Optimizing berth allocation and storage space in direct transshipment operations at container terminals

Direct transshipment is a new mode in the transshipment of containers, whereby a part of transshipment containers are directly loaded onto mother vessels from feeder vessels, instead of being buffered in the storage yard. To implement it efficiently, several decision issues need to be addressed, one of which is berth allocation and storage space assignment. An integrated model is developed to optimize berth allocation, the storage space assignment, and the direct transshipment plan simultaneously. The objective is to minimize the operational cost of trucks and yard cranes, and the delay cost of vessels. To solve this problem, a heuristic-based algorithm is designed. Numerical experiments are provided to illustrate the validity of the proposed model and algorithms. The results indicate that the direct transshipment mode can decrease operational costs significantly. The model considers benefits for both terminal operators and carriers, promoting the use of direct transshipment as an efficient method to improve transshipment efficiency and thus enhance the competitiveness of container hub ports.