Reliability of a stochastic intermodal logistics network under spoilage and time considerations

Abstract

In an intermodal logistics network, there is a carrier along each route whose capacity (number of available containers) is stochastic because the containers may be occupied by other customers. Hence this paper focuses on single commodity in a stochastic intermodal logistics network (SILN) with cargo terminals, transit stations, and routes. In particular, commodities may rot or be spoilt during delivery due to traffic accidents, collisions, natural disasters, weather, etc., and thus the intact commodities may not satisfy the market demand. The arrival time at the cargo terminal should be in the time window which is the interval between the earliest and latest acceptable arrival times. The delivery time depends on the number of containers and type of vehicle. So we propose an algorithm to evaluate the network reliability, the probability that the SILN can successfully deliver sufficient amount of commodity to meet market demand under the time and delivery spoilage constraints. Finally, a practical case of starting motor distribution between Taiwan and China is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.