Container Terminal Management Research Articles

Efficient Container Logistics System Model

Objective – Although there has been much research on containers and yard operations at the port, it has remained a fascinating subject of study on the logistics side because modernity, education, industries, and human behavior have changed and developed all the time. Moreover, they have continued to play significant roles in the international shipping industry and have affected the dependent economy and trade globally. The aims of this study were (1) to study container management systems and (2) to analyze the factors affecting an efficient container yard management system. Methodology – This research is classified as applied research, which consists of field surveys using the case record/report form (CRF) and data gathered through observation. A sample frame of 400 vehicles was chosen for a specific case study of an empty container terminal operation area in Bangkok port. Findings – Performance metrics for container terminal management or yard operations based on truck turnaround time were calculated by applying the Confidence Interval Theory. The data were analyzed using the SPSS program's binary logistic regression method to consider the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. The results of the research have been found. The inbound container management system has been better delivered in time than the outbound, which has implemented a total operation within 16.12 minutes. Additionally, some factors have significantly impacted container yard performance, such as activity type, route, container size, distance, and tools. Novelty – This might be incurred by multifarious reasons, such as operational stages, waiting time, data transmission, task and tool allocation, areas, traffic congestion, searching the container in blocks, etc. Type of Paper: Empirical research JEL Classification: E2, E3. Keywords: Empty Container Terminal, Container Yard, Container Management System, Binary logistic regression Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Nopparit, O; Saenchaiyathon, K. (2024). Efficient Container Logistics System Model, J. Bus. Econ. Review, 9(1), 63–72. https://doi.org/10.35609/jber.2024.9.1(3)

A timely efficient and emissions-aware multiobjective truck-sharing integrated scheduling model in container terminals

In line with the development of green port terminals and the necessity of environmentally friendly efficient use of handling and transportation equipment, criteria such as emission reduction, energy minimization, and efficiency in a container terminal are prominent issues, which in recent years, have been the main concern of container terminal managers in developing terminal operating systems. Therefore, in this study, a bi-objective mixed integer mathematical programing model of integrated scheduling for ships’ loading and unloading operation sequencing in container terminals is proposed, which considers the minimization of containers’ flow time, trucks’ emission, and energy consumption as well as sharing trucks among quay cranes and decreasing their empty trips. In this model trucks’ technical specifications and polluting levels are input parameters for estimating emission and energy consumption of operation, which consequently leads to two uniform parallel machine scheduling models. To derive the exact solution of the model, the epsilon-constraint method is applied. Nevertheless, due to the problem’s NP-hardness attribute, two variants of non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm and multiobjective particle swarm optimization metaheuristic algorithms are proposed to identify the approximate Pareto front of solutions. In large-size problems, these algorithms outperform the epsilon-constraint method by finding acceptable results in a reasonable time. This model, which could be embedded in terminal operating software, not only yields a practical optimum operational sequence but also measures the amount of energy and emission from trucks during loading and unloading operations. The results, which utilized the data collected from Shahid Rajaee port in southern Iran, indicate that this practical model as compared to the current procedure in the terminal, results in a significant improvement in energy and emission reduction and terminal flow time.

Strategies for Reducing Demurrage at the Douala Container Terminals (RTC Terminal) during Importation

COVID-19 diverse methods and procedures of different port actors are some of the reasons for increasing demurrage for containerized goods. Demurrage is the additional charges levied by the maritime carrier on the users of its equipment (container) after the container passes the normal time in the seaport, which is 11 days in Cameroon (Douala). This study aims to investigate the main causes of increasing demurrage at the Douala container terminal and recommend strategies to reduce the increasing demurrage at the port RTC terminal (Container terminal management or Regie du Terminal a Conteneurs). This study uses a target population of 700 actors selected using a stratified random techniques in different fields linked to the international logistics chain and the Douala port in particular. Moreover a total of 490 participants responded to the questionnaire distributed to them. Descriptive statistics such as table and pie chart were used to analyze the data collected during the research. Findings demonstrated that the activities of the different actors involved in the logistics chain, namely the customs administrators, customs brokers, importers, shipping line exporters, PAD (Douala Autonomous Port) and other actors such as Society General de Surveillance (SGS), Cameroon Customs Information System (CAMCIS) and RTC Terminal are the main causes of the increased demurrage at the Douala port. The study recommends, amongst others, eliminating public holidays and weekends by shipping line when counting the demurrage days at the Douala port. Also we recommend that, the demurrage days should only start when the manifest is visible to all the actors, which is not the case. Equally, the government should impose the demurrage charge on the actors, which are the principal cause of demurrage at the port. It should be noted that with the implementation of the above recommendations by the different actors, demurrage will reduce in the Douala port and many African countries.

The Effect of Brand Awareness and Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction and Its Implications for Container Terminal Customer Loyalty

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of brand awareness and service quality on customer satisfaction and the implications for customer loyalty in container terminals. Object research in Port of Tanjung Priok, PT. Jakarta International Container Terminal (JICT). This study uses quantitative research, with a sample size of 150 respondents from 500 population. Data collection techniques using questionnaires and data analysis using path analysis. The results of this study indicate: There is a significant positive (unidirectional) effect of Brand Awareness on Customer Satisfaction when T-Statistics value (3.171) > T table value (1.976) and P-value (0.002) <0.05, next there is a significant positive (unidirectional) effect of Brand Awareness on Consumer Loyalty when T-Statistics value (6.185) > T table value (1.976) and P-value (0.000) <0.05, then our research finding significant positive (unidirectional) effect of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction when T-Statistics value (4.512) > T table value (1.976) and P-value (0.000) <0.05. There is a significant positive (unidirectional) effect of Service Quality on Consumer Loyalty when T-Statistics value (5.494) > T table value (1.976) and P-value (0.000) <0.05. For the last there is a significant positive (unidirectional) effect of Consumer Loyalty on Customer Satisfaction when T-Statistics value (4.895) > T table value (1.976) and P-value (0.000) <0.05. Based on the results of this study, it was found that brand awareness is very influential. Hence, container terminal management in the future can continue to improve branding-based business models that create the ability for them to win the competition.

Integration between ecoport management and capacity utilization of container terminals as a sustainable seaports development strategy

Seaports have a very important role in world trade, as well as Makassar New Port 1A, which has a very strategic role, especially for the Eastern Indonesia Region. The container terminal at Makassar New Port 1A has an important role in loading and unloading of goods. The use of the capacity of container terminal is urgent to analyze, whether it is optimal or not. Ecoport management is also urgent to analyze because it can affect sustainable port performance. It is necessary to know how is the integration between the use of container terminal capacity and ecoport management at Makassar New Port 1A. So this study aims to: (1) analyze the application of ecoport management in Makassar New Port 1A; (2) analyze the utilization of Makassar New Port 1A container terminal whether it is optimal or not; (3) analyze the integration between ecoport management and the capacity utilization of the Makassar New Port 1A container terminal. The results showed that the use of electrical energy quite efficient and capacity of the Makassar New Port 1A container terminal had not been used optimally with the average BTP value (12.77 TEUs/meter). While the results of the correlation analysis show a strong-enough integration with a value of 0.514, meaning that the management of ecoport and the use of container terminal capacity are interrelated, influencing each other, meaning that development must go hand in hand in order to provide optimal and sustainable benefits.

A bi-layer model for berth allocation problem based on proactive-reactive strategy

To reduce the impact of equipment failure, vessel arrival time delay and other unexpected factors, container terminal managers need to develop a more robust berth scheduling plan while considering the recovery costs. To deal with the berth allocation problem (BAP) with uncertain arrival time, a proactive-reactive hybrid strategy to deal with the impact of uncertainty is proposed. According to the characteristics of BAP and proactive-reactive strategy, a bi-layer programming model is constructed. A robust baseline plan with buffer time is generated in the first layer, and a recovered scheduling plan is generated in the second layer according to the actual arrival time. The decisions between the two layers of models affect each other. In addition, an Adaptive cross-entropy algorithm (ACEA) is designed to solve the first layer model. Different from the traditional cross-entropy algorithm (CEA), an adaptive search strategy is added to further search and optimize the neighborhood of the elite solutions. Furthermore, heuristic adjustment strategies (HAS) are designed to deal with the second layer. The computational results demonstrate that the bi-layer model proposed in this paper can better balance the baseline schedule cost and the recovered schedule cost. Numerical experiments are carried out to assess the effectiveness of the proposed model and the efficiency of the proposed algorithms.

Pengenalan Prinsip Kaizen Dan Penanganan Barang Berbahaya (Dangerous Goods) pada PT. Kereta Api Logistik (KALOG) di Jakarta Pada Tahun 2020

PT. Railway Logistics (KALOG) as a partner in this PKM is a company engaged in the field of rail-based freight transportation with business fields in the form of logistics distribution, container terminal management, loading and unloading, warehousing, packing, labeling, transportation, tracking, logistics escort and logistics management. The problem of partner priority is the lack of human resources who understand specifically about the application of Kaizen principles and the handling of dangerous goods, especially for the delivery of goods by train. The purpose of this activity is; Provide basic knowledge of kaizen principles, handling dangerous goods and the formation of a profitability mindset for employees. The event was held on Thursday, March 12, 2020 at the Office of PT. KALOG, Railway Warehousing Complex, Kp Bandan Rt. 2/4, Jakarta 14430. Methods of Activities with training, Q&A and video playback. The stages of the activity are: a. Stage of Proposal Making, b. Survey Stage: Review of the location of devotion to PT. KALOG and conducted an interview with the Chairman of PT. Local KALOG, c. The stage of identification of partner problems and identification of equipment needs for socialization, d. Stages of Implementation of activities and the final stage, namely the creation of reports and articles of PKM journals. The result of this activity is the increasing knowledge and understanding of participants about the importance of applying the principles of Kaizen and Dangerous Goods in creating profitability and safety and security of freight by train. Participants of the activity are 26 people consisting of leaders, employees and stake holders from PT. KALOG numbered plus 4 Lecturers and 5 ITL students The survey results showed that socialization was effective because it was able to increase the knowledge and understanding of participants in the principles of Kaizen and Dangerous Goods in handling goods, especially by train

Digitalizing the container terminal to meet the demand of the stakeholders in the transportation supply chain: Technology acceptance model extended approach case study in ports group number 4, Vietnam

Most of the world's port operators are aiming to adopt advanced technologies to survive and thrive in the context of the fourth industrial revolution and under the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, container ports in the Southeast region are undergoing digital transformation. The study sheds light on whether the digitization of the service supply processes of these terminals meets the needs of the stakeholders in the transport supply chain. The study examines and analyzes the relationship between technology complexity and compatibility to the continuance to use of container terminals through an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The study mainly uses quantitative methods with the analysis technique of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Survey subjects from 222 respondents are parties in the transport supply chain, including: shipping lines, forwarding companies, logistics service providers and trucking companies in the Southeast region. This study contributes to enriching and expanding the TAM model on container terminal digitization. Research results show that the compatibility and usefulness of the technology has a significant influence on the continuance to use of container terminals. Container terminal managers should consider developing technology and operating systems with the appropriate level of utility and compatibility and according to the needs of the stakeholders in the transport supply chain.

Tingkat Kesesuaian Kinerja dan Harapan Pelanggan pada Terminal Peti Kemas Tanjung Priok

Tanjung Priok Container Terminal is a terminal that serves the loading and unloading process of containers with high service performance standards. Termnal Container customers expect the performance of the services provided by the company to meet their satisfaction or expectations. This study aims to determine the level of conformity between service performance and customer satisfaction or expectations at the container terminal. This study analyzed the data of 67 Container Terminal customers obtained by providing a questionnaire to the customers. The results of the suitability level analysis show that the service performance provided by the container terminal management is satisfied or very satisfied because it has a conformity percentage of 91.93%, besides that the index value of the gap or gap between performance and customer satisfaction / expectations is at -0.28. Where at this value, Container Terminals generally have met customer expectations, but in terms of reliability and assurance, it is still necessary to improve so that it is expected to increase the number and loyalty of Container Terminal customers.

The tactical berth allocation problem with time-variant specific quay crane assignments

Decision support systems and automated planning have become essential for the effective management of seaport container terminals. Due to ever-increasing levels of maritime traffic and freight transportation, terminals are expected to facilitate their intra-yard operations while respecting tighter vessel schedules. Employed models must therefore be capable of providing berth allocation decisions which are not only efficient, but also physically realizable. The present paper addresses the continuous Berth Allocation problem with Specific Quay Crane Assignments, with the aim being to minimize container transshipment distances within the terminal yard. An integrated mathematical formulation is presented which considers various real-world properties such as limited crane ranges and quay discontinuity. Based on this formulation, we also introduce a fast local search-based heuristic, capable of accommodating both fixed and flexible departure time settings. The proposed heuristic is evaluated upon a set of instances which cover a wide range of diverse layout specifications and the solutions are compared against those obtained by a state-of-the-art commercial solver. Experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the heuristic and demonstrate how significantly improved schedules can be obtained when flexible departures are permitted.

Planning of one-way quay cranes using the genetic algorithm

The quay crane scheduling problem plays an essential role in the port container terminal management paradigm, as it is closely related to the berthing time of ships. In this article, we focus on the quay crane scheduling problem based on a special strategy, which forces the quay crane to move in one direction during the process of unloading and loading the containers. The scheduling problem that arises when this strategy is applied is called the one-way scheduling problem of quay cranes in the literature. In this article, we seek a mathematical formula for the unidirectional scheduling problem of quay cranes that can be easily solved by genetic algorithms. This algorithm provides us with the best combination of containers to unload and load at the optimal time.

Optimization strategies of container terminals

One of the main tasks of operational management of modern container terminals is effective utilization of existing technological resources. The search for possible variants of terminal activity optimization requires constant analysis of transport process technology and development of technical and technological approaches to increase the effectiveness of resources utilization. One of the possible solutions provided by terminal operational systems is the application of different strategies of container stack organization and container selectivity. At the same time, the complicated character of input and output container flow makes the effectiveness of these strategies doubtful. The paper states that this particular manner of container service is different from traditional ones, i.e. FIFO and FILO. As output container flow is randomly distributed the manner of container service can be considered as First In/Random Out. The paper also considers different strategies that are applied in practice and analyzes its influence on the productivity of handling equipment. The results of these strategies simulation modeling are represented. The results prove that no strategy can provide a productivity with theoretical selectivity; any strategy provides slowed intensity of operations. At the same time, it is proved that the only optimization strategy which increases the productivity of handling equipment is the organization of terminal activity whereby containers can be selected from the stack not in requirement sequence, but in order of its position in a stack.

A fuzzy AHP classification of container terminals

This article proposes a methodology for the classification of container terminals aiming to identify groups of terminals with similar management characteristics. Based on physical and terminal operations data and the subjective judgment of experts in port management, we show that it is possible to identify the main factors affecting the management of container terminals and produce a classification of these facilities, allowing determination of their strengths, weaknesses, and place within their port system and in relation to their competitors. The methodology is based on the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (F-AHP). As a case study to validate the procedure, the Spanish port system is selected, and the results are compared with other classification methods not including subjectivity criteria, namely cluster analysis. By assigning more weight to expert judgments, results differ and become more trustworthy, since expert knowledge can go beyond simple variables such as TEUs moved or number of available cranes.

Container storage tariff policy analysis using combining game theory and system dynamics approach

This paper examines the storage tariff setting policy. The main purpose of this paper is to give consideration to optimal tariffs based on alternative strategies that reduce dwelling time. The main problem is the basic tariff for container storage in Container Yard is too cheap. This low-cost tariff of the storage container is used by customers so that containers are piled too long in Container Yard and cause dwelling time to be high. This has an impact on the congestion effect and the decline in utilities in the container terminal. This problem has complexity and suitability with System Dynamics. The linkage system between one cause and another cause will be modelled with System Dynamics so that the estimated output of container flows can be obtained. Furthermore, with the Non-Cooperative Game approach, a payoff matrix table will be obtained which contains the total profit obtained by the container terminal management and the total cost incurred by the customer. The main factors considered in the payoff matrix are the estimated container flows, the container storage tariff and the length of time accumulated in Container Yard. Finally, the optimal tariff from both sides was found (Nash Equilibrium), from the point of view of terminal container management and customer. This will help terminal management to make the right decision.

Developing a robust optimization model for seaside operations in container terminal under uncertainty environment

This paper discusses the robust optimization model development to integrate tactical decisions on seaside operations in container terminal, that is consist of Tactical Berth Allocation Problem and Specific Quay Crane Assignment Problem by considering the uncertainty of vessel arrival time and the number of containers to be discharged and loaded into the arrived vessels, which also affects the uncertainty of handling time required. The development of optimization model considers container terminal managers and shipping liner owners viewpoints. Thus, this optimization model has two objective functions, i.e. minimizing total costs of seaside operations and maximizing service levels for shipping liners. Since these two tactical decisions for seaside operations under uncertainty conditions are inter-related each other, the robust optimization model is solved by using exact method, which is applied to a numerical example in the small-scale problem for testing the effectiveness of the proposed method.

A Forecast Model of the Number of Containers for Containership Voyage

Container ships must pass through multiple ports of call during a voyage. Therefore, forecasting container volume information at the port of origin followed by sending such information to subsequent ports is crucial for container terminal management and container stowage personnel. Numerous factors influence container allocation to container ships for a voyage, and the degree of influence varies, engendering a complex nonlinearity. Therefore, this paper proposes a model based on gray relational analysis (GRA) and mixed kernel support vector machine (SVM) for predicting container allocation to a container ship for a voyage. First, in this model, the weights of influencing factors are determined through GRA. Then, the weighted factors serve as the input of the SVM model, and SVM model parameters are optimized through a genetic algorithm. Numerical simulations revealed that the proposed model could effectively predict the number of containers for container ship voyage and that it exhibited strong generalization ability and high accuracy. Accordingly, this model provides a new method for predicting container volume for a voyage.

Optimal berth allocation, time-variant quay crane assignment and scheduling with crane setups in container terminals

There has been a dramatic increase in world’s container traffic during the last thirty years. As a consequence, the efficient management of container terminals has become a crucial issue. In this work we concentrate on the integrated seaside operations, namely the integration of berth allocation, quay crane assignment and quay crane scheduling problems. First, we formulate a mixed-integer linear program whose exact solution gives optimal berthing positions and berthing times of the vessels, along with their crane schedules during their stay at the quay. Then, we propose an efficient cutting plane algorithm based on a decomposition scheme. Our approach deals with berthing positions of the vessels and their assigned number of cranes in each time period in a master problem, and seeks the corresponding optimal crane schedule by solving a subproblem. We prove that the crane scheduling subproblem is NP-complete under general cost settings, but can be solved in polynomial time for certain special cases. Our computational study shows that our new formulation and proposed solution method yield optimal solutions for realistic-sized instances.

Multi-dimensional service improvement under the multi-customer nature of container terminals

This paper investigates the complex environment of container terminal management under the multi-customer problem through the case of East Asian Terminals. Container terminals are service providers to cargo owners (i.e., shippers) as well as liner shipping firms (i.e., carriers) while priorities and requirements may differ. Terminal operators should define the equilibrium quality and configuration of terminal services subject to its own constraints (e.g., financial sustainability). The mainstream approach for evaluation of service quality needs to focus on a particular customer (or group of customers) ceteris paribus. In this paper, the multi-layer quality function deployment (ML-QFD) method is applied to the terminal operators in two-customer context (shippers and carriers). ML-QFD is capable of merging diversified perspectives of several customers and delivering an equilibrium outcome which may satisfy both stakeholders in a cooperative approach. Rather than indefinite superficial recommendations, ML-QFD gets to the point and finds specific technical measures which improve the intended problem. Empirical results (East Asian sample) indicate that both shippers and carriers fundamentally demand cheaper services while shippers also require rapid terminal operations in common with the literature. For achieving requirements of shippers and carriers (in equilibrium), the role of human resource management, operational excellence and automation are emphasised by subjects.

Port e-Transformation, customer satisfaction and competitiveness

ABSTRACTe-Transformation in container ports means port organization-wide innovative transformation encompassing internal and external value chains based on information and communication technology. There is a considerable theoretical literature on the impact of e-Transformation on business performance, but there is very little empirical study on its effectiveness in ports. The objective of this paper is to empirically investigate how e-Transformation in container port management can influence customer satisfaction and port competitiveness. The findings reveal that e-Transformation in container ports can affect customer satisfaction and port competitiveness through e-Workplace, customer relationship management and security, implying that container ports should make every effort to focus on e-transformation in these critical areas. Due to limited empirical studies in this area, the findings have provided an empirical support for the importance of e-Transformation in container terminal management and shed more light on how e-Transformation can affect customer satisfaction and port competitiveness.

IP분석을 이용한 친환경 컨테이너터미널 운영기술에 관한 연구

본 연구는 현재 우리나라 컨테이너터미널에 적용가능한 친환경 운영기술 요인들을 도출하고, 관련 실무자들을 대상 으로 한 실증분석을 통하여 친환경 컨테이너터미널 운영기술들에 대한 항목별 중요도와 만족도의 차이를 Importance- Performance Analysis로 검증함으로써 친환경 컨테이너터미널 운영기술에 대한 향후 방안을 제시하고자 하였다. 본 연구의 결과로 친환경 컨테이너터미널 운영기술 평가항목들 중 ‘빈이동 최소화’가 가장 중요한 요소로, ‘전기식 TC’가 가장 만족한 항목으로 분석되었다. 20개의 친환경 컨테이너터미널 운영기술 항목들은 ‘터미널 안벽시스템’, ‘터미널 야드시스템’, ‘터미널 접안지원 시스템’의 3개 요인으로 도출되었다. 이러한 결과들은 향후 우리나라 친환경 컨테이너터미널에 관련한 운영 정책수 립 및 관리지침에 기여할 것으로 기대된다.