Empty Container Repositioning Research Articles

Optimizing Empty Container Repositioning and Fleet Deployment via Configurable Semi-POMDPs

Optimizing Empty Container Repositioning and Fleet Deployment via Configurable Semi-POMDPs

Tactical vessel deployment and empty container repositioning considering container turnover times

Global trade imbalances lead to the common occurrence of empty container flows from export-dominated to import-dominated ports in container shipping networks. Efficient strategies for repositioning empty containers are essential for addressing deficits at major ports. Existing studies often assume an arbitrary supply of empty containers at a port before repositioning. However, the actual quantity depends on laden containers shipped and turnover times. Considering this interdependence is crucial for reliable repositioning plans, especially at the tactical planning level.This paper explores an integrated problem of vessel deployment and empty container repositioning, aiming to deploy vessels along a route and periodically reposition empty containers, accounting for turnover times. We present an integer programming model minimizing operational and container shortage costs. A novel branch-and-price algorithm is developed, efficiently solving the master problem at each branching tree node using a novel approach that combines column generation and Lagrangian relaxation. Performance evaluation and computational experiments on instances generated from container port turnover statistics and shipping line operational data demonstrate the algorithm’s efficacy. The study highlights the impact of container turnover times on repositioning decisions, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive understanding of this dynamic in strategic planning.

Improving resilience in an intermodal transport network via bulk cargo transport coordination and empty container repositioning

Commodities are usually transported in bulk and are associated with the risk of environmental pollution and cargo loss during intermodal transportation. This study discusses the containerization of bulk cargo with the coordination of bulk cargo transport and empty container repositioning. In such a transport network, a bulk cargo transportation company can use empty containers to load and deliver bulk cargo. We proposed models to analyze the optimal decisions regarding the number of leased empty containers under uncertain demand. We discussed three business modes to demonstrate the financial and resilience performance of bulk cargo containerization and supply chain coordination. Our results show that the trip-sharing mode can significantly increase the amount of bulk cargo containerization by reducing the transportation cost of empty containers that need to be repositioned. This model can help bulk cargo logistics companies determine the optimal number of released containers by considering profits and risk control. This study also sheds light on ways to promote supply chain resilience by incentivizing containerization and trip sharing.

Multi-period empty container repositioning approach for multimodal transportation

Due to the trade imbalance and poor management, a large number of empty containers are piled up after unpacking in importing regions, while the export-oriented areas are in urgent need of empty containers for replenishment. This paper aims to determine the volume of empty containers transferred from the surplus area to the shortage area and the inventory of each node from the operational level. We subdivide container freight stations into rail stations and road stations and consider using sea, road, and railway as transportation modes to transfer empty containers. A multi-period linear programing model of multimodal empty container repositioning is established aiming at minimizing the cost of empty container repositioning. A real case study of the transportation network in Northeast China is conducted to demonstrate that using multiple modes of transportation can significantly reduce the cost of empty container repositioning compared to using a single mode of transportation.

Improving empty container management using street-turn: A case study of the Colombian logistics network

This case study addresses the problem of empty container repositioning (ECR) in the Colombian context at a regional scale. The research was motivated by the massive empty container congestion in 2022 in specific nodes of the logistics network. A Mixed methods approach is proposed in this research applying qualitative and quantitative methods that aim to clarify the causes of inefficiency in empty repositioning and to formulate improvement strategies. Street-turn has proven to be a strategy to increase the efficiency in the ECR system. A matching algorithm is developed to pair empty containers in inland destinations with export loads, to achieve a more efficient utilization of trucks in the network. Despite the significant container trade imbalance, the optimization model results confirm significant cost savings and reduction of empty trips of up to 50% for RFT between Colombia's two main ports and their principal hinterland regions. The research also identifies that the actors involved in the ECR system lack incentives to deepen their collaboration, which represents a significant barrier to the implementation of street-turn.

Liner shipping hub location and empty container repositioning: Use of foldable containers and container leasing

Considering the influence of economies of scale and ship capacity on empty container repositioning, using foldable containers and container leasing may be effective ways to save the operating costs of liner shipping companies. Considering the minimization of the transportation costs of empty and laden containers, this paper studies a liner shipping hub location problem with empty container repositioning (LSHLPECR) considering foldable containers. We propose a mixed integer linear program (MILP) for the formulation of the LSHLPECR. In terms of the optimal solution of our MILP, this paper further explores the container leasing pricing problem (CLPP), where our aim is to obtain perceived container leasing prices (PCLPs) utilizing the inverse optimization technique. Numerical experiments verify the effectiveness of the studied problems.

Ship routing in inland waterway liner transportation with foldable and standard empty containers repositioning

This paper addresses the container ship routing problem in inland waterway liner transportation. Given estimated weekly full container shipping demands between port pairs and the potential empty container demands at each port, our goal is to design the container ship route and determine the amount of foldable and standard empty containers to be shipped between each port pair in the context of navigational restrictions, so as to maximize the profit of the shipping services. To save possible leasing or storage costs of empty containers at various ports and meet navigational restrictions, the release of foldable containers and the repositioning of empty containers were taken into account in the decision. Two mixed integer programming models are established to optimize ship route and shipping strategies under splittable and unsplittable demands. The models are further improved by projecting arc variables for simulating the transportation of empty containers, and the improved model has fewer decision variables and higher computational efficiency. Numerical experiments based on the Yangtze River are conducted to test the applicability of methods. Finally, some reference recommendations are presented.

Assessing the eco-efficiency benefits of empty container repositioning strategies via dry ports

Trade imbalances and global disturbances generate mismatches in the supply and demand of empty containers (ECs) that elevate the need for empty container repositioning (ECR). This research investigated dry ports as a potential means to minimize EC movements, and thus reduce costs and emissions. We assessed the environmental and economic effects of two ECR strategies via dry ports—street turns and extended free temporary storage—considering different scenarios of collaboration between shipping lines with different levels of container substitution. A multi-paradigm simulation combined agent-based and discrete-event modelling to represent flows and estimate kilometers travelled, CO2 emissions, and costs resulting from combinations of ECR strategies and scenarios. Full ownership container substitution combined with extended free temporary storage at the dry port (FTDP) most improved ECR metrics, despite implementation challenges. Our results may be instrumental in increasing shipping lines’ collaboration while reducing environmental impacts in up to 32 % of the inland ECR emissions.

Simulated Global Empty Containers Repositioning Using Agent-Based Modelling

Due to an ever-increasing movement of containers across the globe in line with the economic boom, the trade imbalance and issues related to empty containers have become inevitable. Empty containers accumulated at specific ports cannot only generate profit but also increase the environmental footprint. This research proposes a Maritime Empty Container Reposition Modelling Framework by integrating the agent-based modelling (ABM) paradigm to model the global movements of empty containers. An agent-based maritime logistic empty container redistribution model was developed to help minimize the total relevant costs for empty container movement in the planning horizon. In the system, ports, shipping companies, customers, and empty containers were identified as critical agents. Using simulated annealing (SA), shipping line agents were able to optimise empty container repositioning to determine the best sequence for moving containers. The model was applied to the Asia–Middle East region to simulate global empty containers repositioning in the region. The results comparison shows that the proposed optimised empty container repositioning framework can significantly reduce the shipping line’s costs and make full use of empty containers.

Data-Driven Empty Container Repositioning for Large Scale Railway Network With Fuzzy Demands

The Chinese rail network has a fast-growing number of containers in service to promote intermodal transport service and to attract more freight demand to the railway for a sustainable transport system. The repositioning of empty containers induces a significant problem for the large-scale rail network, due to the spatial imbalance between freight supply and demand. Traditionally, the empty container repositioning (ECR) problem is solved with the estimated parameters of a given demand distribution, which may difficult known to decision maker. This article develops a data-driven framework for the ECR problem based on the large datasets available. This framework employs machine-learning algorithms to forecast the supply/demand of empty containers, and to draw parameters identifying the factors that can be hardly integrated into optimization models. Based on those parameters, two optimization models for different ECR modes are then proposed to explore the optimal ECR plan. An integrated weight coefficient is introduced into the objective functions, which minimizes the total kilometers that empty containers transported. The models are solved by CPLEX after constraints conversion based on triangular fuzzy supply/demand. The numerical results based on a real-world case show that the proposed solution method can yield the optimal empty container repositioning plan. The total container-kilometer may increase after data-driven parameters are introduced, as some of the empty container repositioning may no longer follow the shortest path, while the final plan becomes more practicable and executable.

Distribution-Free Approaches for an Integrated Cargo Routing and Empty Container Repositioning Problem with Repacking Operations in Liner Shipping Networks

Cargo (laden container) routing and empty container repositioning are crucial components in liner shipping, which are closely relevant. However, most existing works focus on cargo routing and empty container repositioning separately, which cannot optimize the global shipping cost. In addition, (1) appropriate repacking operations for laden containers can curtail the total handling costs, and (2) the perfect information for uncertain laden and empty container demands may be difficult to obtain due to insufficient historical data. This work investigates an integrated cargo routing and empty container repositioning problem with repacking operations in which only partial information about uncertain laden and empty container demands is known. The objective is to minimize the total costs including repacking operation cost and laden and empty container transportation costs. For the problem, a new chance-constrained programming model based on moment-based ambiguous sets is formulated. Then, four distribution-free solution approaches are adopted to solve the investigated problem. Numerical experiments are conducted to compare the proposed methods.

Optimization of Multi-Port Empty Container Repositioning under Uncertain Environments

Empty container repositioning has always been an important problem faced by ports. In this paper, we study the multi-port empty container repositioning problem with the uncertainty of the demand and supply of empty containers in ports. First, we established an optimization model for empty container reposition strategies and calculated every port’s proportion, depending on its own empty container storage, on the operation of other ports and on the leasing company, in meeting the demand. Next, we established an optimization model for the empty container non-repositioning strategy, calculated the same proportions and compared their performance under two strategies. A two-stage particle swarm optimization (TS-PSO) algorithm was designed to solve the two models, and an example was used to verify the effectiveness of the algorithm and the rationality of the two models. Our research showed that the total cost of empty containers, storage costs, lease costs and the optimal storage of empty containers in ports under the repositioning strategy are all lower than those of the non-repositioning strategy. The proportion of the empty container demand met by inventory under the repositioning strategy is higher than that under the non-repositioning strategy, while the proportion of the empty container demand met by leasing is lower. The costs of leasing cost and repositioning empty containers are higher than those under the non-repositioning strategy. The increase in transportation time between ports per empty container mainly leads to the increase in the reposition costs of all ports. The increase in storage fees chiefly leads to the rising storage costs of all ports. The increase in leasing fees leads to the rising leasing costs of all ports. The paper provides a method for ports to decide the upper limit of empty container storage and to optimize their repositioning strategy.

Liner Shipping Hub Location and Empty Container Repositioning: Use of Foldable Containers and Container Leasing

Liner Shipping Hub Location and Empty Container Repositioning: Use of Foldable Containers and Container Leasing

The Use of Fuzzy-Bayes Approach on the Causal Factors of Empty Container Repositioning

Abstract Empty container repositioning (ECR) is one of the major bottlenecks of maritime container transportation that should be minimized. To achieve this, it is crucial to reveal the leading causal factors. From a container liner firm perspective, this paper constructs a novel model of the causal mechanism of ECR with its reflections and prevention measures holistically. For this aim, this study examines the probabilistic relationships among the ECR causal factors, which are revealed qualitatively and quantitatively utilizing a fuzzy Bayes network method. Sensitivity and validation analyses subsequently are carried out to enhance the accuracy of findings. Outcomes of the research point out that the industry-specific and operational causal factors have the largest effect equally to explain the occurrence of ECR. Among the root factors, structural trade imbalance has the largest effect on the occurrence of ECR, and it is followed by seasonal demand. It is also observed that factors leading to equipment inefficiency have the least effect on ECR occurrence. Furthermore, the gray box pooling solution appears as the most effective solution to mitigate the negative impacts of ECR on both firm costs and the environment. What follows the gray box pooling are foldable containers and information technology solutions/intermediaries in order. This paper provides insight into ECR as a way to enhance effectiveness in container operations, and container liner firms can utilize the outcomes of this paper to mitigate the accumulation of empty containers.

A Bilevel Mathematical Approach for the Empty Container Repositioning Proble with a Sharing and Exchanging Strategy in Liner Shipping

In the maritime industry, the management of empty containers is a significant issue whose costs account for a large proportion of the total world fleet running costs. To reduce repositioning activities and increase cost effectiveness, this paper proposes a solution framework considering empty container sharing and exchanging strategies to coordinate the shipping lines in a maritime transportation network. The proposed solution framework considers an empty container matching platform company and a group of shipping lines in a given shipping network. Because of the interactive relationship between the two parties, the proposed problem is formulated as a bilevel programming problem, and a branch and bound-based algorithm that explores the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) features is applied. To validate the proposed solution approach, a practical Asia-Europe-Oceania shipping network is used to conduct numerical experiments. The benefits of the proposed solution framework are shown in the results.

A Multi-Stage Approach for Empty Container Repositioning Under Coordination Among Liner Carriers

This paper studies the empty container repositioning (ECR) problem considering the exchange of slots and empty containers among liner shipping companies. It is common for an individual shipping company to seek an optimal solution for ECR and cargo routing to maximize its own benefits. To achieve cooperation among shipping companies, a multi-stage solution strategy is proposed. With the inverse optimization technique, the guide leasing prices of slots and empty containers among shipping companies are derived considering the schedule of vessels and cargo routing. Based on the guide leasing price, a cooperative model is formulated to minimize the total cost, which includes the transportation cost for laden containers, the inventory holding cost, the container leasing cost, and the repositioning cost. All the involved shipping companies are expected to follow the best solution of ECR and cargo routing to achieve a cooperative and stable optimum. A real-world shipping network operated by three liner shipping companies is used as a case study with promising numerical results.

Research on the Optimization of Empty Container Repositioning of China Railway Express in Cooperation with International Liner Companies

Both China Railway Express (CRE) companies and international liner companies are faced with the problem of empty container repositioning. In order to reduce empty container repositioning cost and realize their sustainable development, this paper studies the optimization problem of empty container repositioning under the condition of their cooperation. To minimize the cost, three optimization models of empty container repositioning are established, which are based on the single repositioning and cooperative repositioning. Numerical experiments are carried out to analyze the three empty container repositioning optimization models solved by CPLEX. The results show that the total cost could be greatly reduced by the cooperative repositioning. The effects of cooperation become more obvious with the unit storage cost or repositioning cost increases and become weaker with the unit mutual rental cost increase. When the demand fluctuation is in a certain range, the cooperation is still effective, which can reduce the cost. But when it is beyond a certain range, the benefits will be greatly reduced. In reality, for the sustainability of their cooperation, both sides should pay attention to the proportion of supply and demand and set reasonable mutual rental cost.

Cost Sharing in a Shipping Market with Empty Container Repositioning

In this paper, we study the cost sharing and pricing issue in a two-port shipping market with one carrier and two forwarders. The Stackelberg leader carrier authorizes two forwarders to collect cargoes at different ports and then transports laden and empty containers. We first build a model to investigate the carrier's optimal cost sharing and pricing strategy. We find that the carrier will transfer all the empty container repositioning (ECR) cost to the forwarder of low demand if imbalance exists and transfer all the ECR cost to the forwarder in the high unit ECR cost direction otherwise. As a result, the forwarder who completely takes the ECR cost will have less profit compared to the model without cost sharing. Therefore, we build another two models to motivate all the players to accept the ECR cost sharing policy. We also conduct some numerical analysis to compare all these models. We find that there is a salient conflict between profit maximization and ECR minimization.

Fuzzy inventory model for NVOCC\u2019s returnable containers under empty container repositioning with leasing option

At present, the entire globe gets engaged in importing and exporting the products for promoting their business in which supply chain management is playing a vital role. The main aspect of any effective supply chain management is the transportation of cargoes. To avoid the damages of cargoes during transportation and for minimizing the cost, the returnable containers are used. The present research deals with an inventory model of Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) for returnable containers with price dependent demand under fuzzy environment. In this study, it is presumed that the import of cargoes is less than the export. The Empty Container Repositioning (ECR) and the leasing options are utilized to replace the deficit containers which prevent shortages. The proportion of the used containers returned, the proportion of the repositioned containers and the fraction of repairable from the returned containers are considered as Triangular Fuzzy Numbers [TFNs]. Fuzzy inventory model is framed for the purpose of attaining optimal length of the screening, the repositioning cycle and the leasing cycle which are used to minimize the expected total cost and the proposed model is illustrated with the numerical example. The sensitivity analysis is performed to show the effect of fuzziness of return rate, repositioning rate and repairable percentage along with the changes in parameters.

Contracting in ocean transportation with empty container repositioning under asymmetric information

In the paper, we examine a contracting problem under asymmetric information in a two-port system involving two freight forwarders and one carrier providing ocean container transportation services between the two ports. We develop a two-stage game model to capture the unique characteristics of the ocean freight transportation with empty container repositioning. We first analyze the forwarders’ optimal strategies, and then characterize the optimal contract for the carrier under symmetric and asymmetric information. Through computational studies, we investigate the impacts of empty container repositioning cost and information asymmetry on the system performances. The numerical experiments reveal that (1) if the market demand is likely to be high, the ocean carrier is more eager to procure private information so as to prevent profit loss from information asymmetry; (2) the degree of information asymmetry has different impacts on the empty container repositioning cost in different transportation directions.