A recursive model for static empty container allocation

Abstract

Backlogged empty containers have gradually turned into a serious burden to shipping networks. Empty container allocation has become an urgent settlement issue for the container shipping industry on a global scale. Therefore, this paper proposes an improved immune algorithm based recursive model for optimizing static empty container allocation which integrates with the global maritime container shipping network. This model minimizes the operating and capital costs during container shipping considering 0-1 mixed-integer programming. So an immune algorithm procedure based on a special twodimensional chromosome encoding is proposed. Finally, computational experiments are performed to optimize a 10-port static empty container shipping system. The results indicate that the proposed recursive model for static empty container allocation is effective in making an optimal strategy for empty container allocation.

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

“…Dang et al [5] studied the problem of empty container repositioning in the inland multi-yard system, and pointed out that the inland empty container repositioning included three forms: repositioning from overseas ports, repositioning from inland ports, and empty container leasing. Guo et al [6] studied the static problem of empty container repositioning. Chou et al [7] studied the problem of empty container repositioning between multiple ports on the basis of considering inventory.…”