February.
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    2. Shintani, Koichi & Konings, Rob & Imai, Akio, 2019. "Combinable containers: A container innovation to save container fleet and empty container repositioning costs," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 248-272.
    3. Alaa Abdelshafie & May Salah & Tomaž Kramberger & Dejan Dragan, 2022. "Repositioning and Optimal Re-Allocation of Empty Containers: A Review of Methods, Models, and Applications," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-23, May.
    4. Jørgen Laake & Abraham Zhang, 2016. "Joint optimization of strategic fleet planning and contract analysis in tramp shipping," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(3), pages 203-211, January.
    5. Shyshou, Aliaksandr & Gribkovskaia, Irina & Barceló, Jaume, 2010. "A simulation study of the fleet sizing problem arising in offshore anchor handling operations," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 203(1), pages 230-240, May.
    6. Dongping Song * & Jie Zhang & Jonathan Carter & Tony Field & James Marshall & John Polak & Kimberly Schumacher & Proshun Sinha-Ray & John Woods, 2005. "On cost-efficiency of the global container shipping network," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(1), pages 15-30, January.
    7. Omar Besbes & Sergei Savin, 2009. "Going Bunkers: The Joint Route Selection and Refueling Problem," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 11(4), pages 694-711, February.
    8. Hamidreza Eskandari & Ehsan Mahmoodi, 2016. "A simulation-based multi-objective optimization study of the fleet sizing problem in the offshore industry," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 18(4), pages 436-457, December.
    9. Vanga, Ratnaji & Venkateswaran, Jayendran, 2020. "Fleet sizing of reusable articles under uncertain demand and turnaround times," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 285(2), pages 566-582.
    10. Marielle Christiansen & Kjetil Fagerholt & David Ronen, 2004. "Ship Routing and Scheduling: Status and Perspectives," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 38(1), pages 1-18, February.
    11. Zheng, Jianfeng & Sun, Zhuo & Zhang, Fangjun, 2016. "Measuring the perceived container leasing prices in liner shipping network design with empty container repositioning," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 123-140.
    12. 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.

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