Optimization Of Containership Slots Allocation In Short Sea Service Based On Liner Alliance Strategy

Maritime container transport is standardized, high efficiency, high efficiency, high investment, high coordination. How to allocate the containers between the different ports on different routes under demand uncertainty to meet the requirements of the shippers, which has been the core decisions making issue of liner companies. Meanwhile, with the continuous development of transport equipment and expand of shipping market competition, in order to improve service quality, achieve economies of scale and improve the group’s competitiveness, shipping companies have taken a liner alliance mode of operation to achieve joint together and resist risks. Therefore, the space allocation optimization problem based on liner alliance strategy has become a key issue in the current liner shipping area.Liner alliance not only is able to expand companies’ route coverage without increasing the capacity of the liner companies and improves customer service level; but also to improve space utilization and generate additional operating income. It showed, liner alliance strategy is a long-term, profit and risk sharing, win-win strategy. Its space allocation optimization decisions to improve market share and competitiveness of shipping companies are very important and meaningful.Firstly, the characteristics and process of the container liner shipping and transport were analyzed and characteristics of container liner shipping and transport near ocean routes were excavated. Besides, business opportunities and challenges caused by this mode of transport were studied and various alliance modes which appeared at this stage were described more detailed. Fully understand the characteristics and differences between different modes, is the primary decisions making issue. Secondly, a detailed analysis of the many factors that influence the distribution space was carried out. Grasp the characteristics of various factors and build upon the model selection of different factors. Finally, two comprehensive liner slot allocation stochastic programming models in short sea service were established. The models maximized the total marginal revenue of liner carriers considering the factors of multi routes and multi size/type of containers. Regarding the random characteristic of container shipping demands, the chance constrained programming method was employed to solve the problem. The results of a case study validate that the established model and its algorithms are feasible and effective.