Study On Evaluation Index System For Container Liner Route

A mature and rational liner route evaluation index system should be able to describe the performance of a liner route comprehensively in a given horizon and offer theoretical basis and practical guidance for scientific management and decision making afterwards.It can also help the liner route operator analyze information from competitors' operation and take action accordingly.Container liner shipping has been playing a leading role in international trade due to its reliability,carriage capacity,competitive speed and price advantage.The economic crisis triggered by U.S.financial crisis has dramatically changed the global market in recent years,which made it even more difficult for shipping companies to maintain competitive.To obtain considerate economic benefit,the liner route should be modified constantly to adjust the market.Therefore,a scientific liner route evaluation index system is required to help liner route operators understand all the properties of the liner route and figure out the reasons underneath.However,conventional index systems fail to meet this requirement in daily practice.If the liner route operators can't acquire sufficient and targeted information, they are not likely to come to scientific and objective judgement and act accordingly, which makes it extremely difficult for shipping companies to avoid financial loss caused by market fluctuation.How to evaluate a liner route scientifically and objectively has become an essential issue in liner route operation management.This paper takes the liner routes of Dalian——Guangzhou and Dalian——Osaka as an example to analyze the common properties of liner routes.Then a scientific liner route evaluation index system is proposed to help operators understand the liner route performance in time and offer optimal solutions accordingly,which will help shipping companies avoid risks raised by market fluctuation and obtain satisfactory,financial benefit.