Bilateral slot exchange and co-allocation for liner alliance carriers of containerized maritime logistics

Abstract

With the maritime logistics technology evolving toward standardization and modernization, container liner shipping has become the most valued mode of transportation in the shipping industry. Liner carriers share resources in the alliance-based mode to achieve synergy. Specifically, slot exchange is a key and effective alliance-based means to enhance competitiveness and operational effectiveness. To this end, this article looks at how to optimize slot capacity allocation within a container liner alliance under the slot exchange mode in the containerized maritime logistics industry. First, we explained the slot exchange concept and its impact on the shipping business. Second, we identified the key factors that may affect slot allocation decisions. Then we established an optimal multi-objective slot exchange allocation model for liner alliances and solved the problem with the NSGA-II algorithm. Finally, taking the cooperation of two carriers on two trans-Pacific routes as an example, we used the model to establish the optimal slot exchange strategy for each carrier on the shipping alliance's routes to verify the practical application value of this model. The results showed that the model proposed in this article can help develop an optimal slot allocation plan, providing a scientific and effective tool for container liner alliances to formulate slot exchange and allocation strategies.