Discrete-event simulation approach for the analysis of liner shipping services of containerized cargo

The aspects concerning liner shipping services have major impacts in the development and growth of countries in a global economy. The recent trend of worldwide trade markets has triggered an unprecedented level of investments in container ships and ports, and the cooperation between carriers, operators, and firms. To cope with the increase in demand, cost, and competition, liner shipping firms are carefully measuring their operational performance. These firms seek to identify opportunities for improvements in logistics and operations, with significant reduction in time and cost during operations.;This research presents the development of a model to emulate the dynamic behavior of liner shipping services in a network structure. The model is developed as a discrete-event simulation system using the ArenaRTM simulation software. Several modules including container port operations, container ship deployment, and intermodal containers routing are designed. The simulation allows the collection of important data related to cost, time, and logistic performance. A number of indicators reveal the behavior of the shipping network and the contribution of service routes, fleet, and ports to the performance of the system.;The results of this research show that simulation is an important and effective management tool to evaluate the performance and costs in liner shipping management. The original shipping structure was reconfigured for the evaluation of an adjusted set of service routes. A significant cost saving was observed from the proposed improvements on the network without significant effects on the shipping performance and avoiding costly re-routings.