Quay crane and yard truck dual-cycle scheduling with mixed storage strategy

In order to enhance the efficiency of port operations, the scheduling problem of the quay cranes and yard trucks is crucial. Conventional port operation mode lacks optimization research on efficiency of port handling operation, yard truck scheduling, and container storage location. To make quay crane operations and horizontal transportation more efficient, this study uses a dual-cycle strategy to focus on a quay crane and yard truck scheduling problem in conjunction with a mixed storage strategy. A dispatching plan for yard trucks is considered, as well as the storage location of inbound containers. Based on the above factors, a mixed-integer programming model is formulated to minimize vessels’ berth time for completing all tasks. The proposed model is solved using a particle swarm optimization-based algorithm. Validation of the proposed model and algorithm is conducted through numerical experiments. Additionally, some managerial implications which may be potentially useful for port operators are obtained.