Container Transport Chain Research Articles

Repositioning and Optimal Re-Allocation of Empty Containers: A Review of Methods, Models, and Applications

Managing empty-container movements is one of the most challenging logistics problems in the shipping field. With the growth of global trade imbalance, the repositioning process has become necessary, immediately after emptying a container. The main contribution of this research paper is to enrich the most frequently used methods, models, and applications in the literature, for relaxing the empty-container-repositioning problem. The article presents practices that vary between organizational policies, technical solutions, and modelling applications. A review of optimization models has been used for comparisons, based on specified criteria, such as the time frame, inputs, outputs, scale of the project, and value. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was applied through the online database Web of Science (WOS). It gives a comprehensive description of all the relevant published documents. On the basis of conducting a brief systematic review, future research opportunities have been determined, considering the emerging phenomena in container transport chains.

Vertical collusion in the shipping container transport chain over the deregulation tariff of port authority

ABSTRACT This article investigates the impact of cost difference on vertical collusion between a container port and a liner from the perspective of a shipping container transport chain, taking the deregulation tariff of port authority into consideration. It develops a two-stage game model and then performs simultaneous and sequential games. A finding in this article is that the higher the cost difference between the two shipping container transport chains, the greater the possibility of vertical collusion between the container port and liner. Furthermore, the article found that in the case of an infinite repeated game, the stability of vertical collusion is not only subject to the cost difference but also affected by the terminal handling charge (THC) and collusive choice of counterpart.

Does vertical integration lead to horizontal collusion in container transport chains?

ABSTRACT With the promotion of mode cooperation and integration in international trade transport in the context of intense globalization, vertical integration between container ports and liners, two key players in container transport chains, often leads to horizontal collusion between container ports. By establishing an infinitely repeated game with discrete time periods, this paper explores the interrelation, the possibility and the stability of the coexistence between vertical integration and horizontal collusion. Our primary finding is that vertical integration and horizontal collusion have mutually reinforcing effects. In particular, the former results in an increase in shippers’ surplus at the expense of the latter.

Reliability analysis on railway transport chain

Abstract This paper divides the time of railway container transport chain into the drayage time by road, the storage time at departure station, the railway transit time and the storage time at arrival station according to operation procedure. Based on definition of the travel time reliability of railway container chain, the HL-RF algorithm in the field of structural engineering is introduced and travel time reliability of railway container chain evaluation model is built. Then railway container transport chain from Bengbu to Shanghai, China is considered for this study. On the basis of analysing the operation time distribution of each part of the transport chain, we imported five reliability evaluation indices namely time reliability, the average time for transportation chain, reserve time, buffer time and tolerable time boundary. Finally, the relationship between different influencing factors and reliability is quantified and various countermeasures for improving the management level of railway container transportation chain are proposed.

Comparison of External Costs in Multimodal Container Transport Chain

The proposed paper discusses multimodal container transport due to savings in external costs. Relevant data have been analysed by reviewing previous research and published works for making a synthesis of one’s own conclusions. The research findings showed that there is no significant difference in the share of external costs of container transport and transport of other types of cargo in great European seaports as well as in energy consumption of multimodal rail-inland ship container transport and the same transport mode of bulk cargo. Intermodal terminals have also their own external costs. In spite of a double railway operational cost, it is important to include the railway in the intermodal terminal. The inland waterway transport has much higher external costs than sea transport. Multimodal container transport does not necessarily lower external costs. The savings are more common if the location and type of intermodal terminal are selected properly, and the sea transportation is involved in the multimodal transport chain.

Improving the Security of Containers in Port Related Supply Chains

An increasing part of goods are transported using containers. Containers are the most vulnerable when static, and hence ports and other terminals are key locations in insuring the integrity of containers. Container transport chain monitoring is needed both for supply chain management and security reasons. Authorities demand increased freight visibility in order to assure compliance with the regulations and to avoid import of illicit goods. The paper discusses the technological possibilities to improve the integrity of containers in port related supply chains. Possible solutions are adding monitoring equipment, such as e-seals and tracking devices, monitoring the environment using cameras, improved gate processes. The optimal use of these technologies requires sharing of information between different stakeholders. Based on the assessment of the different measures, a set of recommendations to improve container security related to the implementation of the technologies will be provided.

Improvements in Movement of Empty Containers: The Case of the Port of Gothenburg

Capacity increase only at seaport facilities without improvements in seaports’ inland access is not enough for the entire container transport chain to function properly. With constantly growing container transports, efficiency of rail and flexibility of road are increasingly needed for inland access to/from the seaports, however not always sufficient. Therefore the purpose of this study is to compare movement of empty containers by barge and long and heavy vehicles (LHV) to the reference situation done by regular trucks, on the case of port of Gothenburg and one of its nearby depots; with regard to economy, environment, flexibility and time efficiency. Currently the transportation of containers between the container terminal in the port of Gothenburg and the container depot located 6,5 km at Risholmen is carried out by trucks of a maximum capacity of three TEUs. The data for the study were collected through interviews, observation and literature review. The literature in general claims that barge is a very cost efficient and low polluting mode of transportation but in which circumstances? The findings of the study are focusing on how the studied modes are performing with respect to suggested criteria and show LHV to be the most suitable mode of transport for given route. Not only that the proper choice of the mode has an economic effect, but it also has an environmental impact due to reduced fuel consumption resulting in lower emissions.

Development of green shipping network to enhance environmental and economic performance

Abstract To secure cargoes, containerships operate double or triple calling of ports in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region in China. Such shipping operations generate high CO2 emissions. This paper suggest a green shipping network (GSN) as a useful tool to transship containers from feeder ports to hub ports to lower the overall CO2 emissions in the region. From the perspective of scale operations from using the hub-and-spoke approach and the deployment of mega ships, developing a GSN within the PRD region can be beneficial, both economically and environmentally, to port users in the container transport chain.

Study on the Container Transport Chain Security under the Condition of Customs Non-Traditional Security

Confronted with the unstable global environment and the threat of transitional terrorism, besides from the traditional function of supervising the economy frontier, the non-tradition functions Customs has become more and more important. In the supervision of foreign trade, Customs not only ensure the enforcement of legislations, but protect the country from terrorism attack. However, the tremendous amount of containers and the request of trade facilitation have always challenged the sufficiency of Customs supervision. Customs must adopt risk management into its work. This paper studies the risk assessment of container security using FTA and FMECA in order to quantitative the risk in the container cargo shipping process and help Customs regulate efficiently.

Multi-agent simulation for analysing the robustness of inland container terminal networks

Using a multi–agent system, representing the nodes in the network of the Austrian inland container terminals, and using a system dynamics approach to depict the terminals' internal structures and processes in an aggregate manner, we perform network flow analyses of intermodal load units in case of unforeseen disturbances. Comprehensive case studies of disturbances and irregularities in the flow of goods in Austrian container transport chains and transport systems are the basis of the definition of several risk scenarios. These scenarios are used to investigate the robustness of the network. The simulation results show that the network under consideration has enough capacities to handle the effects of the implemented disruptions and regain initial conditions within a reasonable period of time.

Institutional Perspective on the Adoption of Technology for the Security Enhancement of Container Transport

The adoption of technology for security enhancement by organizations in a container transport chain has become a necessity for enhancing container transport security. Organizations in a container transport chain, including shippers, consignees, freight forwarders, transport operators, maritime carriers, container terminal operators, custom authorities and government agencies, adopt technologies, such as radio‐frequency identification (RFID) technology, smart box initiative and container non‐intrusive inspection (NII) technology, due to the institutional pressures exerted by partners in the chain. This paper explores the implications of the different types of institutional isomorphisms, namely coercion, mimesis and norms, from both the perspectives of organizations that have taken the initiative to adopt technology for container transport security enhancement and those that have followed other organizations to adopt technology. The possible impacts of the different types of institutional isomorphisms elaborated in this study can help managers better understand the institutional pressures that they put on, and the institutional pressures that drive them to adapt to their container transport chain partners; in particular, the possible problems and compliance requirements they may face in the course of adopting technology for enhancing container transport security.