Abstract

The thesis addresses the opportunities and conditions to increase the market share of intermodal barge transport in Northwest Europe. In particular, it focuses on strategies to improve the performances of the different links of the intermodal transport chain: the barge transport services, the transhipment at terminals and pre- and post-truck haulage operations. The thesis shows that the development of more complex barge transport services, implemented for instance in collection/distribution-, trunk-feeder- and hub-and-spoke service networks, can improve the market position of barge transport in the hinterland transport of containers and enables to open up new markets for intermodal barge transport. However, to support the well-functioning of these service networks appropriate terminal and transhipment concepts are needed. Basically there are three ‘locations’ in the network where tailor-made barge handling innovations are needed: (1) in the seaport, (2) in the capillaries of the waterway network and (3) in strategically located inland nodes, e.g. to support hub-and-spoke networks. In pre- and post-truck haulage, which has a relatively large share in the total chain costs, the challenge is to improve the organisation of these hauls through combining loaded trips. In developing business areas close to waterways favourable conditions are created for efficient pre- and post-haulage and this contributes to improving the competitiveness of intermodal barge transport.

Abstract

The thesis addresses the opportunities and conditions to increase the market share of intermodal barge transport in Northwest Europe. In particular, it focuses on strategies to improve the performances of the different links of the intermodal transport chain: the barge transport services, the transhipment at terminals and pre- and post-truck haulage operations. The thesis shows that the development of more complex barge transport services, implemented for instance in collection/distribution-, trunk-feeder- and hub-and-spoke service networks, can improve the market position of barge transport in the hinterland transport of containers and enables to open up new markets for intermodal barge transport. However, to support the well-functioning of these service networks appropriate terminal and transhipment concepts are needed. Basically there are three ‘locations’ in the network where tailor-made barge handling innovations are needed: (1) in the seaport, (2) in the capillaries of the waterway network and (3) in strategically located inland nodes, e.g. to support hub-and-spoke networks. In pre- and post-truck haulage, which has a relatively large share in the total chain costs, the challenge is to improve the organisation of these hauls through combining loaded trips. In developing business areas close to waterways favourable conditions are created for efficient pre- and post-haulage and this contributes to improving the competitiveness of intermodal barge transport.

Abstract

Planning of transport through inland shipping is complex, highly dynamic and very specific. Existing software support is focusing on road transport planning and/or is merely a visual representation of shipments to be manually assigned to particular vessels. As a result inland shipment planning is time-consuming and highly relies on the personal skills of the planner. In this paper we present a business rules based model that aims to further support inland shipping organizations in their shipment planning by identifying the characteristics and constraints that are of interest and the related explicated business rules. The model is derived from transport-related literature, explorative expert interviews and transport management software vendors. The usability and applicability of the model is subsequently successfully empirically tested using identified performance measures through a case study at a major European inland shipping broker

Abstract

The article presents results of research dedicated to the project of development of the logistics function in the river ports of the Lower Vistula River. Project has a strategic and complex character and aims to create an effective network of river logistics centres along the Lower Vistula River. The analysis includes the identification of investment tasks and the sources of their funding. The authors’ present original investment benefits and risks analysis that identifies the most important efficiency factors for the project. The article ends with conclusions and recommendations of a general nature to be addressed to other such large infrastructure projects. Bogusz Wisnicki

Abstract

The competitiveness of seaports is predominantly affected by factors external to the ports themselves, connected mainly with the quality of the hinterland and foreland infrastructure. Measures taken in these areas are reflected in the main objectives of the port strategies. Concurrently, the measures may have adverse environmental impacts (pollutant emissions, noise, land occupancy, etc.) and deteriorate the life quality of the port city&rsquo s communities. Therefore, measures taken by seaport authorities to improve their competitiveness must also heed the idea of sustainable development (sustainable port strategy). The answer to this challenge is the idea of green ports, being an element of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies of seaports. One of the elements of this concept is promoting more environmentally friendly transport modes/transport chains in serving the hinterland as an alternative to road transport. Inland shipping is the most environmentally friendly and also cost-competitive mode of transport. Therefore, a modal shift from road to inland waterways is one of the elements of the European Union sustainable transport policy, as well as also gaining importance in the development policies of seaport authorities as an element of a green port strategy. However, this issue has been relatively rarely addressed in the seaport economics literature. In particular, there has been a lack of studies that would make it possible to answer the question of what kind of action should be taken by seaport authorities in order to increase the share of inland shipping in hinterland transport. This article aimed to develop a concept of a promotion policy to be applied by seaport authorities to increase the share of inland shipping in hinterland transport. The study used the elements of a multiple case study design method which included the following seaports: Antwerp, Rotterdam, Hamburg, and the Marseilles&ndash Fos port complex. This article was dedicated to identifying, analyzing, and classifying the policies implemented by these European seaports to promote inland waterway transportation. The research showed that these actions were quite similar in terms of their scope. The actions were classified as external and internal initiatives. The most common external actions included initiatives that improved the quality of inland waterways and the quality of shipping connections with the hinterland. Internal initiatives focused on improving the port&rsquo s infrastructure for barges and on implementing an appropriate information policy. The presented concept of a promotion policy can be a road map for all port authorities aiming to improve the quality of inland shipping as a mode of hinterland transport. Document type: Article

Abstract

In this paper, we will study a typical problem in inland container shipping, concerning the barge transportation of maritime containers between a dry port and a set of seaport terminals. The barges depart from the dry port and visit a set of sea terminals, where containers need either to be dropped off or picked up. The goal is to achieve economies of scale with barges and avoid trucking as much as possible. The decision thus involves finding the best allocation of containers to barges in order to guarantee on-time delivery and meet capacity restrictions. The problem will be modeled as a variant of the split vehicle routing problem with simultaneous pickups and deliveries coupled with time features. The model includes parameters that can be tuned to improve barge utilization and travelling distance. A hybrid local search meta-heuristic algorithm, combined with a branch-and-cut solver, will be developed to solve the model. Numerical experiments have been conducted to test the performance of the algorithm and provide solution analysis for practical insights. Real-world data has been collected from a local barge operator based in the Port of Rotterdam region and will be used as input for the experiments. This will result in an in-depth analysis into current planning practices. The proposed framework complements existing models in the literature and contributes to the development of a comprehensive set of decision support tools, which help in the decision-making process for inland terminals.

Abstract

The typical voyage of a barge transporting maritime containers inland, consists of visiting a set of terminals where loading/unloading operations occur. The required stowage plans must meet stability requirements during all transport phases and avoid costly re-handling operations. In this paper, we formalize this problem and consider a typical dry-port transport system. We propose a comprehensive mathematical model that seeks to maximize stowed containers. To solve it, we develop a hybrid metaheuristic approach, based on local search and an industrial solver. Numerical experiments, based on real-world data, provide insights into the performances of the proposed framework and current stowage practices.