Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Impact of Collaborative External Truck Scheduling on Yard Efficiency in Container Terminals

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Operations Research and Enterprise Systems (ICORES 2017)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 884))

Included in the following conference series:

Abstract

In Container Terminals, managing the external truck arrivals is one of the essential managerial activities that, typically, the terminal operators conduct continuously on the short term using a Truck Appointment System (TAS). However, the trucking companies are influenced by the developed appointments and schedules which affect their operations and resources. This paper introduces a collaborative TAS to enable the trucking companies and container terminals to share making the decisions on scheduling the external truck appointments. This paper proposes a Dynamic Collaborative Truck Appointment System (DCTAS) which adopts a simulation optimization approach which integrates a discrete event simulation model with a mixed integer programming model. The DCTAS considers some realistic parameters that enhance the development of reliable appointments that fit the dynamic and stochastic circumstances of container terminals environment. The performance of the developed DCTAS is investigated by solving a numerical instance. The results show that both the container terminals and trucking companies can gain benefits from using the DCTAS. Yard efficiency performance indicators such as the maximum queue lengths, average waiting times, maximum waiting times and average truck turn times are improved using the developed appointment system.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Bierwirth, C., Meisel, F.: A follow-up survey of berth allocation and quay crane scheduling problems in container terminals. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 244(3), 675–689 (2010)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  2. Karam, A., Eltawil, A.B.: A new method for allocating berths, quay cranes and internal trucks in container terminals. In: 2015 International Conference Logistics Informatics and Service Science, LISS 2015 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Karam, A., Eltawil, A.B.: Functional integration approach for the berth allocation, quay crane assignment and specific quay crane assignment problems. Comput. Ind. Eng. 102, 1–15 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Gheith, M.S., Eltawil, A.B., Harraz, N.A., Mizuno, S.: An integer programming formulation and solution for the container pre-marshalling problem. In: CIE 2014 - 44th International Conference on Computers and Industrial Engineering and IMSS 2014, pp. 2047–2056 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Gheith, M., Eltawil, A.B., Harraz, N.A.: Solving the container pre-marshalling problem using variable length genetic algorithms. Eng. Optim. 48(4), 687–705 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Zehendner, E., Feillet, D.: Benefits of a truck appointment system on the service quality of inland transport modes at a multimodal container terminal. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 235(2), 461–469 (2014)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  7. Zhao, W., Goodchild, A.V.: The impact of truck arrival information on container terminal rehandling. Transp. Res. Part E Logist. Transp. Rev. 46(3), 327–343 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Van Asperen, E., Borgman, B., Dekker, R.: Evaluating impact of truck announcements on container stacking efficiency. Flex. Serv. Manuf. J. 25(4), 543–556 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Zhao, W., Goodchild, A.V.: Using the truck appointment system to improve yard efficiency in container terminals. Marit. Econ. Logist. 15, 101–119 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Huynh, N., Walton, C.M.: Robust scheduling of truck arrivals at marine container terminals. J. Transp. Eng. 134(8), 347–353 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Huynh, N.: Reducing truck turn times at marine terminals with appointment scheduling. Transp. Res. Rec. J. Transp. Res. Board 2100, 47–57 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Guan, C., (Rachel) Liu, R.: Container terminal gate appointment system optimization. Marit. Econ. Logist. 11(4), 378–398 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Chen, X., Zhou, X., List, G.F.: Using time-varying tolls to optimize truck arrivals at ports. Transp. Res. Part E Logist. Transp. Rev. 47(6), 965–982 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Azab, A.E., Eltawil, A.B.: A simulation based study of the effect of truck arrival patterns on truck turn time in container terminals. In: Claus, T., Herrmann, F., Manitz, M., Rose, O. (eds.) ECMS 2016. European Council for Modeling and Simulation (2016). https://doi.org/10.7148/2016-0080

  15. Murty, K.G., et al.: Hongkong international terminals gains elastic capacity using a data-intensive decision-support system. Interfaces (Providence) 35(1), 61–75 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Morais, P., Lord, E.: Terminal appointment system study (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Sharif, O., Huynh, N., Vidal, J.M.: Application of El Farol model for managing marine terminal gate congestion. Res. Transp. Econ. 32(1), 81–89 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Karafa, J.: Simulating gate strategies at intermodal marine container terminals, May 2012

    Google Scholar 

  19. Zhang, X., Zeng, Q., Chen, W.: Optimization model for truck appointment in container terminals. Proc. Soc. Behav. Sci. 96, 1938–1947 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Dekker, R., Van Der Heide, S., Van Asperen, E., Ypsilantis, P.: A chassis exchange terminal to reduce truck congestion at container terminals. Flex. Serv. Manuf. J. 25(4), 528–542 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Chen, G., Jiang, L.: Managing customer arrivals with time windows: a case of truck arrivals at a congested container terminal. Ann. Oper. Res. 244, 1–17 (2016)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  22. Chen, G., Govindan, K., Golias, M.M.: Reducing truck emissions at container terminals in a low carbon economy: proposal of a queueing-based bi-objective model for optimizing truck arrival pattern. Transp. Res. Part E Logist. Transp. Rev. 55(X), 3–22 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Schulte, F., González, R.G., Voß, S.: Reducing port-related truck emissions: coordinated truck appointments to reduce empty truck trips. In: International Conference on Computational Logistics, pp. 495–509 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Li, N., Chen, G., Govindan, K., Jin, Z.: Disruption management for truck appointment system at a container terminal: a green initiative. Transp. Res. Part D Transp. Environ. (2015, in press)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Namboothiri, R., Erera, A.L.: Planning local container drayage operations given a port access appointment system. Transp. Res. Part E Logist. Transp. Rev. 44(2), 185–202 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Chen, G., Yang, Z.: Optimizing time windows for managing export container arrivals at Chinese container terminals. Marit. Econ. Logist. 12(1), 111–126 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Phan, M.H., Kim, K.H.: Negotiating truck arrival times among trucking companies and a container terminal. Transp. Res. Part E Logist. Transp. Rev. 75, 132–144 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Phan, M., Kim, K.H.: Collaborative truck scheduling and appointments for trucking companies and container terminals. Transp. Res. Part B Methodol. 86, 37–50 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Azab, A., Karam, A., Eltawil, A.: A dynamic and collaborative truck appointment management system in container terminals. In: Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Operations Research and Enterprise Systems, ICORES, vol. 1, pp. 85–95 (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  30. Azab, A., Mostafa, N., Park, J.: OnTimeCargo: a smart transportation system development in logistics management by a design thinking approach. In: PACIS 2016 Proceedings, 44 (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  31. Bierwirth, C., Meisel, F.: A follow-up survey of berth allocation and quay crane scheduling problems in container terminals. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 244(3), 675–689 (2015)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  32. Le-Griffin, H.D., Murphy, M.: Container terminal productivity: experiences at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. In: NUF Conference, pp. 1–21 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial Engineering and Systems Management, Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology, PO Box 179, New Borg El Arab, 21934, Alexandria, Egypt

    Ahmed Azab & Amr Eltawil

  2. Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering at Shoubra, Benha University, Cairo, Egypt

    Ahmed Karam

Authors
  1. Ahmed Azab
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ahmed Karam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Amr Eltawil
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ahmed Azab .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. INFORMS, Catonsville, Maryland, USA

    Greg H. Parlier

  2. Carlos III University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Federico Liberatore

  3. Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Marc Demange

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Azab, A., Karam, A., Eltawil, A. (2018). Impact of Collaborative External Truck Scheduling on Yard Efficiency in Container Terminals. In: Parlier, G., Liberatore, F., Demange, M. (eds) Operations Research and Enterprise Systems. ICORES 2017. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 884. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94767-9_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94767-9_6

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-94766-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-94767-9

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation